The ABM Treaty To Defend or Not to Defend?

The current debate on the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a matter ofconsiderable significance for East-West relations and international security, isexamined by thirteen authors selected from the international community for theirexpertise.In the introduction, the three editors from the Stockholm InternationalPeace Research Institute highlight the complexities of the problems involved andidentify possible solutions. Ambassadors Gerard Smith and Vladimir Semenov, thetwo negotiators of the 1972 Treaty, give their views, and subsequent papersaddress the significance of the current US and Soviet interpretations of suchissues as space-based defences. The 'grey areas' in the Treaty are highlighted,and the much neglected implications for the international community in generaland the small nuclear powers and alliances in particular are presented.