Chapter 164

The Russian group went to the other meeting room while we went to the Oval Office.

I waited and finally asked ‘‘We only have a few minutes. You have heard the package, what’s it worth to get that many missiles destroyed, to see those submarines never go on another patrol?’’

‘‘The nuclear limits by yield will allow us to reduce the number of our older missiles and replace them with newer more accurate dial a yield missiles and stay with the new numbers by total launch systems,’’ I said.

‘‘I have the White House budget office working the financial numbers. I’m sure the Congressional budget office will do the same later,’’ I added.

The Joint Chiefs came in and asked for a moment to update me.

‘‘The Reagan and its task force will dock at Vladivostok Naval base at 1000. News crews from all the majors are on board. They haven’t been told what is happening. Arrangements have been made for tugs to position it to the docks. It’s a media event as you wanted,’’ the Chief of Naval Operations said.

‘‘The Air Force agreement was a little tougher to work out but the first group of twenty B52s will land at 1030 and news crews will also be there. I hope this does not backfire on us,’’ the Air Force Chief of Staff said.

‘‘It could take weeks to figure out the short term and long term savings. Then you have the MIC (military industrial complex) that is going to fight any cuts in its budgets, research or manufacturing. That’s why they have facilities in nearly every state so they can torque up the congressional people to continue with making money,’’ Troy said.

The State Department team was working with the DOD team to make sure we were not going in the wrong direction with our negotiations. But no one could give me any firm numbers.

The two from the Senate foreign relations were part of my negotiating team. They were the ones that were important - the Senate had to vote on all treaties and I needed all the help I could get. The two from the House were getting summaries - not very timely.

I had a head full of thoughts of changes that could be made with the many agreements we were working on.

The Russians were heading back to the meeting room and I still had nothing to work with.

‘‘We have come up with a number and that number is an additional five hundred billion to accept all the proposals,’’ President Orbatch said.

‘‘That’s a lot more than I was expecting. A onetime payment of that much is out of my reach and Congress will not support that,’’ I said.

‘‘Other US presidents have sent pallets of cash just to open negotiations,’’ President Orbatch said.

‘‘Most of the time it didn’t produce the results expected, and I am not doing it that way.’’

‘‘With conditions, here is what I can do. Two hundred billion tomorrow after agreeing and signing all the proposals. Fifty billion each month for six months, provided the goals for the agreement are met.’’

‘‘There are a total of twelve hundred and eleven R36 and R39s. That’s two hundred that must be disarmed each month and two of the submarines to receive the next payment.’’

‘‘I am told that the there are twenty five-man teams from the Department of Energy and the DOD ready to leave in a few days. That’s only ten missiles per team per month and making the numbers work should be no problem. If the project is completed early, the final payments will be early,’’ I said.

‘‘As far as the subs go, all we need are the reactor sections and fuel rods removed to count as completed. The rest of the sub you can ship to your scrap iron mills at your leisure,’’ I said.

‘‘The two hundred billion will be in Treasury certificates - simply deposit them in your bank when you return to Moscow. ‘‘

‘‘One final restriction - you must agree to end all funding and weapons shipments to all terror groups - including Iran - that has been labeled as a terrorist nation,’’ I said.

‘‘As a bonus for complying and completing all the proposals, there will be a one hundred billion final payment in one year. That is one hundred billion more than you wanted over the time frame that I can work with,’’ I said.

They retreated to the meeting room again, leaving us.

Senator Whitby and Fordes both started, ‘‘The senate is not going to approve that kind of funding and you know the House will not either,’’ they said.

‘‘I am not asking either house for the funding at this time. What I need is the Treaty of the Arctic ratified ASAP and get it out of the way. I need the nuclear reductions agreements and submarine limits treaty ratified quickly. Neither of these - the way we have written them - are not requiring immediate funding that I cannot get from other sources,’’ I said.

‘‘I need commitment from the Russians that they are onboard and will comply and from you that the treaties will be approved quickly,’’ I said.

‘‘The grain, loans and beef shipments are part of the State Department and Agriculture budgets. So nothing is needed from Congress for them.”

‘‘Congress will need to fund the DOE and NRC the extra money for manpower and logistics to remove the uranium from the missiles and subs and transportation to the storage in Nevada,’’ I added.