Posted on 05/01/2005 12:22:02 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Sunday May 1, 5:39 PM
(Kyodo) _ The U.S. military plans to allow regional combatant commanders to request the president for approval to carry out preemptive nuclear strikes against possible attacks on the United States or its allies with weapons of mass destruction, according to a draft new nuclear operations paper. The paper, drafted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, also revealed that submarines which make port calls in Yokosuka, Sasebo and Okinawa in Japan are prepared for reloading nuclear warheads if necessary to deal with a crisis.
The March 15 draft paper, a copy of which was made available, is titled "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations" providing "guidelines for the joint employment of forces in nuclear operations...for the employment of U.S. nuclear forces, command and control relationships, and weapons effect considerations."
"There are numerous nonstate organizations (terrorist, criminal) and about 30 nations with WMD programs, including many regional states," the paper says in allowing combatant commanders in the Pacific and other theaters to maintain an option of preemptive strikes against "rogue" states and terrorists and "request presidential approval for use of nuclear weapons" under set conditions.
The paper identifies nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as requiring preemptive strikes to prevent their use.
But allowing preemptive nuclear strikes against possible biological and chemical attacks effectively contradicts a "negative security assurance" policy declared by the U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton 10 years ago on the occasion of an international conference to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Creating a treaty on negative security assurances to commit nuclear powers not to use nuclear weapons against countries without nuclear weapons remains one of the most contentious issues for the 35-year-old NPT regime.
A JCS official said the paper "is still a draft which has to be finalized," but indicated that it is aimed at guiding "cross-spectrum" combatant commanders how to jointly carry out operations based on the Nuclear Posture Review report adopted three years ago by the administration of President George W. Bush.
Citing North Korea, Iran and some other countries as threats, the report set out contingencies for which U.S. nuclear strikes must be prepared and called for developing earth-penetrating nuclear bombs to destroy hidden underground military facilities, including those for storing WMD and ballistic missiles.
"The nature (of the paper) is to explain not details but cross spectrum for how to conduct operations," the official said, noting that it "means for all services, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine."
In 1991 after the end of the Cold War, the United States removed its ground-based nuclear weapons in Asia and Europe as well as strategic nuclear warheads on warships and submarines.
But the paper says the United States is prepared to revive those sea-based nuclear arms.
"Nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, removed from ships and submarines under the 1991 Presidential Nuclear Initiative, are secured in central areas where they remain available, if necessary for a crisis," the paper says.
The paper also underlined that the United States retains a contingency scenario of limited nuclear wars in East Asia and the Middle East.
"Geographic combatant commanders may request presidential approval for use of nuclear weapons for a variety of conditions," the paper says.
The paper lists eight conditions such as "an adversary using or intending to use WMD against U.S. multinational or alliance forces or civilian populations" and "imminent attack from adversary biological weapons that only effects from nuclear weapons can safely destroy."
The conditions also include "attacks on adversary installations including WMD, deep, hardened bunkers containing chemical or biological weapons" and countering "potentially overwhelming adversary conventional forces."
Ping!
Weakness of the allies started WWII and later encouraged the Soviets and then the Maoists. And weakness invited North Korea to attack the south. Peace can only be held through overwhelming deterrence.
Kim better practice ducking. And put the final touches on his shelter(s).
Of course what he really needs to practice, is shutting up, but that doesn't appear to be an option with him.
The sooner we take out NK and Iran nukes, the safer the us.
This is a shot across somone's bow.
Ya know...planning possible attacks on Iran and North Korea only proves their point in getting nuclear weapons...we might attack them! So they better get in on the M.A.D. plan before its too late. Anyway there is a very good alternative which takes time but would instill permanent change inside the nation...free-market capitalism! The societies in China and Saudi Arabia are slowly liberalizing as we do trade with them. Why not do trade with the Irans, Cubas, and North Koreas of the world? It may seem like we are caving in to dictators, but in order to stay competitive in a capitalist nation, you have to spread ideas and concepts in order to fill niches and continue to be successful or start to be successful. Is it any coincidence that the nations with the freest markets have the freest lives?
And also, wouldn't it be best if that was our policy and we left the manpower to defend the homeland?
Hey kim Dumb Ill, you better star learning to Duck and Cover (as if that will really work)!
"Nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, removed from ships and submarines under the 1991 Presidential Nuclear Initiative, are secured in central areas where they remain available, if necessary for a crisis," the paper says.
---
Are you telling me we don't have any nukes on ships and subs? 1. I don't believe it. 2. If true, it represents a huge breach in our national security and I can't believe even the Rhino Bush SR would sign something like that.
Yeah, that's an ideal outcome, and I'll bet they're shooting for it. But I think they're making them a deal they can't refuse, nukes on one hand, freedom on the other.
I can understand reloading the equipment, but the US publicly committing to first use of nuclear weapons seems unlikely, especially without Congressional authorization. Such would create a furor that might force us into a position that hampers our options more than they are now. I can't imagine that the Pentagon would leak such a story either.
But allowing preemptive nuclear strikes against possible biological and chemical attacks effectively contradicts a "negative security assurance" policy declared by the U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton 10 years ago on the occasion of an international conference to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Dear Kyodo News,
You're not in Arkansass any more.
How on earth does this stuff get made public ..??
I suppose we still have a bunch of Clinton people in the Pentagon trying to screw things up by informing our enemies what we might be planning. After all, the dems believe we should level the playing field with our enemies by giving them our information - that way they wouldn't have any need to attack us. THESE PEOPLE ARE NUTS!!
Hmmmm?? ISN'T THAT TREASON OR SOMETHING ?? I MEAN WE USED TO CARE ABOUT THAT - BUT I GUESS WE DON'T ANYMORE.
You think it was released on purpose ..??
All NK has to export is starving people, drugs, counterfeit currency, and weapons.
It's always best to negotiate from a position of strength, and it doesn't take a rocket science to realize that our strength will be tested in these coming years. This is a good plan.
BS...not all.
With Iran or NKorea now, assuming they did have the capability of getting a missile or two to the US, then what?
Say they take out LA or Atlanta. Surely, their leadership knows that within 10 minutes they would occupy a hold in the ground where their nation used to be.
Bin Laden at least thought he could hide safely in the depths of Afghanistan, a landlocked country filled with tunnels and underground facilities.
I just don't see NK or Iran doing more than blustering in their rhetoric -- unless their leader has decided on suicide by US Military.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.