Albert Carnesale served on the U.S. delegation to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) and led the delegation to the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE). In this second interview, he focuses on the Reagan administration, beginning with its reassessments of the security picture upon entering office. He takes issue with some of the administration's assumptions, such as the notion of superiority. He discusses the growth of interest in missile defense in the early 1980s, then turns to a lengthy treatment of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) the political environment that led to the 1983 speech, what the speech was trying to express, and why the Soviets were so opposed to the concept. He believes SDI has been an obstacle to significant arms reductions but thinks it will survive the Reagan presidency. He ends with a discussion of how Reagan's outlook on nuclear matters changed over time, and a commentary on the president's legacy, which will primarily be tied to the rise of conservatism, with its important implications for security.