we as - MEMORANDUM - eit THE WHITE HOUSE OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM #Ya fr EYES ONLY ACTION October 8 1979 MMORANDUM FOR ZB IGNIEW BRZEZINSKI 8 FROM WILLIAM E SUBJECT Launch From Under Attack i d As you know the SIOP now contains an LUA option I find it most unwise and I believe you should discuss it with Harold Brown - The following points are the grounds for my concern which you may want to use - 11 Our tactical warning system the is just not good enough to let us know that our ICBMs are under attack More troubling is the high probability that our tactical warning system will be attacked and disabled 11 The present LUA option is targeted at empty Soviet silos and some conventional military targets Little _thought has been given to the rationale of the target set What it would achieve beyond provoking a major Soviet response I fail to see If the LUA is executed and a few minutes later there is a decision to exeCute one of the MACS large numbers of Our RVs would be destroyed through fratricide Once the timing of the MAO is messed up by theyEEh fratricide is a problem The word leaking out that we now have an LUA option could 'create untold problems 'Our professed policy is escalation trol The change would look like acknowledged strategic interim ority CHE To sum up I recommendl that you ask Harold Brown to withdraw the LUA option because 1 we donit have adequate 2 it has no targeting rationale other than to ensure escalation 3 it would cause large fratricide 4 it could create unfortunate public per ceptions C387 Review on WOctober 8 1999 HP Classified and Extended by Z Brzezinski e n mu man Reason for Extension NSC 1 13 e imirawnarc q2-r This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu