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Loon Ss $0: Lupton US. Nuleir Policy washinglonpusioom ———-Auswwwvashingorpost.cm'np-dymtcontentrile! 206 The Washington Post Leon Sloss, 80; Expert on U.S, Nuclear Policy iy Joe Holey ‘Washingion Post Stat Writer iy, November 1, 2006, BOT Leon Sloss, 80, national security expert whose specialty was nus strategy, died Nov, 1 of throat cancer at Sibley Memorial Flospital: Fle was} a Chevy Chase resident. During the Carter administration, Mr. Sloss Jed study of U.S. nuclear policy that culminated in Presidential Diective 59, whieh inaugurated a _major shift in U.S. targeting policy for nuclear weapons. Key elemenis of the study, conducted from 1978 ta 1979, included expanding the number of cities, military bases and other places inthe Soviet Union to he targeted and developing a secure reserve farce. "Given the fact that both the United States and the Soviet Union bal many thousands of nuclexr weapons atthe time, we believed that it was only ‘prudent ta plan for the possibility thar ao: all of hese weapons would be used in a single strike, and thus 8 war might go on For some time under the threat of additional nuclear strikes.” Mr. Sloss wrote in @ 1997 loter to The Washington Post, "While it was difficult wo foresee anyone winning such a conflict, it seemed far preferable to seta national goal of prevailing’ rather thin, say, losing." Fred IkI?,a former director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmanient Agony and now a scholar at the Center for Strategic ane! Intematiatal Studies, worked elosely with Mr, Sloss. "He always analyzed things thoughtfully and carefully." kl? recalled. “He often came up with a differen spin on things." Me, Sloss was born in San Francisco and served in the Philippines ancl Japan daring World War Hl, He was award the Purple Hea He received a bact or's degree from Stanford University in 1949 and a mastt's degree in public affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson Schoal of Public Affairsin 1951 He joined the Bureau of the Budget shortly after receiving his degéee at Princeton and moved tothe State Department in 1966. From 1973 10 1975, he was deputy direetor of the Bureau of Politcal- Miltary Affairs in the State Department Jn 1975, a8 a fallow of the Center for Steatogic and Invernavionsl Studies in Washington and the International Institute for Strategie Studies in London, he published papers on NATO mobilization ‘Fake G01 eM. ‘Leon Sess. 80; Lape um US. Nusletr Policy washingsonpost com ipo nnashinglenpost comp dymiontenvutile2006 strategy and led an international study group on theater nuclear forces. He was assistant director ofthe US. Arms Contra and Disarmament Agency from 1976 «9 1978 and U.S. ambassador tothe Seabed Treaty Negotiations in 1977 and 1978. ‘Mr Slo retited from the Federal government in 1979 10 manage the Washington office of SRT International, a consulting and research firm In 1981, he founded and becarie president of Leon Sloss Associates, a consulting firm specializing in national security affairs, He led the firm until his death He remained engaged with the national security issues that had been the focus of his attention for ‘mote than half» eentury. Responding to a 2005 Council on Forsign Relations article an the United States’ auclear posture, he wrote: "In today's world, the U.S. nuclear postuce is essentially a hedge Against an uncertain Future, In evaluating the overall posture, itis important iat the right balancs be slruck between readiness and cestraint, so thatthe hedging does not unduly stimulate the emergence of the circumstances hedged! against. Mr. Sloss was a board member of Arena Stage, volunteer at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum fof American History and a supporter of Stanford University Survivors inclu his wife of 52 years, Virginia Green Sloss of Chevy Chise: fr children, Deborah Sloss of Los Altos, Cali, David Slos of St. Lois, Michiel Sloss of Washington and Laua Sloss of Bethesda sister, Naney Sloss of Washington; a brother, str Sossof Sam Praneiseo; an I grandchildren (©) 2007 The Washington Post Company ‘nauiee G0 PM