U.S. drops pledge on use of nukes

Washington Times ^ | 2/22/02 | Nicholas Kralev

[kattracks]

The Bush administration is no longer standing by a 24-year-old U.S. pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, a senior administration official said yesterday.

Washington is "not looking for occasions to use" its nuclear arsenal, John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said in an interview.

[TheHundred]

But I thought we were winning the war. I hear it everyday.

Well, we haven't actually declared war but ya know what I mean.

[WALLACE212]

Squishing the Taliban & Al Queda is one thing... a triumph of our bad**s Spec. Ops guys. They make me proud as a peacock to be an American.

Global Thermo is a whole other ballgame, we decided we didn't want to play and thus doomed all but the faintest chances for victory in so doing. Self-fulfilling prophecy thanks to the libs as it were. I still think Clinton has an Order of Lenin medal at the Kremlin for safekeeping.

[WALLACE212]

"Something's not right here, and the cheerleaders are too frenzied to notice that the home team is 5 players short of a full team and its only the first quarter of the game."

Well said.

[jrewingjr]

Snail eating surrender monkeys.

[TheHundred]

Didn't we start downsizing IN 1992?

Lemme see, I was in the Army and all the E5's & 6's with 15 years in the service were getting nervous about having to get real jobs and no that was 1991.

[avenir]

Right on Tex!

[avenir]

The US is the only nation to use nuclear weapons against civilians (or against miltary targets for that matter).

Unfortunately, nukes will always mean civilian deaths. Lots of them. And yet a fate avoided by not, for example, sneak-attacking the U.S. like a certain country once did...

[Sir Charles]

One reason is to let everyone know that if our pistol doesn't work, we still have the shotgun behind the door.

[Asclepius]

... The Bush administration is no longer standing by a 24-year-old U.S. pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, a senior administration official said yesterday ...

I wonder what grim revelation or nasty bit of intelligence prompted our masters in Washington to declare this?

[weegee]

They did not drop the pledge, they just poured a little Dr. Pepper on it...

I pledge ... to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states

[weegee]

The fact that W. actually has access to "the bomb" is frightening enough, now he may actually use it? This like giving a teenager a case of beer AND the keys to the car. God I hope there are some adults around to tell W. NO!

There is a clip in the documentary The Atomic Cafe of Lloyd Bensten (as Representative) pleading for viewers of his clip to write their congressmen to approve the use of "the bomb" in Korea.

This never came to haunt him during his run for the White House.

What makes you suddenly think that President Bush is really Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove???

[RightWhale]

The US is the only nation to use nuclear weapons against civilians (or against miltary targets for that matter.)

WW II was the first nuclear war. Germany, Japan, and America were all working on "Da Bomb" with varying degrees of progress.

[WALLACE212]

Fortunately, Nazi Germany abondoned their nuclear program in 1943 in favor of jet fighters and bombers. Good thing, one can picture how different the world would be if they tipped the V2 with a Hiroshima sized weapon.

[Attillathehon]

I wonder what grim revelation or nasty bit of intelligence prompted our masters in Washington to declare this?

You're absolutely right. I can't believe they'd change policy except to send a very strong message to someone they can't intimidate with "smart" bombs and other conventional warfare. China?

[Attillathehon]

I Meant to say North Korea.

[null and void]

uh huh...

[Night Hides Not]

Agree 100%! And if Dubya had been part-owner of the Dallas Mavericks (instead of the Texas Rangers), he NEVER would have signed Shawn Bradley!

For all those people out there who think he isn't smart enough for the job: SO THERE! At least he hasn't wasted our cruise missiles on $10 tents and malnourished camels!

[Tallguy]

Biological and chemical warfare -- used against troops abroad and/or innocent civilians at home. This is what this message is all about, and I believe we all know at which countries both the statement, and our warheads, are aimed.

Bingo!

There are 2 reasons that our forces weren't repeatedly doused with chemicals in Desert Storm:

1. We made a not-so-subtle reference to nuclear retaliation prior to the outbreak of hostilities, and
2. Our ground forces moved way too fast to be effectively targeted. Chemical weapons are best used against static targets (entrenched troops, airfields, supply depots, port facilities, etc.)

Desert Storm 2 will be a risky adventure for our troops because the one trump card that Saddam has to play is his chemical/biological weapons. Unlike the Afghanistan campaign, we will need to place significant forces in neighboring countries. Those forces will be within Scud range. IMHO, we are once again making a threat to nuke them in response to any CNB attack.

[Tallguy]

Chill! There's a BIG difference between intimidating a enemy with a threat of retalliation and actually carrying out a pre-emptive nuclear attack. I for one sleep a lot better without Bubba's finger on the button.

[RightWhale]

The Japanese facilities where they were working on the A-bomb are located in North Korea. There is a story that NAZI Germany shipped the remnants of their nuke materials to Japan near the end of the war via submarine, but the sub was intercepted and sunk. It was too late, anyway.