And blindly striking out with nukes at population centers would accomplish what?
--Boot Hill
well, it wouldn't be blindly. we know who the "bad guys" are generally. and we wouldn't need to strike population targets as a primary goal- - but we would need to accomplish decapitation strikes of governments and military infrastructure in several countries, more quickly then conventional attacks could provide. some civilians are going to get hit in the process.
we would also need to seize the saudi and iranian oil fields to prevent economic collapse.
what would waiting buy us? are we going to come up with some new better "master plan" to deal with this post-facto? In the midst of domestic turmoil?