But nuclear security expert Bruce Blair has said that at that time, the U.S.–Soviet relationship "had deteriorated to the point where the Soviet Union as a system—not just the Kremlin, not just Andropov, not just the KGB—but as a system, was geared to expect an attack and to retaliate very quickly to it.
Dar Bruce Blair a spus că la acel timp relațiile Statelor Unite cu Uniunea Sovietică "s-au deteriorat la un punct unde Uniunea Sovietică ca un sistem, nu doar Kremlin-ul nu doar Andropov, nu doar KGB-ul - ci sistemul se așteptă la un atac și era pregătit de un contraatac rapid.