WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger told a West German television audience Wednesday he has some sympathy with Western Europeans who have demonstrated against U.S. plans to deploy new missiles in Europe.
But Weinberger reiterated Washington's determination to deploy the missiles in five European countries beginning in December 1983 to counter a Soviet threat despite opposition to the plan.
Weinberger appeared in a 45-minute interview with ZDF Television beamed by satellite to West Germany for live broadcast.
He said Soviet superiority 'certainly exists' in the number of medium ranged SS-20 nuclear missiles aimed at Europe and this must be overcome either through negotiations or by the deployment on European soil of 572 U.S. Pershing II and cruise missiles capable of hitting the Soviet Union.
Weinberger said Western European protesters were fortunate they were demonstrating 'where there is a strong military source that can keep their countries free enough for demonstrations to take place.
'Could those demonstrations take place in the Soviet Union? The answer is, 'No.'
'So that one of the things the demonstrators are demonstrating against is the military strength necessary to preserve the freedom to enable them to demonstrate for anything they care to on any subject in the future. I understand what they're saying and I sympathize with them.'
The response by the defense chief to questions about the demonstrations was a departure from his virtual dismissal of them when he was in Europe last month.
But, he said, 'there should not be any hesitancy' in deploying the missiles because they are necessary not only as a counter to the 250 mobile SS-20s but as a 'reason for the Soviets to negotiate seriously' in the Geneva arms control talks scheduled to open Nov. 30.
'Our policy is to try to come out of those negotiations with a balance that can maintain the peace through deterrence through a realization that the Soviets can correctly perceive that any attack by them would bring a retaliation that would inflict a cost unacceptably high to them,' Weinberger said.
He appeared to reverse course on his early criticism of the NATO allies. He charged shortly after taking office in January they were not doing enough to pay for their own defense.
'No, I don't think the allies are not assuming responsibilities for their own defense,' Weinberger said in response to a question. 'I think they very definitely are. I think all of these countries in NATO have made very substantive efforts during all of these years.
'We are not expecting or demanding anything from Europe.'
