178. Telegram 1662 From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State1
1662. Disto. Subject: CCD 691st Plenary Meeting, March 4, 1976.
Summary: Martin (U.S.) set position on major issues involved in possibilities of environmental warfare. Ene (Romania) gave standard [Page 574] statement focusing on CCD organization of work and general Romanian position on disarmament. Committee agreed to hold informal meeting on organization of work on Friday, March 5, at 1030 am. End summary.
1. Martin (U.S.), recalling four general issues identified in opening U.S. statement Feb 17, offered more detailed exposition of U.S. views on prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification (EnMod) techniques.
2. Concerning scope of draft convention submitted by U.S. and USSR, Martin said definition of prohibited activities effectively eliminated danger of hostile use of EnMod techniques that could significantly affect another state party while avoiding difficulties of implementation that would be involved if effort were made to deal with essentially trivial issues. He noted that in U.S. view some hostile uses of EnMod techniques would be prohibited altogether, such as generation of earthquakes and tsunamis, climate modification, and steering or intensification of hurricanes, which would inevitably have widespread, long-lasting, or severe effects.
3. Martin said that convention would prohibit hostile use of techniques involving deliberate manipulation of natural forces as a weapon, noting that convention was not concerned with damage to environment incidental to use of conventional means of warfare.
4. Martin recalled suggestion made at UNGA that convention prohibit threat of use as well as actual hostile use of EnMod techniques. He said this could, in U.S. view, raise difficulties of implementation disproportionate to potential benefits. While expressing doubt that prohibition of threat would add an important element to basic prohibition, Martin said U.S. was prepared to hear further explanation of idea.
5. Martin said U.S. recognized importance of providing adequate assurance of compliance with convention, saying that twin procedures set out in draft—provisions for cooperation and consultation as well as complaints procedure to UN Security Council—satisfactorily meet this need.
6. With respect to relation between EnMod convention and Laws of War Protocol, Martin emphasized important differences between the two, arguing that differences of provision and terminology were appropriate in view of different objectives and coverage.
7. Martin stressed U.S. view that EnMod convention should not seek to deal with questions of peaceful uses of EnMod techniques. Recalling suggestion that convention include positive commitment concerning cooperation in promotion of peaceful uses, Martin said that in view of largely unproven benefits of peaceful application U.S. did not consider such a commitment prudent. He noted, however, that all U.S. [Page 575] EnMod research is being carried out on unclassified basis and said there was no desire on U.S. part not to share technical information.
8. Martin again encouraged other dels to join in discussion of EnMod convention issues in order to further effort to develop widely acceptable text.
9. Ene (Romania) gave standard statement calling on CCD to organize its work on basis of priorities established by UNGA. He said Romania considered particularly important the reappraisal of the CCD’s tasks and duties in accordance with UNGA resolution on Disarmament Decade. He also reviewed main points of Romanian position paper on disarmament issues circulated at General Assembly.
10. At end of meeting, chairman of day read proposal by co-chairmen that committee hold informal meeting on organization of work, including format of 1976 CCD report and U.S. proposal for comprehensive review of CCD procedures, at 1030 am, Friday, March 5. Proposal was subsequently approved by committee with no objection.
11. Next plenary meeting 1030 am, Tuesday, March 9.
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Summary: The mission reported that during the March 4 Conference of the Committee on Disarmament plenary session, U.S. Representative to the CCD Martin presented a more detailed explanation of the U.S. position on environmental modification techniques.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760083–0966. Limited Official Use. Repeated for information to Bonn, Bucharest, London, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm, The Hague, Tokyo, ERDA, the Mission to NATO, the U.S. delegation to the SALT II talks in Geneva, and USUN. For the full text of Martin’s March 4 statement, see Documents on Disarmament, 1976, pp. 56–61. For Martin’s February 17 statement, see Document 175.
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