Joe Klein: "We should not take tactical nuclear weapons off the table"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/16.html#a7936

Joe Klein started off today on "THIS WEEK," sounding fairly reasonable in the discussion about Iran and then veered off into neocon, kool-aid drinking lunacy. George Stephanopoulos was even caught off guard by Klein's statements. Does he seriously believe that including nukes whether we attack, discuss or threaten is not seen as a doomsday scenario? We are talking about nukes Joe, freaking nukes.

Video-WMP

Video-QT

Klein: We should not take any option including the use of nuclear, tactical nuclear weapons off the table...

Stephanopoulos: Keep that on the table?-That's insane...

One of the main points of Sy Hersh's article is that the inclusion of nukes in an attack plan against Iran has the military leaders freaked out and they are demanding it be pulled or they will quit. It seems that Klein doesn't share those views.

To add more right wing spin into his arguments today, Klein proclaimed that if Francine Busby wins the San Diego election-it'll be "over reported" in the media. Even George Will suggested that it was a win-win situation for the Democrats-and if she won it would be like an earthquake. So who is the liberal and who is the right winger?

permalink3:08:24 PM

[Eric J in MN]

1. Tell you Senators,

no nuclear first strike:
http://contactcongress.blogspot.com/

[yourout]

2. Anyone that condones using nukes to stop another country from...

acquiring nukes is a hypocritical ass.

Do these morons not see the hypocrisy?

[joemurphy]

3. Joe, just shut up. n/t

[AX10]

4. Klein's a kook.

If Bush uses any type of nuclear weapon, he will be seen as the aggressor in the nuclear build up.
The world won't support a pre-emptive nuclear strike.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. What happened to these people that they all went insane?

But once again I digress. So we are going to attack Iran with nuclear weapons because the Iranians cannot be trusted to have such weapons and not to use them irresponsibly? Do these vile bastards even understand the irony of their position?

Etided four spelink

[Southsideirish]

8. Must be something in that Beltway water. They are all insane and totally

out of touch with real people.

[GalleryGod]

16. Apparently. Talk-Show-Tough-Guys!

[subterranean]

6. Tactical nukes vs. ordinary nukes

What is the difference between a "tactical" nuclear weapon and an ordinary, garden-variety nuclear weapon? They seem to use the term "tactical" to imply that it's not as bad as a regular nuke, that the destruction is somehow more limited, but is there any truth to that?

Regardless, Stephanpoulos is correct in saying that threatening to use nuclear weapons to stop another country from acquring nuclear weapons is insane.

[gp]

10. From what I read on the subject...

you basically have two different types of nukes:

1. Tactical Yield less than 100KT - Easier to deploy than strategic nukes. Designated for 'smaller areas' & construction type of targets. (Smaller areas meaning 'only' a few city blocks...)
2. Strategic Yield greater than 100KT - So called city-busters, potentially wiping out an entire city.


FYI, 'Little Boy' the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of approx. 15 Kilotons.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. Only differenc is the size.

However tactical nukes can have as much yield as the hiroshima class bombs. That sort of puts into perspective just how tactical they are, and more to the point just how abominable 'strategic' nukes are.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Video on the nuclear bunker buster to be used in Iran

Seymour Hersh wrote in a recent article in The New Yorker that Bush was considering a
nuclear strike against Iran using the B61 "bunker buster" warhead. Here is info about
the effects of using such weapons:


Animation from Union of Concerned Scientists:

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/nuclear-bunker-buster-rnep-animation.html

[0007]

14. That was a sobering video!

[wisteria]

9. The guy has lost it-if he actually had it to begin with! n/t

[chieftain]

12. How did this twit become considered smart?

I've read and listened to him for years and he is dumber than Blitzer. The entire punditocracy is rife with inflated egos and deflated intellects and Klein is the poster boy for the phenomenon.

[Placebo]

13. This country is going INSANE.

We have an unbridled blood lust the likes of which we've never seen. The right-wing religious Christian Soldiers won't be happy until they bring upon the Apocalypse themselves.

[FrenchieCat]

15. I just want to know why, "Journalists" are asked to give advise to

the public about issues they know nothing about.

If I want a Journalists opinion, it will not be about International affairs. A whore like Klein should just report facts, and keep his opinion to himself.

I especially hate the round table Journalist forums.....when they talk to each other as though they know something we don't. Normally, it's the opposite; we know plenty that they omit.

[OzarkDem]

17. He's a glorified gossip columnist

what the hell does he know and why is anyone asking his opinion on anything more serious than DC gossip?

:eyes: