Page 326 - chs-1980
P. 326

Headliners




                        Soviets  Invade  Afghanistan













             On December 28,  1979, in a blitzk-
           rieg  involving  an  estimated  50,000
           soldiers,  the  Soviet  army  crossed
           the border, to take control of Afgha-
           nistan.  President  Carter  has  at-
           tempted  to  mobilize  a  broad  inter-
           national  condemnation  of  the
           Soviet's action.






                                                                                                                   -





                                                                                       THE  WHITE  HOl'SE
                                                                                           w .. sHr-..:cTo:-:

                                                                                       January  3,  1980





                                                                    Dear  Senator  Byrd:

                                                                    In  light  of  the  Soviet  invasion  of  Afghanistan,
                                                                   I  request  that  you  delay  consideration  of  the
                                                                   SALT  II  Treaty  on  the  Senate  floor.

                                                                   The  purpose  of  this  request  is  not  to  withdraw
                                                                   the  Treaty  from  consideration,  but  to  defer  the
                                                                   debate  so  that  the  Congress  and  I  as  President
                                                                   can  assess  Soviet  actions  and  intentions,  and
                                                                   devote  our  primary  attention  to  the  legislative
                                                                   and  other measures  required  to  respond  to  this
                                                                   crisis.

                                                                   As  you  know,  I  continue  to  share  your  view
                                                                   that  the  SALT  II  Treaty  is  in  the  national
                                                                   security  interest of  the  United  States  and  the
                                                                   entire  world,  and  that  it should  be  taken  up
                                                                   by  the  Senate  as  soon  as  these  more  urgent  issues
                                                                   have  been  addressed.

                                                                                              Sincerely,


                                                                                               /
                                                                                     -~&7



           322                                                    The  Honorable  Robert  Byrd
                                                                  Majority  Leader  of  the  United  States   Senate
                                                                  Washington,  D.C.
   321   322   323   324   325   326   327   328   329   330   331