As another Kos journalist posted yestereday, the Japan Times wrote that the U.S. military is considering the use of "pre-emptive" nuclear attacks to prevent the possible use of "nuclear, biological and chemical" WMDs by another regime or terrorist organization against the U.S. or its allies:
[More Below; crossposted at AmericaSedition:
[A] March 15 paper, drafted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is titled "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations," providing "guidelines for the joint employment of forces in nuclear operations . . . for the employment of U.S. nuclear forces, command and control relationships, and weapons effect considerations."
"There are numerous nonstate organizations (terrorist, criminal) and about 30 nations with WMD programs, including many regional states," the paper says in recommending that commanders in the Pacific and other theaters be given an option of pre-emptive strikes against "rogue" states and terrorists and "request presidential approval for use of nuclear weapons" under set conditions. [. . . ]
"Citing North Korea, Iran and some other countries as threats, the report sets out contingencies for which U.S. nuclear strikes must be prepared."
No rational person could support this. The Bush administration is starting to appear as if it suffers from some kind of collective paranoia. The logic of using a WMD to destroy a WMD escapes me, especially when the "rogue" WMD in question is only presumed a potential threat. The Orwellian "Newspeak" on exibit in a phrase such as "pre-emptive defense," should expose the underlying schizophrenia that is the true nature of all fascist regimes. I fear that it is no accident that this infomation was released in the wake of North Korea's recent rocket testing and claims to have the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead to the American homeland. The adminstration's response is to threaten with a nuclear attack; but all this does is ramp up the tension and even gives the North Koreans reason to consider what they could easily style a "pre-emptive, pre-emptive defense."