U.S. Views Higher Soviet Alert in E. Germany as ‘Benign’ Move
Some Soviet military forces in East Germany have raised their alert status, but it apparently is just a move to protect their bases and nuclear weapons amid political turmoil in the country, a Pentagon official said Friday.
“It’s a self-protection measure,” said the official, who spoke on condition he not be identified by name.
The official said the Pentagon does not view the Soviet move as a prelude to intervention in the politics of East Germany.
“They have taken increased security measures, but it is similar to something we might do at our bases if there are problems nearby. They haven’t moved their troops forward, and they aren’t preparing for battle,” the official said.
The Washington Post quoted a senior U.S. military official as saying: “We think this is probably a benign development. They’re worried about their own forces (in the midst of this turmoil) and rightfully so.”
Secretary of State James A. Baker III told the Post in an interview that the Soviet Union has pledged to the United States since last summer that it will not intervene militarily to block the fast-paced changes taking place in Eastern Europe.
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