Foreign Relations of the United States, 1989–1992, Volume XXXI, START I, 1989–1991

12. Record of Decisions of an Arms Control Policy Coordinating Committee Meeting¹

Washington, April 12, 1989

The PCC heard a debrief of the initial CFE round by Ambassador Ledogar. No decisions were taken or required.

An interagency paper “Criteria for Evaluating CFE Measures with Respect to Verification” was distributed. The PCC agreed that members would review the paper and report any problems to the NSC staff by COB April 13. If no objections are registered, the document will be formally promulgated by the NSC Executive Secretary for use as a reference document.

The PCC reviewed an interagency paper on Gomel. PCC members agreed that the radar at Gomel has been rendered inoperative and the violation of the ABM Treaty corrected. They also agreed that the Soviets have not scrupulously carried out the steps agreed to in the SCC. The PCC could not reach consensus on the next steps. Agency positions will be submitted to the PCC Executive Secretary by COB April 13. The Acting SCC Commissioner and the OSD PCC representative will clarify their common understanding of Option 3 in the interagency paper.

With respect to the ongoing review of START:

1. The PCC reached agreement to reaffirm the 1600 SNDV limit for the present. The decision will be reviewed once a U.S. mobile ICBM decision has been made.

2. The PCC agreed that the initial U.S. position when START talks resume is to retain the 3000/3300 ICBM warhead sublimit. The PCC could not reach consensus on whether to encourage or discourage Ambassador Burt from suggesting that there is flexibility with respect to this limit.

3. The PCC failed to reach consensus with respect to heavy ICBMs. The PCC agreed to drop the option of immediately modifying the U.S. position and allowing testing and modernization of heavy ICBMs, but retained the remaining three options in the existing issue paper.

4. The PCC failed to reach consensus on substituting a launch weight constraint for the existing U.S. throwweight constraint.

5. The PCC agreed that by COB April 13 agencies would provide comments on the existing issue papers with respect to the 3000/3300 sublimit, heavy ICBMs, and launch weight/throwweight. The PCC further agreed that decisions would be reached from the revised paper and that further meetings were not required.

1. Source: George H.W. Bush Library, Bush Presidential Records, National Security Council, Richard A. Davis Files, Subject Files, OA/ID CF01590–009, Arms Control PCC [2]. Secret.