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Bush White House Guided Military to Develop Nuclear Strike Plans Against Rogue States, FAS Finds
The Federation of American Scientists' director of the nuclear information project Hans Kristensen reports that he has gotten ahold of a surprising document that shows the Bush White House guided the US military to change the US nuclear posture in 2002 to develop nuclear strike plans against rogue states, including North Korea, Iran and Iraq.
"Everybody got so afraid of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorists and the combination of the two that White House guidance ordered the military to prepare nuclear strike plans against them," Kristensen tells me in a phone interview Monday. "This particular document is the main surprise here. It is a briefing that that US strategic command held sometime in 2002 which is about national nuclear war plans that went into effect in March 2003. Since then, there has been only upgrade of the plan."
Kristensen says the document he got hold of is a compilation of slides, 126 pages. "They only released 23 of those, and most of that is heavily redacted," Kristensen says. "But one thing they surprisingly let through is the identification of new strike plans against rogue states. And this is a surprise. ... This shows nuclear strike planning rose all the way to the top, the national strategic war plan, a new development."
Kristensen says White House guidance consists only of documents the president signs that directs the military to plan for certain scenarios. Kristensen says that on June 28, 2002, President Bush signed NSPD 14, the first comprehensive White House guidance to the military on how to plan for a nuclear war. That document is classified. But they have "pried open a corner of that with this discovery," Kristensen says.
Kristensen says that back in March 2002, part of the Bush administration nuclear posture review - a big review the Pentagon did - was leaked and described in an article in the Los Angeles Times. "It led to a huge debate. Are we actually going to target rogue states with nuclear weapons? These used to be something focused only on Russia and China," Kristensen says. "At that point, government officials played it down. They suggested this was not really a guidance document." But clearly, it was.
About his latest discovery, Kristensen says, "This is a milestone in our knowledge about nuclear planning and how it has evolved after the Cold War. The document tells the various military commands what to do. They have to implement this guidance. Targeters in strategic command start targeting those facilities. Where do we have those weapons, submarines, bombers. They weave together this whole very orchestrated strike plan. If the president decided to nuke Iran, here's the plan."
Listen to Vincent Bugliosi's "in depth" interview on c-span as I quote him this president chortles with joy at the death of others, witness there's no weapons here, or here, press dinner, why would we see his displeasure at geneocide weapons being used. he sleeps with the peace of a ten yr old there's joy in not aknowledging the true nature of the way a problem is solved by death to all for the transgressions of a few.
It is hardly surprising that the US would have contingency plans for nuclear actions against emerging nuclear powers. Such a plan, or the threat of such, may be the only realistic military option in the current conventional climate should Iran go nuclear, and clearly the implicit threat of such action plays an "elephant in the room" role in negotiations with North Korea. The constraint would be the reaction of China and Russia, but it is unlikely they would risk nuclear counterstrikes over the likes of NK and Iran.
Nukin' folks is certainly one way of keeping cheap Iraqi oil off the market so Dick Cheney's friends can butcher us at the pumps. The other way is to send half a million or so soldiers there to shut down the economy, create chaos, and screw things over so permanently that it will be a decade before the wells come back online.
"We're gonna smoke Osama out of his caves"
--GW Bush
Very very scary. Is MJ going to publish the document. I think it is time for everyone to realize that we have more than the "worst President ever". We have truly dangerous people in charge.
Mike, you can see the document in the link above or here
http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/united_states/revision03.pdf
It's good to periodically revisit and revise nuclear force posture. It's not good to transition to a first strike policy. Particularly against states or organizations with minimal nuclear assets of their own.
None of the potential emerging weapons states can really wreak much havoc on the US. Not that you'd want any.
But the fact remains that the US maintains the largest, most mobile, and most deadly nuclear arsenal in the world. The previous assertions that 'we' can be trusted not to use nuclear weapons precipitously no longer stands.
I would expect a UN Security Council resolution against the US on this before we ever see one about Iran.
Symour Hersh, Investigative Reporter for the "New Yorker" magazine, mentioned a few years ago that Bush was planning to use nukes on Iran. Many generals and members of the CIA threatened to walk out on Bush if he dared to use nukes. But the Bush admin is so unhinged and out of place at the White House that the only thing they know how to do well is fuk up!
So, was it a mistake when the live nukes were recently flown across the US? http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-18-nuclear-air-force_N.h...)
Or were the beans spilled by someone with a conscience?
Where do we get half a million new troops? Maybe Cheney and company should figure out a way to coerce people into "volunteering" for military interventions. Of course, maybe he already has: debtor's armies. Kill the economy so bad that military forgiveness of massive debt is the most attractive option.
Bush et al are controlled by and partnered with 21st-century micro-intellect, pin-headed Armageddon-seekers as they seek to jump-start the "End Times." "Stupid is as stupid does" after all.
In his prayer closet Bush has a picture frame labeled "Savior" with his Alfred E. Neuman likeness smiling that stupid "What, me worry?" countenance looking back at him.
Ken, the Christian Zionists have become allies of the Jewish Zionists to go to war with Iran. God help us all.
"Where do we get half a million new troops?"
One word; DRAFT.
IRAN SO WHAT NUKE THE SAND NIGERS AND NAME ALL US BEARS MOHAOMAD....THERE ALL INBREAD