(6 of 6)
Yet real progress on arms control still seems to hinge on the one issue where both sides remain adamant: SDI. The threat of an American strategic defense system probably had a lot to do with Moscow's readiness to return to the bargaining table and discuss the deep missile cuts it had hitherto rejected out of hand. Some in the Administration still harbor hopes that Star Wars might be the ultimate bargaining chip. Without some flexibility on SDI down the road, it could instead become the ultimate stumbling block, the issue that causes the Soviets to act on their hints that they might, once again, walk away from the bargaining table.
CHART: TEXT NOT AVAILABLE.