44 THE END OF THE COLD WAR
He repeated his call for a fifty per cent cut in strategic nuclear missiles
and for the entire elimination of intermediate-range weapons.^6
The world’s media ignored the thoughtful and theological ingredi-
ents of the speech. They preferred to highlight the militant implications
of the President’s anticommunism, and opponents of Reagan felt that
their worst fears were being confirmed. He had spoken fiercely about
the USSR before entering the White House. His Orlando speech was
of a piece with his discourse over many years.
On 23 March 1983, after a fortnight of controversy, he delivered a
televised address to the nation about his new project for an anti-
missile defence system in outer space: a Strategic Defense Initiative
that would enable the Americans to shoot down offensive missiles.
Weinberger had alerted NATO defence ministers only a few days
in advance.^7 Reagan had given next to no time for a discussion in his
own administration. Perhaps he sensed that officials would object.
When Deputy National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane got wind
of the President’s ideas, he cautioned his own boss William Clark:
‘You’ve got to stop him. He can’t make that speech yet. This hasn’t even
begun to be vetted.’^8 Shultz continued to feel doubts which failed to be
alleviated by a briefing from General Abrahamson, who headed the
programme. The Secretary of State concluded: ‘I’m either being lied to,
or there’s nothing there!’^9 Reagan was at odds with ‘the entire Ameri-
can defence intellectual establishment’.^10 But he stuck to his idea, and
it stayed in the core of his foreign policy. He insisted that he had only
peaceful intentions while making America impregnable. The Defense
Initiative was meant to ensure that if the USSR started a war with
nuclear missiles, the Americans would have the capacity to intercept
and destroy them from outer space before they could do any damage.
Though Reagan emphasized his defensive intentions, he never
erased suspicion that the project would bring technological advantage
to America – and this was taken as proof that he was firing the pistol
for yet another round of the arms race. The idea of a weapons system
in outer space reminded people of the Star Wars movie series pro-
duced by George Lucas since 1977. Lucas’s films were about the
struggle between good and evil in deep space. The weapons included
laser beam wands. Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative quickly entered
popular parlance as his Star Wars Initiative.
Once they got over their surprise, leading administration officials
came round to seeing attractions in the Strategic Defense Initiative.
Andropov and his Politburo immediately denounced America’s milita-