Originally published in 1986, although the pace of arms control negotiations has been stepped up, there is still little sign of agreement. In this paper the author examines the current negotiating effort, with particular emphasis on its implications for European security. He provides an up-to-date analysis of the superpower discussions on nuclear arms control, including the impact of ‘star wars’, and also of the talks at Vienna on conventional force reductions and at Stockholm on confidence-building measures. He notes a shift in emphasis from ‘parity’ to ‘transparency’ in Western proposals, and questions whether this promises greater results than were achieved from earlier approaches. He also warns of the risks of arms control arrangements obstructing possibilities for reforming the European security system.
Abbreviations. Preface. 1. Introduction 2. The Objectives of Arms Control 3. The Political Context 4. Parity and Sufficiency 5. Strategic Arms Control 6. Intermediate Nuclear Forces 7. Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions 8. Confidence-Building Measures 9. Conclusion. Appendices 1. Negotiating History of SALT 2. Negotiating History of START 3. Negotiating History of INF 4. The Data Question in INF 5. Negotiating History of MBFR 6. The Data Question in MBFR 7. Negotiating History of the Conference on Confidence and Security Building Measures and Disarmament.
Biography
Lawrence Freedman
