In my view, however, this report is not worthy of serious consideration in that vital debate. This may seem an unduly severe indictment of a document bearing the seal of approval of one of the nation's most distinguished scientific bodies. Yet I know of no other way to describe a nominally serious study replete with equations, which nonetheless contains numerous errors, inconsistencies and unrealistic assumptions on matters of great importance in the technological assessment of missile defenses.
The mistakes in the report are not small. They are major errors, by factors of as much as 100-fold. Furthermore, these errors and inaccuracies are, as far as we can tell, always in one direction—such as to make the plan for defending the American people—indeed the people of the free world—against a Soviet nuclear attack seem more difficult than it really is…. I know of no precedent, in my long association with the ...
