NATO Grudgingly Backs U.S. Chemical Arms Plan

NATO defense ministers today adopted a U.S. proposal to manufacture chemical weapons, but at least five nations expressed reservations over the plan, officials said.

The NATO defense ministers adopted by consensus each other’s “force goals”--projected military capabilities--including a U.S. plan to build deadly nerve-gas weapons for the first time in 17 years to offset a Soviet advantage.

But defense ministers from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Greece expressed reservations or outright opposition to production of chemical weapons, NATO officials said.

The five nations, however, were powerless to block the plan because there is no precedent for members of the 14-nation Atlantic alliance vetoing another member’s “force goals.”

“Moralists should not point an accusing finger at the United States now because during 17 years it abstained from making new chemical weapons,” West German Defense Minister Manfred Woerner said. “It plans to do so now only to forestall chemical attack by the other side.”

The opposition of some NATO members called into question whether Congress will release money for production of the weapons. Congress will not hand over funds for production without NATO approval.