Nunn’s Position on ‘Star Wars’

To oppose “Star Wars” (the Strategic Defense Initiative) on the ground that it is neither technologically nor economically feasible is one thing, but to oppose it on the ground that its testing is prohibited by the terms of the 1972 ABM Treaty is absurd.

For Georgia’s Sam Nunn, influential chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to oppose it on that ground (Times editorial, May 24) is an abandonment of commitment that could be tragic.

Nunn is one of 249 members of Congress who committed themselves by concurrent resolution to civil and strategic defenses for the American people at least equal to those of the Soviets. The Soviets now have two such defenses; we have none. The 249 members of Congress have frittered away these past four years--they have done nothing to further their commitment.

Star Wars is the only concrete proposal that has been made by anyone thus far, and the Soviets have a standing invitation to join in its development on a reciprocal basis. Nunn opposes its testing (without which it does not exist) simply because that would violate the terms of a treaty, which was violated by the Soviets within the same decade in which they signed the treaty.

The Soviets have their civil defenses around Moscow, permitted under the ABM Treaty. They also have an installation in their Krasnoyarsk region in the Siberian back country. It is a giant radar facility being used, say the Soviets, only to manage their peaceful satellite program. Nearby is a ballistic missile installation, hardly a peaceful combination.

The Union of Concerned Scientists, one of America’s more vocal opponents of U.S. military projects, including Star Wars, acknowledges that Krasnoyarsk is in violation of the ABM Treaty. But, say the scientists in their latest quarterly report, NUCLEUS, illegal use of Krasnoyarsk as a strategic defense is “highly unlikely.” Does Nunn believe that in event of attack the Soviets would not use Krasnoyarsk as a strategic defense because that would be illegal?

The ABM Treaty is a dead pigeon. Let me repeat that--the ABM Treaty is a dead pigeon, thanks to the Soviets. What with the proliferation of missile-borne, mass-kill warheads of all kinds, including nuclear, the world needs more Krasnoyarsks and Star Wars.

Nunn would do the cause of disarmament a greater service if he got behind Star Wars, in furtherance of his commitment, and stopped trying to administer CPR to the dead pigeon.

WILLIAM L. MOORE

Hemet