Item BRINK OF APOCALYPSE 4/3 - Interview with Robert ‘Bud’ McFarlane, National Security Adviser to President Reagan, [2007]

Typescript transcript of interview with Robert ‘Bud’ McFarlane, National Security Adviser to President Reagan. Subjects include the period of rearmament to renew the defence foundation of American National Security; tensions due to deployment of immediate range missiles, which were furthered by shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007, 1 Sep 1983; Foreign Minister of USSR, Andrei Gromyko and his understanding of the USA; USA and the launching of a first strike; the period of Detente; the engagement of dialogue with the USSR, Reagan’s refusal to continue Detente; Reagan’s animosity towards USSR since 1940s; the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD); US nuclear build up during Reagan’s first term; USSR belief in the superiority of its system; USA belief in its technical superiority despite the USSR’s wealth and investment; motivation behind the Star Wars programme; USSR fear of being seen to be making mistakes; the invasion of Grenada (Sept-Oct 1983); , informing the president about the bombing of the Beirut marine barracks in Oct 1983; world leaders involvement in Able Archer; Caspar Weinberger’s keenness to have Reagan participate; the screening of ‘The Day After’, a television drama, about nuclear fallout, broadcast on ABC in Nov 1983 and the screening at Camp David seen by Reagan; the emotional effect the The Day After had on Reagan; Reagan’s first Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) meeting, deciding on the level of nuclear attack, USSR leadership in a flux; USSR’s “culture of paranoia”. 52pp