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Good points - how about having some of our SF troops carry in a couple of tac-nukes? Then these could be positioned somewhere near suspected sites of nuke development within Iraq, and command detonated - giving the entire world a glimpse of Iraq detonating a nuke during "testing". Instant green light to empty a couple of Tridents, no US casualties, and not even any negative world opinion. Plus, the message would be delivered to the Arab world that we've put up with about all of thier $hit that we're going to.

Regarding the initial analysis of this article, I think that the Russians here in this thread underestimate the newfound friendhsip between our nations. Should this jihad grow, America and Russia will become natural allies against Islam, forgetting all else. Why not? Russia is a Constitutional Republic, they have their own Islamic troubles, and the economic interdependence between us will only grow in the future. Russia and the US could logically become more than allies - call it a joint venture - or even a merger at some time. (Wouldn't China love that!!!) Already, Russia is our #2 oil supplier - and trying to become #1 ahead of Suadi Arabia. Personally, I think we should tell the Saudis to pack sand, and buy all of our foreign oil from Russia. That alone would break the Arab's financial empire in only months. After all, they have NOTHING else worth owning.

Good points - how about having some of our SF troops carry in a couple of tac-nukes?

Heh, infantry. Couple reasons why not. Three even:

There are no SADMs in the inventory any more
They actually went out during the cold war when it became clear that there was really no use for them -- no target that couldn't be hit better, safer and more certainly with an aircraft or guided weapon.
Increased accuracy and power of conventional weapons makes small nukes obsolete for most military purposes. A JDAM just costs $18k more than a dumb bomb (which is $5-8k) yet can put a 2000 lb. bomb within three metres of any point on earth. Other modern weapons address the problem of extremely hard targets. All we need is eyes on the ground to tell the zoomies what to hit.

The nuclear arty shells and battlefield missiles are gone, also. Simply obsolete. In 1945 you needed to erase an enemy's cities to destroy his war-making capability and defeat him. In 2002 that sort of un-Christian (non-Western, really) frightfulness is no longer required or useful.

Ironically, the one bomb that remains militarily useful in certain circumstances is the one we didn't field: the Enhanced Radiation Weapon ("neutron bomb") which would simplify defeating the North Koreans and save many Allied lives, if that war plan ever has to be implemented...

d.o.l.

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