‘Reagan Blunders Rattle the World’

To say that President Reagan is a shallow thinker, as Kraft remarks in his column, is a relatively mild remark. More specifically, his whole “Star Wars” concept is fundamentally flawed.

The Union of Concerned Scientists says it is a “dangerous idea.” That it will, contrary to what the President says, not defend the civilian population, but end up protecting missile bases. A majority of the prestigious National Academy of Science joined with the Union of Concerned Scientists in sending a letter to Reagan opposing the extension of the arms race to space. Among those supporting this effort were 54 Nobel laureates, more than one-half of the living American recipients of this prize in the sciences.

What bothers the Soviets? Simply this--the United States will use its first-strike weapons, such as the MX missile, then use the “Star Wars” system to defend its missile bases from a counterattack. The Soviet Union has stated that it will defeat this by taking the cheaper route of producing more missiles to overwhelm the “Star Wars” system. If Reagan insists on keeping “Star Wars” while promoting a cut in offensive missiles, the negotiations in Geneva will go nowhere.

SAMUEL GENDELMAN

Los Angeles