"Dear Colleague," began the letter that was dispatched last week to the 13 defense ministers attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization conference in Luxembourg, as well as to the defense ministers of France, Spain, Japan, Australia and Israel. The message, signed "Sincerely, Caspar Weinberger," was an invitation from the U.S. Defense Secretary to participate with the U.S. in a $26 billion research program for President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as the Star Wars defense system. The U.S., said Weinberger, would appreciate a reply within 60 days.
The offer, which referred vaguely to financial as well as technological participation, put...
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