ACCESSION NUMBER:215707

FILE ID:AR-519

DATE:02/21/92

TITLE:(With Spanish Asf505 of 02/21/92) (02/21/92)

TEXT:*92022119.ARF

*ARF519 02/21/92

(With Spanish Asf505 of 02/21/92)

U.S. AND ARGENTINA URGE END TO ARMS PROLIFERATION

(Sec. Defense Cheney in Buenos Aires)  (440)

Jaime Lopez Recalde

USIA Special Correspondent

BUENOS AIRES -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and his Argentine

counterpart, Antonio Erman Gonzalez, joined in calling for a worldwide halt

to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the spread of non-conventional

arms -- particularly chemical and biological weapons.



Cheney, who is visiting five Latin American countries, arrived in the

Argentine capital Feb. 20.  He had visited Guatemala, Panama, and Brazil

earlier, and was scheduled to visit Chile Feb. 21 before returning home.



During a joint press conference with Gonzalez, Cheney praised the government

and the Argentine people for their decision to dismantle the Condor II

missile, and pointed out that this was the sovereign decision of the

Argentine government.  "We think Argentina made a very sound decision to be

part of the worldwide efforts to enhance the prospects for peace and

stability in years to come," he said.



If this decision had not been taken, Gonzalez quickly added, the only

country that would have been hurt would have been Argentina, because doubts

would have persisted about its conduct.  "We are urging all the countries

of the region to destroy their non-conventional arms, and we should set the

example," he added.



During his 20-hour stay in Buenos Aires, Cheney visited the frigate

Almirante Brown, which had taken part in the blockade of Iraq during the

Gulf War.  He expressed his thanks to the officers and men of the Argentine

Navy who had participated in last year's action in the Gulf.



1e later met with the acting President, Senator Eduardo Menem, who is

replacing his brother Carlos Menem, who is traveling outside the country.

Cheney held meetings with Gonzalez and the heads of the Argentine army,

navy, and air force, and also met with representatives of the Senate and

the Chamber of Deputies.



In answer to journalists' questions, Cheney said that while the United

States hopes it will not be necessary to again blockade Iraq, such an

action would only be undertaken in accordance with resolutions passed by

the U.N. Security Council and not as an offensive military action.  Such

international actions, he added, have the objective of limiting Saddam

Hussein's access to funds for rebuilding his military or buying arms, not

of harming the people of Iraq.



In discussing narcotics trafficking, Cheney said the United States armed

forces are solely involved in preventing the illegal entry of drugs into

the country.  He added that when asked to help, the U.S. armed forces have

assisted other countries -- particularly those in the Andean region -- in

combating drug trafficking.



Cheney said his visit was intended to emphasize U.S. cooperation with the

nations of the hemisphere, and to explore ways to strengthen peace and

stability in the region.



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