The Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty of 1972 had become the touchstone of those who

opposed President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. SDI's supporters maintained

that, by the terms of the treaty itself, we were entirely within our rights to go ahead with

SDI. Mr. Sofaer, as carefully questioned by Mr. Buckley, proves an admirable guide

through the thickets of "restrictive" versus "broad" interpretations and "conventional"

versus "exotic" systems. WFB: "What is it that animates so many people--the editors of

the New York Times are an illustrious example--to seek a disadvantageous interpretation

of a treaty when the alternative is so clearly adducible? ..." AS: "I really am not a

psychologist. I can tell you that some people are against SDI and that probably motivates

some of this."