Word: abm
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...scientists had four major objections to the ORSA report. First, they claimed that the ABM debate was not merely a technical debate between experts but rather a political debate between the Nixon Administration and ABM opponents in the Senate. Thus, they said, the ORSA report, which was concerned mainly with examining the truth of expert testimony before Congress, was misdirected...
Second, the scientists said that it was unfair to criticize their testimony since many calculations of ABM opponents were based on technical information released by the Administration. According to the scientists, much of this information was "incorrect or incomplete...
ORSA's report had criticized the anti ABM scientists for dismissing the possibility of a simultaneous Soviet attack on American bombers and land-based missiles. In their statement, the scientists asserted that if the Soviets attacked American missiles, the U.S. would have "adequate warning to launch the bulk of the bomber force...
Finally, ORSA had claimed that Weisner had incorrectly charged the Defense Department's top scientist, John Foster, of having altered data in order to gain support for the ABM system. In testifying before the Senate, Weisner had said that Foster at one point estimated the number of Soviet SS-9 missiles at 500 and later changed this estimate to 600. According to ORSA, this charge was unfair because Foster was talking about estimates for different years...
...their statement, the scientists replied that the Defense Department scientists have employed 1975 estimates of Soviet missile capacity in order to gain support for the ABM...