***Since former Prime Minister David Lange ushered in New Zealand's nuclear-free policy and barred a US warship from its ports six years ago, Washington has frozen government and military links with its former Pacific ally. The US announcement of a cutback in its nuclear arsenal may signal a thaw in relations between the two countries and lead to renewed American warship visits to New Zealand.***

NUCLEAR free New Zealand, a thorn. In the side of United States military strategic thinking for six years, may welcome back American warships to Its ports within two years as a result of President George Bush's cuts tn the nuclear arsenal.

New Zealand politicians and commentators have hailed the US announcement as opening the door to warmer relations between the two countries and virtual acceptance of the small country's independent stance on nuclear issues.

Peace campaigners went so far as to claim the nuclear thaw was "total capitulation" by the US in the face of New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.

Prime Minister Jim Bolger indicated he would like to water down New Zealand's nuclear-free law by calling for a rethink of the ban on nuclear-powered warships.

Opposition MPs and peace activities accused him of using the issue as a Trojan horse to undermine the country's nuclear-free policy which enjoys overwhelming popular support.

Most nuclear reactors in the US Navy are on ballistic missile and attack submarines. Only five aircraft carriers and nine cruisers are nuclear-pow-

Disarmament Minister Doug Graham said there was no reason why a port visit in New Zealand by a US warship could not take place "fairly soon."

Former Prime Minister David Lange, who ushered in the no-nukes stand and barred the last American warship that sought entry into New Zealand, called the new American policy the "ultimate vindication" of his defiance.

As head of the Labour government he refused a port visit to the warship USS Buchanan in 1985 when the US would "neither confirm nor deny" the presence of nuclear weapons on board.

Angered by New Zealand's policy Washington withdrew from the 40-year-old Anzus

(Australia, New Zealand and US) alliance, dropped high-level government contracts with New Zealand, severed military and intelligence cooperation and applied some trade sanctions.

In 1987 Lange's administration enshrined the policy with a law banning nuclear weapons and after he resigned as prime minister the following year he wrote a best-selling book, Nuclear-free — The Zealand Way.

Lange described how small-scale protest turned into a mass movement and then into government action as New

Zealand took the courageous step of refusing to get involved In the great power s nuclear arms race.

He said : "Small powers cannot wait until the big powers move. They will assess their security options. They will take slow and often painful steps to minimise their risks."

"The exclusion of nuclear weapons from New Zealand was a small step to take In the global context, but unless a lot of small steps are taken we will always be in thrall to nuclear weapons."

In a decision praised by many New Zealand peace cam-

paigners. Bush ordered the elimination of all US ground-launched, short-range nuclear weapons.

Specially significant for New Zealand was the US move to withdraw all nuclear weapons from its aircraft carriers, other surface ships and attack submarines _ leaving Just 34 strategic submarines cruising the oceans with powerful long-range nuclear missiles.

This means that 90 per cent of American surface war- ' ships could potentially soon be welcomed in New Zealand ports, although it is likely to

take about two years before this would become effective.

Prime Minister Jim Bolger greeted the US move as "an historic step of global significance" while Opposition Labour Party leader Mike Moore believes the US move has validated New Zealand's nuclear-free stance.

He called on the Bolger government to start a new campaign against French nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in the South Pacific.

The National government inherited the nuclear-free policy when it was elected to office after turning about-face before last year's election, reluctantly accepting it as the will of the majority.

Although the policy was endorsed by more than 75 per cent of New Zealanders and continues to enjoy overwhelming support, Foreign Minister Don McKinnon and defence Minister Warren Cooper have been accused of trying to sabotage the stance.

New Zealand’s 1987 Nuclear-Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act allows foreign warships into the country only "If the prime minister is satisfied that the warships will not be carrying any nuclear explosive device."

The law also bans the entry of nuclear-powered ships, and makes it illegal for any New Zealand citizen to "aid, abet or procure any person to manufacture. acquire or possess or have control over any nuclear explosive device."

Constitutional experts believe this last provision could prevent any New Zealander

taking part tn any joint exercises which include nuclear-armed ships. However, they say. it is unlikely that this would happen as the US has already removed obsolete nuclear weapons from about half Its warships.

Nicky Hager, campaigner for the New Zealand Coalition Against Nuclear Warships, said : "Without any fanfare, the Americans withdrew nuclear weapons off most of their ships in the last two or three years."

Said peace researcher Owen Wilkes: "I am delighted with the new US pokey. It represents a total capitulation to our nuclear-free policy.

"It shows the power of protest. Of course, we still have to recognise that the strategic nuclear weapons will remain untouched — and they are the ones with the capacity to blow up the whole world."

Nuclear-powered warships will also remain a problem, Wilkes believes, but this is an environmental and safety problem rather than a peace Issue.

Dr Stephen Hoadley, an associate professor of political studies at Auckland University, said it was now up to the US to show that the ncither-confirm-nor-deny policy was not longer relevant.

He said : "Alternatively, the ball is In New Zealand's court to alter the legislation."

Bolger is expected to face severe- pressure from McKinnon, who is also deputy Prime Minister, and other ministers to relax the law and resume military ties with Washington.

While professor Hoadley argues that links with bigger powers are vital for New Zealand's tiny armed forces, Lange, Wilkes and others insist that the break-up of the Soviet Union renders the old style of alliance meaningless. —' GEMINI NEWS

DAVID ROBIE is a New Zealander writer and Journalist who has held senior editorial positions in newspapers in Australia, Africa and France.