Obama Limits When U.S. Would Use Nuclear Arms

New York Times ^ | April 5, 2010 | DAVID E. SANGER and PETER BAKER

[lbryce]

WASHINGTON — President Obama said Monday that he was revamping American nuclear strategy to substantially narrow the conditions under which the United States would use nuclear weapons, even in self defense.

But the president said in an interview that he was carving out an exception for “outliers like Iran and North Korea” that have violated or renounced the main treaty to halt nuclear proliferation.

Discussing his approach to nuclear security the day before formally releasing his new strategy, Mr. Obama described his policy as part of a broader effort to edge the world toward making nuclear weapons obsolete, and to create incentives for countries to give up any nuclear ambitions. To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary.

Mr. Obama’s strategy is a sharp shift from those adopted by his predecessors and seeks to revamp the nation’s nuclear posture for a new age in which rogue states and terrorist organizations are greater threats than traditional powers like Russia and China.

It eliminates much of the ambiguity that has deliberately existed in American nuclear policy since the opening days of the Cold War. For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons, or launched a crippling cyberattack.

Those threats, he argued, could be deterred with “a series of graded options” -- a combination of old and newly designed conventional weapons.

“I’m going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure,” Mr. Obama said during the interview in the Oval Office.

[Star Traveler]

You were quoting an article ...

There would still be considerable usefullness to initiate "hearings", even if only by the minority in the House Judiciary Committee.

Now that sounds like a cool plan to really get the American people thinking that the GOP has any intelligence.

It's like, "Why are you pursuing Impeachment, when you can't even get it out of committee?!" LOL ...

Well, the answer for everyone, when asked that question is simply, "We find it useful to do so!" ... :-)

[randomhero97]

Way to stay on topic.

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

I know for a fact that we were going to attempt to develop an underground bunker buster nuke but I guess thats all off the table now.

I thought we already had one. At least everything I had been reading about bombing Iran that way indicated that we had one. And also, I thought I had read that Israel wanted to get them from us.

[ETL]

Or...0bama knows Iran is a threat to us. The problem is he’s on their side.

And Russia's. And China's. And Chavez's. And the Castro brothers', etc, etc.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[ETL]

From CBS-News, July 29, 2006:

Chavez Vows To 'Stand By Iran'
After Oil Talks In Tehran, Venezuelan Leader Called 'Brother' By Ahmedinejad

"Chavez pledged that his country would 'stay by Iran at any time and under any condition,' state television reported. Ahmadinejad said he saw in Chavez a kindred spirit." "'We do not have any limitation in cooperation,' Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. 'Iran and Venezuela are next to each other and supporters of each other. Chavez is a source of a progressive and revolutionary current in South America and his stance in restricting imperialism is tangible.'":
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/29/world/main1847331.shtml

[El Gato]

This is unilateral. It can be done by the commander in chief alone. It's not even a treaty, it's "just policy".

But it makes US Ambassador April Gillespie's statement to SAddam that "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait." seem like an inconsequential mistatement of policy.

It could literally get most of us killed. Probably sooner rather than later.

[little jeremiah]

I remember that.

Deterrence. It’s a good thing. Or it was....

[ETL]

From National Public Radio (NPR):
August 29, 2006
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been visiting countries such as China, Iran and Russia as part of an effort to build a 'strategic alliance' of interests not beholden to the United States. He considers the United States his arch enemy.":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5729764

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Maybe Bachman?

[unkus]

we’ll see.

---

Oh, I can see it coming.

The Tea Parties are likely to turn into Concord and Lexington.

[The Antiyuppie]

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Putin actually showed certain world leaders (one of) their missiles with the control panel set at 21 27 N 39 49 E - close enough! Deterrence means nothing unless you have the will to follow through and others know it well. Does anyone - anyone - think that Putin wouldn’t if “something really bad” happened there?

[GlockThe Vote]

Every day I wake up wondering what insanity is coming from this admn,

This is unreal. This admn is truly a traitorous regime as rush calls it.

FUBO!

[sonic109]

Everybody is doing a lot of damn talking again. Ready to hit the streets yet folks? No ? Sure?
Ojk fine . I thiugh by now even the laziest of men would rise up against the country being taken over , but no .
I would have though by now after all the absolute insane statements and policies coming from this fraud people would hit the streets with aggressive protest , sit ins, boycotts and civil unrest . No good huh . Ok , I have a serious question

JUST WHAT WILL OBAMA HAVE TO DO TO US FOR PEOPLE TO UNITE , GIVE UP A FEW NIGHTS OF AMERICAN IDOL AND MARCH ON WASHINGTON FORCEFULLY?
I’m serious , who has an answer for me ?
Until that happens he will do ANYTHING he damn pleases and you , slaves, will have to accept it and you slaves will DESERVE it for you inaction. Shame on all of us.

[82ndABNOfficer]

F*CK THIS MOTHER F*CKER, he is inviting an attack onto the US!!! I can’t even watch or read the news anymore. So depressing. I feel bad for the future citizens of this country.

[El Gato]

It's like, "Why are you pursuing Impeachment, when you can't even get it out of committee?!" LOL ...

To get the facts to the American people.

And none of this is funny, not one little bit.

[bergmeid]

Bingo onyx. Forget about the socialism, the marxism and all the other left wing stuff. All that is being enacted too, but with this bogus POTUS this is about islam, and it always has been.

[little jeremiah]

People who laugh very inappropriately, as at tragedy, are mentally ill.

(I know you know this, I just had to say it...)

[Java4Jay]

National unemployment hits 0%, manufacturing/sales sore.

New Obama Nuclear Order, NONO, forcing consumers to stock up and hoard food, supplies, and survival gear. Bomb shelter permits increase 1000k over last quarter.

Obama takes credit, claiming his economic plan is working.

[onyx]

It’s sure looking like that... too many instances and too many clues, even little things. The bow to the Saudi king, and yesterday’s Easter message that omitted the name of Jesus.