ANTI-MISSILE DECISION TO BE DELAYED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300090111-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 111
• Publication Date: January 11, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON POST So A) - f/3 i7
Approved FoWlaW1d&6 'R0 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300090111-3
JAN 1 x,967
0
V. ~ Issile Dec!sioi p e, ]Delay ed
, De
-_
By George C. Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
President Johnson has de-
cided United States can
safely e diplomacy a try
`before plunging into building
an anti-missile system.
This decision, disclosed in
his State of the Union Mes-
;sage last night, is backed by
,Defense Secretary Robert Si
McNamara but opposed by,
military leaders. -
McNamara has been saying
the multi -billion - dollar anti-
missile project can be delayed
a while longer; the Pentagon's
,Joint Chiefs of Staff contend
the time has come to cut
,metal.
A big reason for the con-
flict is the argument within
the , U.S. Government over
what the Russians are up to
in missile defense.
White House officials last
night said their 'reading' of
that Russia is not now placing Waiting for dip 1 o m a t i c lion to produce and install a
anti-missiles anywhere except soundings also enables. thel thin Nike X .defense around
in or near Moscow. President to keep extra Nike 'the U.S.--one good enough,to
Military leaders and many X funding out of his Fiscal stop early Chinese missiles. A.,
Pentagon c i v 111 a n research 1968 budget at 'east fora full defense against more
chiefs have a far different while. sophisticated Soviet ICBMs)
Interpretation. They believe ' The Pentagon estimates it would', cost about $40 billion, i
Russia is firmly embarked on would cost $3: billion to $0 bil- including fallout shelters,
whole' areas of the country,:
not just a few cities. i
One military, intelligence re
port asserts that Russia, is
placing anti-missiles across the
paths U.S. ICBMs and Polaris=
missiles would have to travel;
to hit Soviet targets.
President Johnson is
under considerable congres-
congres-
sionalsional pressure to move ahead; .
on Nike X. He obviously is,
hoping Llewellyn E. Thomp-'
son, just starting his second'
tour as U.S. Ambassador to
M o s c o w, can negotiate an'
agreement, with the -Russians'
that would forestall: the need;
Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-ROP70B00338R0003000901I1-3