Joint Chiefs okay pre-emptive NUCLEAR strikes

[EnfantTerrible]

Strategy Includes Preemptive Use Against Banned Weapons

By Walter Pincus

Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, September 11, 2005; Page A01

The Pentagon has drafted a revised doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons that envisions commanders requesting presidential approval to use them to preempt an attack by a nation or a terrorist group using weapons of mass destruction. The draft also includes the option of using nuclear arms to destroy known enemy stockpiles of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

The document, written by the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs staff but not yet finally approved by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, would update rules and procedures governing use of nuclear weapons to reflect a preemption strategy first announced by the Bush White House in December 2002. The strategy was outlined in more detail at the time in classified national security directives.

At a White House briefing that year, a spokesman said the United States would "respond with overwhelming force" to the use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States, its forces or allies, and said "all options" would be available to the president.

The draft, dated March 15, would provide authoritative guidance for commanders to request presidential approval for using nuclear weapons, and represents the Pentagon's first attempt to revise procedures to reflect the Bush preemption doctrine. A previous version, completed in 1995 during the Clinton administration, contains no mention of using nuclear weapons preemptively or specifically against threats from weapons of mass destruction.

Titled "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations" and written under the direction of Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the draft document is unclassified and available on a Pentagon Web site. It is expected to be signed within a few weeks by Air Force Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, director of the Joint Staff, according to Navy Cmdr. Dawn Cutler, a public affairs officer in Myers's office. Meanwhile, the draft is going through final coordination with the military services, the combatant commanders, Pentagon legal authorities and Rumsfeld's office, Cutler said in a written statement.

[never_get_over_it]

1. I heard this on Ray Taliaferro

listneing to the arcihves of this morning's show and he talked about this.

This is beyond outrageous and we have to let the Dems know that we won't stand for it. This idiot in the WH is going to get us all killed.

[wtmusic]

2. Fuck pre-emption in any way, shape, or form

These idiots are NOT allowed to throw the UN charter out the window and keep the world in a state of indefinite chaos. May they all rot in hell.
:grr:

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. UN charter is immaterial.

Bolton was only sent there to pull us out. In two years the UN will be meeting in Geneva and the UN building will be the new headquarters for the companies that were once in the WTC.

[wtmusic]

7. One problem: we signed on the dotted line

are we going to formally acknowledge that our signature on treaties is worthless? My guess is that many "true conservatives" won't settle for that.

[leveymg]

3. Psychological warfare - the real, classified document states that

an attack on Iran by the U.S. or a proxy would result in an economically devastating oil shortage, a counter-attack by Iran and Shi'a Iraqis against US forces with major American casualties, and an extremely dangerous destabilization of western markets and political ties, resulting in the isolation of the United States.

The net winner of such a conflict would be China and Russia.

[koopie57]

5. what will the rest of the world do

about this?

[Walt Starr]

6. I can understand the logic of this doctrine

Please note, I said I can understand it, not that I agree with it.

This becomes very similar to the doctrine utilizeed by Kissinger during the peace talks with North Vietnam.

Basically, negotiators will say, "Look, we've got this maniac Bush who will go off half cocked on any notion where he even THINKS you've got WMD and MIGHT use them against us, so you probably had better get in line and do what we say or this guy will actually push the button on you."

It's the same tactic used by extortionists the world over.

[leveymg]

11. "Crazy Nixon" didn't work then,and Mad Max Bush won't now

The Iranians and everyone else aren't as stupid as our own leaders imagine they are and are themselves.

A bluff that no one believes is worse than useless because it just contributes to the well-founded perception around the world -- one that is spreading in this country -- that BushCo are dangerous fanatics who need to be contained if they can't be removed.

[wtmusic]

13. Mutually-Assured Destruction

worked during the Cold War because we could identify the enemy.

Take a roadside bomb in Iraq: no identifiable perpetrator, no identifiable enemy. Let's make it a nuke detonated in an American city--what are we going to do? Start nuking everybody?

[EnfantTerrible]

14. What I find frightening about this scenario

Is that the US already uses radio active ammo. While it's not nuclear, it is reeking havoc in Bosnia, long after the conflict is over... birth defects, cancer etc.. It's not a far leap to deploying nuclear weapons if the US military is willing use these radio active materials now. There is no thought given to long term affects... or if there is thought given to it, they just don't care.

The problem with Bush is that he won't consider it a bluff or just "extortion"... he'll take the authority as a message from God that he should deploy these weapons in his "crusade" against "evil-doers". Who's holding the leash that will keep him in check? This is a dangerous game for the US to play with a "leader" in the White House who lacks the intelligence and nuance to play this game. He doesn't understand the rules.

[Imagevision]

8. Bush is getting to be a possible threat to the US. going nuclear is madman

mentality but worse yet, he doesn't get these idea's by himself warhawks on sidelines are chidding him on -- nuke-nuke-nuke...! The US. will only become the bully on the block if Bush nukes Iran and the threat to the US. will go thru the ceiling afterwards.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[lutefisk]

9. This would have applied to Iraq, correct?

Because it was absolutely, 100%, slam-dunk certain that Iraq had WMDs, Rove could have ordered Bush to order nuclear strikes against Iraq, right? I am concerned that next time, Rove will act decisively in order to avoid a prolonged public relations problem (like Iraq has become).

[MN ChimpH8R]

10. If ChimpCo nukes Iran

the Russians and the Chinese will nuke us. It's that simple. Then Chimpy will have the WW III he and his rapturist-puke Talibornagains so desperately want.

[sexybomber]

12. I'm not so sure, actually

Not everyone is as stupid as Shrub and Rove are. Nobody, but nobody wants a NUCLEAR WAR. (Except the PNAC.) I think Russia, at least, would at least try to avert WW3.

Funny how I trust the Russians more than my own government.