Posted on 10/18/2001 12:24:31 PM PDT by truthandlife
Emphasizing that his idea is just an option, Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) believes the United States should consider using tactical nuclear weapons against Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Afghanistan if that network is linked to the recent anthrax incidents in the United States.
Buyer, a Persian Gulf war veteran and member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee thinks small, specialized nuclear weapons, not as powerful as the atom bombs that were dropped on Japan in World War Two, could be used on the caves where members of bin Laden's network have taken shelter.
However, Buyer emphasized that the use of the weapons would only be a proper response if bin Laden's people are linked to the anthrax cases in Florida, Washington, New York and elsewhere in the United States.
"Don't send special forces in there to sweep. We'd be very naive to believe that biotoxins and chemical agents were not in these caves. Put a tactical nuclear device in and close these caves for a thousand years," said Buyer in an interview with Indianapolis television station WRTV.
Buyer stressed that he doesn't advocate the use of full-power nuclear bombs, but acknowledged that much of the world wouldn't see the difference.
Buyer's press secretary, Laura Zuckerman, told CNSNews.com Thursday, "This is not an option that the congressman has called upon the White House or anybody of the military operations to take. He is just saying he would support it, if this an option that they would like to take.
"He's not advocating nuclear war. He's a gulf war veteran, he knows the horrors of war and he would never look to escalate something in this way. If they [were] quelled somewhat by the threat of a nuclear attack, then the threat itself might be enough," said Zuckerman.
Last Sunday on CBS' 60 Minutes, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice said the United States would remain on high alert for some time although there were no specific terrorist threats, she said, nor any evidence that terrorists had gotten their hands on nuclear weapons.
"There are reports of all kinds of things, some true and some not. But there's no reason for the American people at this point to fear a specific threat of that kind. We have no credible evidence of a specific threat of that kind," Rice said.
He is not fit for higher office if he thinks this way. The first use of nukes would be a propaganda victory for the enemy.
I think they took their best shot at us on 9/11. They had to know that security would be tighter than tight after that.
With all the crap that was flying over us that morning, I was wondering if we'd been nuked or if there was something *special* added to whatever made the WTC seem to explode. And that debris cloud? I thought it was going to kill us, right then and there.
By 9:30 a.m. I was ready to fire up the nukes and aim 'em in that direction.
That aside, America--justified or not--can be criticized for being the only nation to every use atomic weapons against other human beings. I'd rather we avoid a second episode of this unless it is clear that even the most extreme conventional munitions are ineffective. I firmly believe we can achieve our goal of eliminating Bin-Landin and eradicating the Taliban without recourse to nukes.
Why open pandora's box?
Speaking of nukes, has shrub yet counter manded klingons PDD changing our launch parameters from "attemtpt to launch after sufferring a devastating and confirmed first strike"? I wonder if he is even aware of it, really.
I once had a neighbor who would park in my parking space. I simply parked by car directly behind his so he couldn't move. He would have to come over and ask me to move my car so he could go to work. He explained that he couldn't move because I was parked in the way. I just nodded yes, that was true. He must of gotten tired of trying to rationalize with a crazy man because he started parking his car in the neighbor's space on the other side of his house.
The box has been opened since 1949 when we disregarded George Washington's sound advice to stay out of alliances with other nations.
All we've suffered since then is retaliation for one alliance that required another alliance that brought about another retaliation, e.g. US & Saddam against Iran, then US & Saudi against Saddam; or US & Osama against USSR now US & Russia against Osama.
All we're doing now is recruiting more for the Jihad. We need to shut the box. Tightly!
How about radioactive fused glass? Would that shut it tightly enough? Sounds good to me.
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