ecn-ec:ecn-pc:ecn-ed:vu@pur-ee.UUCP (09/07/83)
Somehow I have the feeling that the action was to measure Reagan's apparently tough line. Soviets tried to measure US Presidents before: Krustchev (is this how it is spelled ?) measured and mis-measured Kennedy, Bretzhnev measured and got it right with Carter. Before the massive attack of Saigon in 1975, North Vietnamese tried to measure US response ( President Nixon had personally promised the then VN's president Nguyen van Thieu that US troops would come back if theParis treaty is violated ) by attacking the small rural town Binh-Long. Of course US troops didn't come back, and that gives the Vietcongs green light. In this case, Andropov might be trying to measure Reagan in preparing for the possible summit. Other dummies like Bretzhnev wouldn't use such a strong (?) action, but Andropov is different. What's better than a big scandal to evaluate a politician's reaction ? Look out for more demands at the Geneva talks if the Politburo doesn't think Reagan's response is tough enough (and I think they don't: what good is it to deny Aeroflot landing right ? They are longer around since Poland anyway !!! ) Hao-Nhien Vu (pur-ee!norris [don't believe the heading])