1 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign ...

said, “We taught American studies at Moscow University as well as being in the
Institute,” Arbatov’s expertise became extremely valuable, even more valuable than it had
been originally. The USA-Canada Institute still exists, but it has suffered the decline that
all the Soviet institutions have, including the Academy of Sciences itself. They have to
find new sources of funding and their place in society is much different even though it is
still a privileged group. They’re one of among many others. New universities, and the
reformed old universities are transforming the education system. For example, the
privileged place of institutes as opposed to university faculties is a great issue of
contention now. I’m sure it will result in further diminishing of the institutes from first
place toward the direction of university education.
Q: Did the CIA, KGB recruiters and all that sort of get mixed up in this whole thing?
MILLER: No, because KGB was disintegrating so fast, changing itself, into institutions
under more direct public civilian control. CIA was very interested. Of course, our
American board members would tell them whatever they wanted to know. Beyond the
analytic side, CIA’s covert work, was not relevant at this point.
Q: Things were moving too fast?
MILLER: Moving much too fast.
Q: You could almost pick the wrong guy.
MILLER: No, I’d say our CIA analysts were terrific/ Those who had the most work to do,
the bean-counters, the nuclear types, were in heaven at this stage, because of everything
they used to see from 200 miles above, they could now see firsthand and even touch.
Q: What was happening on the nuclear side during this period?
MILLER: The fundamental necessary decisions had been made by Gorbachev and by the
Soviets, that there would be a strategic weapons halt; there would be an agreed nuclear
plateau of technology. Gorbachev was convinced that there was not going to be a nuclear
war between the United States and the Soviet Union, that these nuclear weapons should
be reduced to the lowest possible levels. Gorbachev himself proposed zero. The argument
became not how large a force you could have, but how small a force you could have.
There were many proposals abut minimum nuclear force levels. For example, I wrote a
proposal in 1987 which showed how 2,000 warheads was the number that would give you
at least double insurance, even triple insurance, to be able to hit all targets believed
strategic. That is where we are, now. It was a matter of planning. The Russian military are
now at that level, too. They’re retargeting, of course, to other places – China.
Q: How about as students and professors and all, was there an explosion in Soviet
students going out – I’m thinking of American, but of others coming in?
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