Democrats Disappointed Over Reagan’s Near Miss

Lawmakers and U.S. power brokers were surprised and disappointed today at the near miss on a historic arms agreement between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), reacting to the roller-coaster summit ride that saw world hopes for a sweeping arms accord dashed in Iceland Sunday, blamed Reagan’s insistence on pursuing his fledgling Strategic Defense Initiative for the lost opportunity.

“That grand and historic opportunity was there in Iceland, but it has been sacrificed--at least for the moment--on the uncertain altar of SDI,” Kennedy said.

Best Deal Since Alaska

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said, “This weekend we had a chance to cash in ‘Star Wars’ (the popular name for the space defense shield) for the best deal the Russians have offered an American President since they sold us Alaska for a few million dollars.

“And Ronald Reagan turned it down.”

Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) asked, “Why did anyone let (Reagan) into a situation where he would fail?” But Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the President and his staff “were not ready for this summit or for the kind of proposal the Soviets made.”

The weekend’s outcome also prompted words of warning on future debate over the controversial shield.

Closer Scrutiny Coming

Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-Kan.), a Foreign Relations Committee member, said “a closer scrutiny (of SDI) was coming anyway” but the talks “probably will” polarize debate on the proposal.

“What he faces is continued tremendous opposition on arms control (on Capitol Hill),” added Rep. Thomas J. Downey (D-N.Y.).

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said that he shared “the deep disappointment of people around the world” and that he was “puzzled by the decision to pass up a real opportunity to destroy a large portion of the Soviet nuclear arsenal.”

Kennedy and others said Reagan should have accepted the Soviet proposal to delay for 10 years the testing, development and deployment of space weapons in the defense initiative.

50% Arms Cut Lost

Instead, they contended, the chance was lost for agreements to reduce offensive nuclear forces by 50% and eliminate intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe and limit them in Asia.

“The failure in Iceland to move toward sweeping reductions can only be viewed as disappointing and ultimately as self-defeating,” Kennedy said.

Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.) warned: “Next time, maybe (Reagan) won’t get as good a deal.”

Yet other U.S. officials praised the President for refusing to cave in to Soviet demands.

Kenneth Adelman, chief of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, told CBS News that to give up SDI would be “killing the goose that lays the golden egg.”

Pat Buchanan, presidential speech writer and White House director of communications, said Reagan’s rejection of Gorbachev’s “non-negotiable demand” was “President Reagan’s finest hour.”

Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, told CBS the Reykjavic summit “clearly was a Soviet trap” and “it would have been a very serious mistake for the President to give in.”