JOINT CHIEFS, MCNAMARA AT ODDS ON ANTIMISSILES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300090014-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: March 4, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

A
pproved For Release 2006/01/30 CIA-RDP70B00338R000300090014-1.
tOAS i 4 A- m
JointChiefs,McNamara
At adds on Antimissiles
By ORR KELLY
Star Staff Writer
The, Joint Chiefs of Staff are
"firmly and strongly" in favor
of deployment of -an American
t' Uis .i ~mi lie system--a
move, vigorously opposed by
their boss, Secretary of Defense
Robert S. McNamara.
Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs, told a
House Appropriations subcom-
mittee of the Joint Chiefs'
unanimous recommendation in
testimony during March... A,
con red version of hi test;
v w_a made pu4Iic last o. ht
Wheeler gave similar verbal
testimony last year.
Wheeler presented the mili-
tary leaders' opinion to the
committee after McNamara had
testified and while McNamara
was still present in the hearing
loom.
McNamara, in his statement
a U.S. system to protect Ameri-
can lives.
"The 30-40-50 million Ameri-
can lives that could be saved by
a Nike-X, therefore are mean-i
ingful, we believe, in every
sense of the word," Wheeler
!!said.
Gen. Harold K. Johnson,
Army chief of staff,, told the
committee he and the other
Joint Chiefs favored deployment
j of a light ABM defense, which
,would protect the country
against a relatively unsophisti-
cated attack from China or from
accidental bombardment by
missiles, while building toward
a system that would defend 25
major urban areas from a
major attack.
argued that the United States
and the Soviet Union would
react to the deployment of an
ABM system by beefing up -their
ability. to overcome the other
side's defenses-thus intensify-
ing the arms race without
adding to the security of either
side.
In fact, he said, the U.S. has
increased its intercontinental
ballistic . missile strength in
response to evidence that the
Russians are deploying an ABM
system around Moscow.
"I submit to you that the
Soviet Union is in worse shape,
facing greater risks and poten-
tially greater damage to its
people and its cities as a result
of deploying an ABM than had
they not done so," McNamara
said.
But Wheeler said it Is not
certain that the Soviet response
would be "equal,' opposite,
feasible and possible,", and that
it would be worthwhile to set up
MN Hearings of the Subcommittee for Defense Department
House Committee on Appropriations: "Defense Depart-
ment Appropriations for 1968u 'Part 2
Approved For Release 2006/01/30.: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300090014-1