CBS MORNING NEWS

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ROSE: It is now 18 past the hour.

We will be devoting much of this morning to coverage of the Daniloff affair. Right now, an overview of the situation as the American newsman continues his return trip to the United States. Joining us from Washington is former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger.

Good morning, Dr. Kissinger.

HENRY KISSINGER (Former Secretary of State): Good morning. How are you?

ROSE: Would you call this an honorable arrangement?

KISSINGER: Yes, I think it's an honorable arrangement. It separates the release of Daniloff from whatever may happen to Zakharov, who apparently has to go through some legal procedure here, and it balances the release of Zakharov with the release of some dissidents. So I think it's a reasonable arrangement.

ROSE: What price have we paid?

KISSINGER: Well, we paid some price in the beginning, due to some uncertainties in the—in the handling of it, but once I think the Administration took hold of it in a united way, it did a reasonable job. The only other thing it could have done is to refuse to talk at all and ask for the unconditional release of Daniloff. But they came close enough to achieving that and to proving that the life of a— of an individual American, as was said earlier here, is precious—

ROSE: You—

KISSINGER: —and I think we achieved that principal objective.

ROSE: You have expressed to me the idea of— before that it is wrong for this Administration to seem too eager for a summit. Have they, as a result of this deal, or does it suggest that it is the Soviets who are eager for a summit?

KISSINGER: Well, I don't think the deal adds significantly to the general impression that the Administration gives about its eagerness for a summit. I still believe that we, on the whole, appeared too eager for a summit before. Funnily enough, this deal has made it— has shown that the Soviets were so— were playing games with us when they were hard to get, because as soon as the summit was jeopardized, they were the ones that kept pressing for it and kept presenting the issue as an American attempt to scuttle the summit, which, in fact, they had been very coy about previously. So I think—

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ROSE: So it now s-

KISSINGER: --I think the handling of it at the end achieved a better balance about summit intentions than had existed before.

ROSE: Some-- someone said this is a victory for the KGB--they got their man out, or he will be out soon.

KISSINGER: No, I-- I think the KGB lost 25 people at the United Nations, and I would think that on balance, they're gonna be careful to tackle-- to tackle us again. I don't look at this as a victory for the KGB.

ROSE: Does it put a kind of protection over Soviet spies because of the Daniloff affair and the next time this kind of thing happens somebody will say, "Remember the Daniloff affair!"

KISSINGER: Well, that's-- of course, depends how we react to it. I think it shouldn't, and I-- I don't suppose it will in this Administration or probably in any foreseeable Administration. No, I don't think so.

ROSE: What details will you want to know? Someone said the devil is in the details. What would you like to know?

KISSINGER: Well, I'd like to know how quick-- whether Zakharov has to go through some judicial proceeding, whether he has to plead in an American court; how much ti-- what the time interval is between the release of Zakharov and the release of Daniloff, what the value is of the dissidents. But I, frankly, think that the Administration, having proved its substantial point, the Daniloff details are going to fade very quickly from-- from public view, and the major debate should now be about the substance of the summit preparations that are being undertaken on-- on the various agreements.

ROSE: Do you accept the conventional wisdom that now the road to the summit is open and can be arranged in 1986?

KISSINGER: Yes, I expect a summit to take place this year or very early in the next year.

ROSE: When you look at that summit, has anything changed about the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union?

KISSINGER: Well, not significantly. I think we learned marginally that the Soviet Union is very eager for a summit, and prior to this-- to the Daniloff affair, they were insisting that there had to be some progress in arms control negotiations.

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I think our bargaining position in the arms control talks has somewhat improved. And so I think there is a better balance. I have never been as excited about the idea of a summit as the general discussion would indicate, but I have no objection to it. It depends what the agreements are that are being prepared.

ROSE: Mr. Gorbachev has made the point that for-- before there can be a summit, there has to be some likelihood of productive results. Is that in place now?

KISSINGER: Well, my impression is of-- that it is in place, at least as far as missiles in Europe are concerned and maybe as far as an agreement in principle on other issues are concerned. But that is what should now be the subject of domestic debate, because what I've read about these agreements leaves them open to considerable discussion.

ROSE: We invite you back to make and have that debate. Thank you for joining us this morning.

It is now 23 past the hour.

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