THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, September 20, 1985

Max Kampelman:
Man With A Mission

Patience is the name of the game,
says the head of the U.S.
delegation on arms control talks
with the Soviets.

BY TRUDE B. FELDMAN
Special to The Jewish News

Kampelman: patience and pragmatism.

Washington, D.C. — The
second round of formal talks
on arms control has con-
cluded in Geneva. And while
the Soviet and American
delegations encountered
strenuous sessions, they are
bound by confidentiality
from giving interviews on
details of their talks.
However, Max M. Kampel-
man, the head of the U.S.
delegation, did agree to tell
what it's like to negotiate
with the Soviets on issues of
war and peace.
"It is the greatest chal-
lenge of my life, albeit the
most difficult and grueling,"
Kampelman said in an exclu-
sive interview. "I am direct
and firm about the positions
I take and I do not mislead.
I need to be tenacious if the
Soviets are to take me ser-
iously."
Asked what stirs within
him as he negotiates with the
Russians, he said: "My feel-
ings are that the process is
important. The exploration,
as to whether improved rela-
tions are possible, is of great
value. The negotiating pro-
cess is vital to managing our
relations with the Soviet
Union and the managing
function can be as vital as the
particular solution to a
specific problem.
"It isn't simply two people
talking to each other. I am
trying to see what, if any-
thing, can reduce tensions.
The Soviets are well-trained
people with much experience.
I, of course, treat them like
human beings. They are."
Last January, President
Reagan asked Kampelman to
lead the three-track nego-
tiating team, which includes
former Senator John Tower
(R. Texas), who handles
negotiations on strategic
nuclear arms, and Maynard
W. Glitman, a career foreign

service officer, who is respon-
sible for intermediate-range
nuclear forces. Kampelman's
main responsibility is to
oversee the negotiations on
defense and space weapons.
Kampelman said that
despite personal and profes-
sional sacrifices, he took the
assignment because he fully
appreciates the urgency of
the mission and the enormity
of the responsibility.
"We have only one presi-
dent at a time," he said.
"And I am public-service-
oriented. This is a chance to
do my best to help avoid war
without losing our values."
Prior to his current assign-
ment, Kampelman was ap-
pointed by President Jimmy
Carter, and reappointed by
President Ronald Reagan, as
ambassador and head of the
U.S. delegation to the Con-
ference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe. The
three-year conference was
held in Madrid from 1980 to
1983, and led to the only
significant agreement be-
tween President Reagan and
the Soviet Union.
The Madrid sessions,
Kampelman said, taught him
an enormous amount of
negotiating strategy. In par-
ticular, he learned that pa-
tience is the key factor.
"Generally, the Soviets do
not get involved in making
substantial or serious conces-
sions until the end of the
negotiations, because they
hope we'll make concessions
without a requirement to
match them," he said. "They
want to test our strength and
support before they are
prepared to set forth conces-
sions. They know that, in the
past, our allies and our Con-
gress have, on occasion, led
us to make unilateral con-
cessions."

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