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.qxd 8/31/07 10:29 AM Page 378sum m i t snew theme for some time.“I’m sure you do,” mumbled McFarlane.“That’s right.No question.” He was greatly relieved when the dinner came to an end.Hardly had he got back to the American residence for the night when a black limo drew up and a messengerpresented him with a box of Russian chocolates.86Wednesday, November 20 was truly the morning after.Reaganwas tired and restless—last-minute coaching from Shultz did not go down well—and, according to his biographer, he drank morecoffee at breakfast than was good for his bladder before a morning of intense meetings.87At the Soviet mission to the UN, their venue for day two, thepresident got into a fierce battle with Gorbachev about humanrights.It had been agreed beforehand that Reagan would use the initial one-on-one that day to raise this issue.The Soviets knew the Americans wanted to press the matter at Geneva and the Americans knew the Soviets resented this interference in their domestic affairs.So a private meeting was deemed the best way to handle things.88But Reagan piled in with passionate intensity, going on at length about Russian Pentecostals, one of his pet topics.Gorbachev observed testily that the issue of human rights was being used “for political purposes” by some in the administration,“including the president.” But he gave some examples of how the USSR wasloosening up, for instance over Soviet-American marriages and the treatment of Jews.Having gone through this ritual exchange, he indicated that he was ready to get into the plenary session.But Reagan had much more to say, bringing up individual casesfor Gorbachev to look into.The Soviet leader was now getting hot under the collar.The previous day American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson had needled him about Soviet Jews, during an impromptu encounter in the lobby of the Soviet mission.89 What about the position of blacks in the United States? Gorbachev asked Reagan.What about women? The president’s line, he complained, was al-ways that “there are no rights in socialist countries” whereas “they are in bloom in the democracies.”378reynolds_02.qxd 8/31/07 10:29 AM Page 379g e neva 19 85Reagan argued that concessions on human rights would easepressure on him back home from anti-Soviet pressure groups and so expedite arms control agreements.“I know what the president can do as a political leader when he wants to,” Gorbachev replied scathingly.“When he doesn’t want to, he talks about pressuregroups, and so on.” By the end Gorbachev was interrupting Rea-gan without listening to the translation, so impatient was he to bring the session to an end.As on day one this initial private session had grossly overrun: they had been at it for seventy minutes.But whereas the Tuesday tête-à-tête had fostered a good mood, Wednesday’s left both men frustrated and angry.Those feelings carried over into the plenary, which finally began at 11:30.This was supposed to address regional and bilateral issues, but Reagan wanted to pick up on some aspects of arms control forwhich there hadn’t been time the previous afternoon.He read methodically from his talking points, which probably added to Gorbachev’s irritation; he was becoming contemptuous of the president’s reliance on briefing books and index cards.Eventually the Soviet leader had a chance to respond and he soon pulled the discussion back to SDI.Now very emotional, his language became increasingly blunt.“Do you take us for idiots?”And again:“I think it inappropriate in our conversation to inject banalities more in keeping with press conferences.” They went over the same ground again, with Gorbachev talking of the threat of an American first strike and Reagan trotting out his line about a shield not a spear.90“Why don’t you believe me when I say the Soviet Union willnever attack?” demanded Gorbachev.Reagan started to respond.“Please answer me, Mr.President.What is your answer?”And again, before Reagan could get going: “I want an answerfrom you
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