Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan

by Tamim Ansary

He threatened to build a defensive shield that would render Soviet nuclear missiles irrelevant. His Strategic Defense Initiative (popularly known as the “Star Wars” defense) jolted nuclear policy experts, for it violated the core formula of Mutual Assured Destruction upon which the Cold War stalemate (and global stability) was based: neither side could afford to use nuclear weapons because it would result in the destruction of both. If the United States achieved immunity from Soviet nuclear attack, the United States could attack the Soviet Union with impunity. If the Soviets saw this outcome as imminent, they might launch a pre-emptive strike. Reagan flashed his avuncular grin and reckoned he’d take that risk.