European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns Tom Wicker the stars and stripes report finds nato pact forces nearly even _. L i. I. .__._. I . Iuah Jinn nil in Irv for Mola nor and. Armed . It inc a of Many americans believe hat the soviet Union could overwhelm nato defences in a conventional War in Western Europe. They must have been surprised last week when a group of european political leaders opposed inc idea that the West should build up forces before the United Stales ratifies lie treaty Banning Short and medium Range missiles. The europeans from West Germany France Britain and the Netherlands did so primarily from line Ihal the Issue would delay ratification of the Trca by which they strongly support. Europeans moreover generally do Noi share the fear of Many americans Ihal tin soviet Union intends to invade Western Europe. The europeans testimony to the Senate foreign relations committee also should have focused Atten Tion on whal Loo few americans seem to understand that in real and qualitative terms. Nato conventional forces arc not much inferior if at All to those of inc Warsaw pact. Owing Noi least to politicians and generals who Harp on inc soviet americans have been led to believe that the West would have Little Chance to turn Bank a soviet invasion without the use of nuclear weapons. That belief is one reason for opposition to the inner mediate nuclear forces treaty. On that As sumption Loo some senators want to attach a Reser vation to the trealy that would prevent ii shaking effect before a conventional buildup in Europe had been tarried out. Not Only might thai sink the treaty altogether but it Jim Fain also in l necessary As has frequently been argued in this space. Now a solid Rufu Lylion of nato s sup posed conventional inferiority has Hern provided in a will re searched report by sen. Carl Levin a Mich. The chairman of the relevant subcommittee of inc armed forces comm Locc. The report includes Liis conclusion of the respect to International inst Tulc for strategic studies the conventional military balance it still such at to Wake Gen eral military aggression a highly risky undertaking of either Side., the consequences for an attacker would still be quite Levin looked behind the raw number of men and weapons on both tide to their measurable Letec to Gencsi with results that will be surprising to some americans. They have been Given and nausea for example such facts As that the Warsaw pact nations have 51,200 tank again Only 22.100 for nato. Bui that s the count for the forces of All nations on either Side from the Atlantic to the urals. If however inc geographic scope is narrowed to the Central Region where an invasion would have lobe concentrated. Pact tanks number Only 18.000 against 12,700 for nato a ratio of Only 1.4-1. The offence generally requires superiority of at least 3-1 to Over come prepared defences. If in addition the plausible Assumption is made that polish forces would not fight in a soviet invasion of Western Europe the tank ratio declines to 1.1-1 in inc fact s favor. So it is Loo with other crucial measures of Artil Lery of instance and helicopters. In the Cen trial Region. Nato is Superior in the latter category a vital one. Even More striking is inc Levin report s i Vesliga lion of combat aircraft available in either Side. That count is often Given As above 7.doo for the pact against 3,000-plus for nato. Broken Down to Lype iof combat planes however. The pact nations deploy Only 450 bombers against 285 for nato and 2.m4 attack Craft is. 2,108. Nearly 5,000 of the pact s combat aircraft Are interceptors or for defense rather than for support Ofa ground attack. If those figures Are further narrowed to what s Avail Able to each Side in the Central Region nato Actu ally has a 901-799 advantage or n ratio of i-.89 in attack aircraft described in inc report As fighter bomber planes Hinl on switch from air to air combat to air to ground and this the report noles does not count about 1,500 . Attack planes thai would arrive from the . Early in a european War in weapons Quality in Force readiness i Quality of personnel in the reliability of allies and in economic and Industrial strength the Levin report finds nato Superior. Of course in concedes certain advantages to the pact nations too and Points to areas in which nato forces do need strengthening. Levin has effectively shown however Ihal no one need fear the collapse of nato forces in the cd Cal of conventional War in Europe. Moscow surely docs l a Good reason Why such a War is unlikely anyway. Nam Yort to Fras n Reagan convincing Public corruption is of Mike Deaver probably will wriggle fret of the Slammer in the Legal hassle Over Independent prosecutors. It does t matter much. He s Small Fry and has paid enough for his 15 Minics of celebrity Down to auctioning off his furniture As in instalment an his lawyer Bill. The real villains of his tawdry exercise in influence peddling will ride Scot free into the Sunset in inc Pink glow movie scrip they always coveted. They arc Nancy and Ronald Reagan to whom of aver was like an adopted son a Long As he scrubbed their images for a trusting Public now they Are furious Ai their Long time Lackey. Became he betrayed the Public Trust by shilling heir Friendship Lor millions of dollars Don t be silly. They re angry because his forthcoming Hook. Behind inc scenes portrays them As less than godlike and never Nind that the poor sycophant Cut out inc More idling passages in an 1 lib hour bid to Salvage Lavor. The Reagan Raj has produced the most corrupt administration in history. To upward of 120 senior members accused of crimes and ethical offences. Worse n deadened our capacity for indignation it made the exploitation of Public so Vicc and government won Cele Niy downright respectable. Takk the first family in self. All four children milk the presidency for what Ever they can gel. He two less favored for lower profit and despite parental resentment. Pail Davis wrote a scorching nose ripping her parents. Michael Reagan hypes o new Book by Hilling the talk shows with details of sex Ual molestation at boys Camp. The pets. Maureen and Ron jr., Are in Civ. Maureen has a j70.000-a-Ycar sinecure As co chair of the Republican National committee. She lives Ai the while House. The most shameless Ron or. Makes a Sho big career of being the president s son. Lie films american express com Marci a. Dances in skivvies on sat urday night Lii und currently markets wad Skunk such a club or Ink see Eddie a parody of the White House for Cable to. Asked if he sees anything wrong with while he fought to life curbs against their Selling Long distance computer services asked if h sees anything wrong wit and Cru Ismeni cashing in on his relationship he says Mcnese apologists say his Are Nickel who would t jump Al the Opp nuni and dime offences they Overlook uly a Lyn Nobinglr another member of inc Reagan inner Circle currently is being tried for peddling influence. The closest aide to the reagans except for a Caver attorney general de Meuse pins another Merit badge on him self each time he escapes indictment. His Luck May run out Kow Cvar. The latest caper to reach his special investigator the fad he and his wife held Stock in baby Bell Telephone regional Anu him Uii Kava a few a. Fact he s a Small bore Guy. Sure Franklin Chinn made Only $40,000 for the my Csc. But he s accused of simultaneously ripping off wed tech for hundreds of thousands for himself. A Csc s oldest Friend a Robert Wai Lach. Who brought Chinn Imo the act faces similar charges. Truman had Harry Vaughn Eisen Hower Sherman Adams Carter Ben Lance and brother Billy. All were relatively minor sinners and promptly punished in bursts of outrage. Reagan whose ethics were shaped m Hollywood s Snake pit. Says he wet Noth ing wrong in his group s pillaging and even the Washington Post agrees at least As far As Deaver is concerned everybody s doing it the Post a Plains. The Iraq cd is they re about to convince the rest of us. The opinions expressed in la columns and cartoons on this Pace rep Tel tone of the Aulon and in in � my to be considered a rep Emir lit be i of the stars and stripes or Ibe United set Kornmel
