Report: Military Plans Nuke Hits on 7 Countries

New York Daily News ^ | 3/09/02 | LEO STANDORA

[kattracks]

The White House has ordered the Pentagon to prepare plans for using nuclear weapons against at least seven countries and to build smaller nuclear bombs for certain battlefield situations, according to a published report today.

Tops on the nuclear hit list are China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria, according to a classified Pentagon report obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

"This is dynamite," Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear arms expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, told the newspaper. "I can imagine what these countries are going to be saying at the UN."

The Times said the secret report, given to Congress on Jan. 8, says the nuclear weapons could be used against targets able to withstand nuclear attack; in retaliation for attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, or "in the event of surprising military developments."

The report says the Pentagon should be prepared to use nuclear weapons in an Arab-Israeli conflict, in a war between China and Taiwan or in an attack by North Korea on the south, and possibly in an attack by Iraq on Israel or another neighbor.

The call for a limited-range arsenal was seen as an important deterrent against enemies who doubt the U.S. would use larger weapons in certain situations because of the widespread death and destruction they would cause.

The U.S. has long had a detailed plan for nuclear attack on Russia, but the new Nuclear Posture Review apparently marks the first time an official list of potential targets has been compiled.

The report acknowledges Russia is no longer officially an "enemy," but cites concern about the huge Russian arsenal of about 6,000 deployed warheads and some 10,000 smaller "theater" weapons, The Times said.

Pentagon spokesman Richard McGraw declined comment because, he said, the report is classified.

Nuclear analysts predicted to the newspaper that the report would draw strong reaction, but some insisted the Pentagon must be ready — especially after Sept. 11 — for all contingencies.

One nuclear expert, John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World, said, "This is very, very dangerous talk.... Dr. Strangelove is clearly still alive in the Pentagon."

U.S. policy generally has been to consider the use of nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states only if they are allied with nuclear powers.

[NativeNewYorker]

I didn't know you were a game theory maven!

[NativeNewYorker]

Dr. Strangelove is clearly still alive in the Pentagon

Well, here are the right sounds for it!

[Go Gordon]

The Times said the secret report, given to Congress on Jan. 8,

Anyone want to take bets that one of the RATs leaked the information to the Times? And Dash-hole wonders why they aren't kept in the loop on the prosecution of the war effort...

[GeronL]

no it isn't 'planning' nuke hits, its called preparing for possible scenarios

[P8riot]

Reminds me of a song:

So long, mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But while you swelter
Down there in your shelter
You can see me
On your TV.

While we're attacking frontally
Watch Brinkally and Huntally
Describing contrapuntally
The cities we have lost.
No need for you to miss a minute of the agonizing holocaust.
Yeah!

Little Johnny Jones, he was a US pilot,
And no shrinking violet was he.
He was mighty proud when World War III was declared.
He wasn't scared, no siree!

And this is what he said on
His way to Armageddon:

So long, mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But though I may roam,
I'll come back to my home
Although it may be
A pile of debris.

Remember, momma,
I'm off to get Osama,
So send me a salama (salami actually, but heck it rhymes)
And try to smile somehow.
I'll look for you when the war is over,
An hour and a half from now!

Apologies to Tom Lehrer

[ForGod'sSake]

Tops on the nuclear hit list are China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria, according to a classified Pentagon report obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

HAR! This report should NOT be taken seriously! Any conservative administration worth its salt would most certainly have had the LaLa Times and the NY Slimes amongst the top five.

Disinformation, plain and simple ; )

FGS

[Conan the Librarian]

Thank you for saying what I was thinking. We have always had nuclear options at had. (Korea...Vietnam...Gulf war) If you are going to have a wepon, you have to be ready to, and have plans to, use them.

[a_witness]

Tops on the nuclear hit list are China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria, according to a classified Pentagon report obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

It sounds like someone with access to Congress has broken the law during war time.

[aomagrat]

Let's Roll!!!!

[Mixer]

Thanks for the ping.

[Jthro]

What is the big suprise about the United States actually having a plan for using nuclear weapons? I would hope our military had a plan and did not just let them sit idle and on the spur of the moment say, "Lets aim a nuke here, aim a nuke there."

As far as this report being a top secret report, well it isn't a secret at all now. Which congressman or congressmen has loose lips? I hope that the leak source is found out and the exposed to the nation. Such a move is tantamount to treason.

[Guenevere]

And I read it....Military Plans Nuke Hits on 7....COUNTIES!....LOL

I was trying to figure which counties would get it first......(terrible, I know)

...and I hesitate to post which ones came to mind :^)

[Consort]

This story is just one of the potential catalysts designed and orchestrated to revive/renew the sixties-style activism on our campuses nation wide.

[LiberteeBell]

Planning tactical nuke strikes puts the threat on a different level.

I should say so.

These countries could of been thinking the US wouldn't launch an all out nuke strike on them in retaliation.

Sure, that's a possibility but retaliation for WHAT? Which of these countries have attacked or overtly threatened to attack us?

But now they know we have specific targets and will try to minimize collatorial damage.

Again, why would we want to mention specific targets, sounds to me like we're issuing what could easily be interpreted as a threat to them.

This will be a much needed wake up call to these countries, as to the consequences of not helping eliminate terrorism and their access to WMD.

So, we should threaten them with a WMD to wake them up? Pardon moi, but this level of sabre rattling is a little much.

[Euro-American Scum]

The nuclear weapons are being put to their best use with this information release. They are a mental deterrent to any wannabe world dictators

I don't know about that. It might have worked with The former Soviet Union. I wonder if the intimidation factor will be there for the likes of Osama and his ilk.

Not that I care. If the entire Middle East is turned into a smoldering radioactive ash heap, the only regret I'll have is that we couldn't airlift the combined faculty of American universities over there before the first strike.

[lds23]

Only seven?

[samtheman]

DAMN, France isnt on the list.

Too late. France has just released a list of countries they surrender to... and it includes the whole world. Can't nuke a country that's already surrendered.

[Ditto]

The Times said the secret report, given to Congress on Jan. 8,

There is no such thing as a secret report given to Congress, at least not for long. They may as well just post it on the internet as expect it to say a secret with Congress.

[Jethro Tull]

#64)

"I'm SHOCKED!"

"Kind words from Mr. Tull about Mr. Bush... "

***
*********

Dubya had been 'right on' regarding the 'evil ones.'

And now that he's dumped the canard of Free Trade with the foreign steel tariff,,,well,,,,what more can I ask?

GODUBYAGO!

[Lady GOP]

China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria,

Sponsoring and/or are terrorists.