Sidney Drell is a theoretical physicist and arms control expert who was a member of, or consultant to, a number of governmental boards and councils, including the National Security Council. The principal focus of this interview is anti-ballistic missile defense. Asked about public and congressional involvement in the issue during the Nixon years, he believes it peaked because the concept entailed major missile deployments near cities, which generated deep misgivings. This was one of two cases he recalls in which public reactions influenced policy (the other being opposition to atmospheric testing starting in the 1950s). Dr. Drell discusses the different challenges of defending silos versus population centers, and specifically covers the Safeguard defense system, which he studied at one time in an official capacity. He also discusses at length basic strategic concepts that were in play in the 1970s, and includes his assessments of how to decrease U.S. strategic vulnerabilities. Dr. Drell describes his experiences as part of a group of scientists formed by Henry Kissinger to discuss ABM and other issues. He goes into detail about the group's conclusions, including his own reactions to the implicit acknowledgement embodied in the ABM treaty that the U.S. government "would not try to defend the American people." He closes by looking ahead to the prospects for arms control, which he sees as necessarily focusing on deterrence while working towards eventual disarmament.
![Interview with Paul Nitze, 1987 [1]](https://bpldcassets.blob.core.windows.net/derivatives/metadata/commonwealth-oai:r781zd27x/image_thumbnail_300.jpg)
