In so doing, we would hope to minimize damage to the United States by knocking out as many Soviet intercontinental nuclear weapons as we could locate.

I'm particularly concerned about the intercontinental weapons; the ones that can hit us.

Will you tell me that not one of your intercontinental weapons will be fired under such provocation?

At first, the Kennedy-era remedy was to increase the number of intercontinental nuclear weapons.

Other intercontinental weapons, falling like hail a few seconds later, failed to explode.

Mr. Gorbachev also said he hoped to be able to complete an agreement on reducing strategic, or intercontinental, nuclear weapons before Mr. Reagan leaves office next year.

Although both leaders said they hoped a treaty to reduce strategic, or intercontinental, nuclear weapons could still be completed before Mr. Reagan leaves office, the prospects seemed remote.

A major arms control treaty reducing intercontinental nuclear weapons seems increasingly unlikely before the Administration leaves office in January 1989.

Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, accused the United States today of adopting negotiating stances on intercontinental nuclear weapons that would harm Soviet security.

- and suggesting that there may not be enough time with this Administration to conclude a treaty reducing intercontinental nuclear weapons.