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Kohl's arms offer a real surprise. Call to negotiate limits on
all nuclear weapons categories denotes Bonn's worries about its
position as likely battlefield  By Elizabeth PondStaff writer of
The Christian Science Monitor / May 18, 1987   West German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl delighted the Soviet Union and confused
his allies (including his own foreign minister) with his
surprise call Friday to negotiate with the Soviets about
limiting all nuclear weapons of every range in Western Europe.
In Moscow, Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman Gennady Gerasimov
promptly welcomed the idea. The Soviet Union has long wanted to
denuclearize Europe, since it enjoys conventional superiority in
the European theater in combat forces and heavy ground weapons.
Neutralization of nuclear weapons would enhance the importance
of this superiority.  Skip to next paragraph  Allied spokesmen
were noncommittal about Dr. Kohl's statement over the weekend
while they sought to sort out