Reagan and Sdi

When President Ronald Wilson Reagan was elected in 1980 not many people would understand his significance as Reagan would be Re Ð'-elected again in 1984.Reagan would be remember for many thing during his eight years in the White House but most of all Reagan would be remembered for his cold war policy. Although critics of the President past and present have looked at Reagan as a figure head nothing could be further from the truth, especially in regards to his cold war policy and The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Critics have claimed Reagan had no intention of having such a missile defense system and that it was just floated out in a political move. Reagan was criticized by democrats, the press and even some of his party members. Though Reagan did seek advice on SDI and Cold War Policy for cabinet members and outside sources it was Reagan and Reagan alone who made all final decision. Yes SDI and some of the Cold War Policies did rub people in his administration the wrong way and cause many internal battles but again it was Reagan who set the agenda for the 1980's on the Cold War and SDI.

On March 23, 1983 President Ronald Reagan gave an address to the nation regarding his budget defense for that year. The text of his speech was about the Soviet Unions strength and the unwillingness of the congress to pass his budget. But with the following words the speech would change the course of American foreign policy and cause debate in his cabinet for years to come. "Wouldn't it be better to save lives then avenge them? Are we not capable of demonstrating our peaceful intentions by applying all our abilities and our ingenuity to achieve a truly lasting stability? I think we are. Indeed we must. After careful consultation with my advisers including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I believe there is a way. Let me share with you a vision of the future which offers hope. It is that we embark on a program to counter the awesome Soviet missile threat with measures that are defensive." With that Ronald Reagan started a course that would change U.S. arms control policy and cause a debate inside the Reagan administration.

This system he spoke of would be called the Strategic Defense Initiative. This was a system which would shoot down incoming Russian Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Prior to this speech the United State policy with regards to nuclear weapons and attack regarding the Soviet Union had always been MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). This meant if the United States or its allies were attacked by the Soviet Union they would respond with the destruction of the Soviet Union also. There was no defensive measure for stopping nuclear attack just reaction. This had been the policy of the U.S. since the sixties. Also playing a part in this whole program was the ABM treaty.

"The ABM treat was signed was signed at Moscow on May 26, 1972 and ratified by the United State Senate on August 3, 1972. In the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems the United States and the Soviet Union agree that each may have only two ABM deployment areas, so restricted and so located that they cannot provide a nationwide ABM defense or become the basis for developing one. Each country thus leaves unchallenged the penetration capability of the others retaliatory missile forces. Precise quantitative and qualitative limits are imposed on the ABM systems that may be deployed. Both Parties agreed to limit qualitative improvement of their ABM technology." This treaty would cause severe internal debate inside the country and the administration it self in regards to SDI.

So with the announcement of SDI it was felt the United States would be defying the ABM treaty but Reagan as a clever politician as he was mad sure he made the point in his speech to mention the ABM treaty "Tonight, consistent with our obligations of the ABM treaty and recognizing the need for closer consultation with our allies, I'm taking an important first step. I am directing a comprehensive and intensive effort to define a long-term research and development program to begin to achieve our ultimate goal of eliminating the threat posed by strategic nuclear missiles." This was purposely done by Reagan so his critics who were to come could not use the ABM treaty against him as the Soviet Union would eventually do. Along with changing the course of American arms policy the question was out there as to whether or not it was even possible for SDI to work and whether it was just throw out there as a trial balloon for the public to react to. SDI was controversial in many ways but many people as you will see later on had different intentions for SDI. George Schultz for one had different ideas "I want to make SDI part of, and reason for an agreement with the Soviets for massive arms reductions." While the defense debate as you will see didn't want any restrictions on SDI and defiantly didn't want it involved in arms talks. With out a doubt SDI did cause many internal fights inside the Reagan White house but it was also a key component of bringing the Soviet Union back to the table for arms talk and help forge latter agreements with the Soviets.

The origins of the SDI program were established well before the 1983 speech. Early in 1981, Reagan called a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff the military leaders - and said to them: Every offensive weapon ever invented by man has resulted in the creation of a defense against it; isn't it possible in this age of technology that we could invent a defensive weapon that could intercept nuclear weapons and destroy them as they emerge from their silos? They looked at each other, and then asked if they could huddle for a few moments. Very shortly, they came out of their huddle and said, "Yes, it's an idea worth exploring." My answer was, "Let's do it." This would be the start of the exploration into the SDI and missile defense program. Reagan vary much before starting a missile program though wanted to strengthen the U.S. Military forces. Reagan publicly announced his administrations plans for improving strategic forces during a press conference in October of 1981 and in this conference was his first remarks in lure of defense "directed that we end our long neglect of strategic defense." This would set in motion the plans and the announcement of SDI.

"In late 1981 and early 1982, the White House policy group stayed in contact with a set of outside missile defense proponents. In the middle of 1981, Daniel Graham a retired Army general, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and erstwhile adviser to Reagan's 1980 campaign had, joined with Karl Bendetsen, a conservative democrat and Truman administration pentagon official, to form a panel to promote the issue of missile defense within the Reagan