In Event of WMD Attack, "All Bets Are Off" (Palin Victory, Obama Changes Stance on Nuke Warfare)

CBS News ^ | Sunday, April 11, 2010 | Stephanie Condon

[kristinn]

The Obama administration's nuclear posture review may have removed some of the intentional ambiguity from U.S. nuclear policy, but it does not leave the country any less safe, President Obama's top national security advisers said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

In fact, they said, it gives a clear warning to other state actors that the U.S. will not ignore any growing threats.

"This is putting everybody on notice," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer in an interview conducted Friday at the Pentagon. "We don't want more countries to go down the path that North Korea and Iran are."

The revised nuclear policy says that the United States will not use nuclear weapons to respond to a chemical or biological attack from a non-nuclear country. The policy, however, leaves significant contingencies, said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

SNIP

"We were concerned about the biological weapons," Gates said, "and that's why the president was very clear ... if we see states developing biological weapons that we begin to think endanger us or create serious concerns, that he reserves the right to revise this policy."

Clinton added, "If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off."

Gates also pointed out that the policy dictates that any country that uses chemical or biological weapons against the U.S. will "suffer a devastating conventional retaliation."

[reefdiver]

She does make them jump

[Uncle Miltie]

0bummer, taking dictation from Sarah.

[9YearLurker]

Just my thought. They steal her rhetoric, which is one thing, but it’s a much better thing for the country when they have to revise their policy to fit hers.

[pabianice]

[Gene Eric]

>> Looks like Sarah is already running the country...

Interesting thought.

[savedbygrace]

The revised nuclear policy says that the United States will not use nuclear weapons to respond to a chemical or biological attack from a non-nuclear country

Well, since the U. S. will not launch any chemical or biological attacks, what would we do in response? Mock them? Take them off the White House invitation list? Send VP Biden to their capital to make embarrassing gaffes?

[J Edgar]

Armatures all!

[SkyPilot]

Gates has turned out to be a feckless, dithering, horrible Secretary of Defense. From his PC bumbling of the massacre at Fort Hood, to grabbing his ankles regarding Obama's homosexual policy, to this nuclear policy fiasco, one could not dream of a worse SECDEF.

His is now nothing but an Obama poster boy. Gates could not tie Don Rumsfeld.s shoes.

[proxy_user]

It is more like a gift package for the GOP. Once the general population sees what the Dems are really like, very few will ever be elected again.

[okie01]

"We were concerned about the biological weapons," Gates said, "and that's why the president was very clear ... if we see states developing biological weapons that we begin to think endanger us or create serious concerns, that he reserves the right to revise this policy."

Question is: Does Gates' statement represent an actual modification of Obama's nuclear policy? Or does it represent Gates' attempt to cover for the President's mistake?

And, if either, does it represent a reality that will last more than ten days?

Foreign policy and national defense qualify as afterthoughts in this administration...

[Rome2000]

The stupid communist son of a whore undermines US security and then sends his flying monkeys SHRILLARY! and Gates out to make pretend that he didn't just undermine US security.

The propagandists in the press nod affirmatively and state all is well.

[plain talk]

The revised nuclear policy says that the United States will not use nuclear weapons to respond to a chemical or biological attack from a non-nuclear country. ... if we see states developing biological weapons that we begin to think endanger us or create serious concerns, that he reserves the right to revise this policy." Clinton added, "If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off."

What? First they say he won't use nukes in response to a bio attack. Then they say Obama may change his mind (kind of like how Allah changed his mind throughout the Korah) and then Clinton states what is essentially the policy we had prior to Obama which is if we are attacked with bio weapons all bets are off. These people make no sense.

[Mr. Jazzy]

Lady Sara tugs Odumbo by the his ample ear, back to reality.

I only wish she HADN’T spoken so soon after such a blatantly ignorant statement from the Odumbo regime. It should have been allowed MORE TIME to seep into the American psyche, instead of being CLARIFIED this soon.

Notice how this ass said “if it could be PROVEN”!!! Want to bet that they would have no interest in proving any connection to an islamic nation?

[presently no screen name]

She has said, you don’t need a title to make a difference. And the politicians hate her for that! Takes away the power they crave and the reason they pimp for votes which has nothing to do with making a difference.

[ohioWfan]

The whole world knows that Obama is clueless.

Backing off his suicidal nuclear 'policy' is a good thing (WTG, Sarah!), but anyone in the country who has any confidence in anything this dangerous moron says is now officially an idiot.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[Clinton added, "If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked us, then all bets are off."]

Then why not cleary state that in the official policy. We clearly have a government run by morons.

[OwatonnaNative]

Why run? Because sooner or later some of these idiotic policies will become law, no matter how effective Sarah has been in shaping the discussion from the outside. The health care abomination is a prime example. We need a leader like Sarah Palin that isn't going to fumble around and expose our weakness on the world stage. The Obama administration doesn't get anything right the first time. They always have to backtrack or “explain” what their policy “really” means.

[Anima Mundi]

When I heard her, she said nucular, pronouncing it as Bush did. I hope she will say nuclear not nuc-you-lar in the future.

[Artcore]

Sorry to post this here, BUT WHY DO THREADS KEEP GETTING PULLED THIS MORNING?!?!

[Pravious]

One thing I don’t understand...

Palin is obviously OUR candidate of choice (as shown by the FR poll), and obviously the most feared by our Enemy (the RAT party). Clearly her opinion holds weight and, at times, even sways the Socialist Pigs who run our government from their intended course of action.

SOOO.... why is it that “straw polls” keep naming people like Romney and Ron Paul to the top position for the opposition to King Obama I?

Is there a vast semi-right-wing group of moderate fools out there, or is all that being orchestrated by the media as just another plot to knock Palin out of the top spot?