The Scientists' Campaign Against the Strategic Defense Initiative

Abstract

To the Editor.— It is amazing to see the pages of JAMA (Aug 7 issue) turned over to political propaganda such as that purveyed by Kogut. 1 He outlines how a willful group of academicians are proceeding in their campaign to abort a feasible nuclear defense policy for the United States. Dr Kogut's article should have been entitled Scientists' Campaign to Weaken the Defense of America, since that is the only possible outcome of his boycott initiative. Until such time as the Soviet Union becomes a peaceful and stable society, research intended to protect us from the threat of military defeat and political domination by the Soviets is well worth our effort as well as the expense required. The Soviets' current willingness to negotiate some limits on missiles is an initial victory for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), as even Dr Kogut admits. It also may be merely a