The Nation : ‘Star Wars’ Plan Defended

The Pentagon, responding with largely theoretical arguments to a congressional report on the “Star Wars” program, said that the missile defense project, if developed, could protect the U.S. population simply by deterring attack. The Pentagon’s response was released one day after the congressional Office of Technology Assessment said that a defense could not be designed to protect the entire population from Soviet ballistic missiles but that the system could force the Soviets to increase their warhead arsenal to make sure that some missiles could reach military targets. The 325-page congressional report was based on a 1 1/2-year study of the prospects for an effective ballistic missile defense--the heart of President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, informally known as “Star Wars.”