The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 22, 1981-Page 17
Senate OKs funds for nerve gas
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Reagan
administration proposal to spend $2
million to produce nerve gas and other
chemical weapons was approved
yesterday by the Senate, apparently
clearing the way for final congressional
passage.
The Senate adopted the measure by
voice vote after barely defeating a
move to kill the spending measure. The
proposal to shelve the funding measure
was defeated, 50-58.
THE APPROPRIATION was at-
tached to a $12.8 billion supplemental
spending bill for this year. The House
version of the spending measure also
includes the funds for the controversial
project and thus the money is expected
to be part of any final bill.
The proposal touched off a heated
Senate debate with proponents saying
that the United States would
unilaterally disarm itself of chemical
weapons if it doesn't start on a
deterrent to a developing threat from
the Soviet Union.
But opponents denounced the plan as
inviting disaster without even submit-
ting the idea to a detailed review in
public congressional hearings.
SEN. DAVID PRYOR (D-Ark.), said
developing nerve gas would "repeal the
spirit of what the civilized world has
been working toward since the Geneva
agreements of 1925. Nerve gas is
inhumane.
"It doesn't kill soldiers. They are
equipped with masks and protective
clothing. It kills civilians."
But Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), said
that the development project was
needed to "restore credibility to our
chemical deterrent." Without chemical
warfare capability, Warner said,
American troops will be sent 'into
"areas where the Soviets would utilize
the weapons and they would be helpless
to counter-attack."
WARNER SAID a defeat yesterday
would have killed the program.
"The Soviet Union has taken
chemical warfare more seriously than
has the United States for many years,"
Warner said. "They have maintained a
large and capable production
base ... The Soviets are believed to
have from four to 10 times the quantity
of toxic chemical agent in its stockpi;le
compared with that held by the United
States."
Warner said Secretary of State
Alexander Haig thinks the Soviets may
be using chemical warfare in
Afghanistan and Southeast Asia, and
that Haig says the United States
remains committed to a "no first use"
policy.
HE PRODUCED Defense Secretary
Caspar Weinberger's statement that he
and Reagan think more delays in
restoring "America's chemical
deterrent posture is tantamount to
unilateral disarmament."
Sen John Tower (R-Texas), said "the
most sure way to increase the risk of
chemical warfare" is for the United
States not to arm itself with the latest
weapons. "This is unilateral disar-
mament." Senate Appropriations
Committee Chairman Mark Hatfield
(R-Ore.), urged cutting the $20 million
because he said it was "ludicrous" to
approve it without thorough analysis.
"My God, is there no limit to the
voracious annotite of the milita-v to
suck up every dollar we have?" he
asked. "This is insane, to ask the
American people to buy a weapons
system in two minutes that would
change the whole face of the earth."
The money would be used to equip an
Army installation at Pine Bluff, Ark., to
produce so-called binary nerve gas.
Binary weapons are artillery shells
that contain separate chambers of
chemicals which the Army says are
harmless when separated but produce
lethal or incapacitating gases when
mixed together on impact.
Presidential parade AP Photo
French President Francois Mitterrand triumphantly parades down the Champs-Elysees yesterday after placing a
wreath at the tomb of the French Unknown Soldier.
Suspect held in attempted
robbery at J.L. Hudson's
A 27-year-old Battle Creek man was
arrested and charged with attempting
to rob J. L. Hudson's department store
in Briarwood Mall Wednesday evening,
police said yesterday.
The suspect was apprehended after a
sales clerk summoned a store security
guard and was taken to city jail by
police, according to police Sgt. Harold
Tinsey.
ACCORDING TO police reports, the
man approached a sales counter and
asked a clerk to show him some wat-
ches. After she produced the watches,
the man allegedly threatened her and
demanded money. The suspect did not
display a weapon, police said, although
he threatened the clerk. Police said the
clerk then summoned a security guard .
who apprehended the man.
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