[flamefront]

Think that might get them a bit more interested in NMD?

One would hope so. But the software and the report come from the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leftie disarmament think tank. From the article:

[NDRC's physicist after 2 years] Mr. McKinzie said he is working on modifying the software for eventual distribution to the public. The idea behind creating the computer program is to raise questions about the existing American policy of stockpiling thousands of nuclear weapons, he said. "Why do we need several thousand deployed nuclear weapons when even a few hundred would assure an overwhelming loss of life?" Mr. McKinzie asked.

Using the software, researchers estimated it would take 124 weapons to destroy the U.S. and 51 to eliminate Russia as a country. The computer program mimics the U.S. military's SIOP, or Single Integrated Operational Plan, which outlines the targeting of America's nuclear weapons and the likely consequences of each attack. SIOP is so secret that even members of the U.S. Senate, with high-level security clearance, are not allowed to know the details. The Natural Resources Defense Council scientists used declassified U.S. government information such as radioactive fallout projections, satellite photos, census data and maps of military installations to develop their software.

Ironically this very concern over vulnerability would make NMD much more valuable. Pres. Bush should thank them, and then also incentivize dispersal of industry and resources.

[Straight Vermonter]

"Why do we need several thousand deployed nuclear weapons when even a few hundred would assure an overwhelming loss of life?"

This guy is a moron. Imagine if we stocked just a couple of hundred warheads. A determined conventional attack, terrorist attack or sea launched first strike could take out our ability to respond in force to a nuclear strike from an enemy. That is why arms reduction is inherently MORE dangerous than the situation we had during the cold war. That is the reason for overkill.

One would think that the people creating this software would at least understand the basics of MAD. Actually, he probably understands it quite well but it doesn't agree with political bent so he ignores it.