Our Nuclear Talk Gravely Imperils Us Notion of a First- Strike
Use in Iraq Carries The Seed of World Disaster
By Edward M. Kennedy
Los Angeles Times | Commentary
Wednesday 29 January 2003
A dangerous world just grew more dangerous. Reports that the administration
is contemplating the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in Iraq should set
off alarm bells that this could not only be the wrong war at the wrong time,
but it could quickly spin out of control.
Initiating the use of nuclear weapons would make a conflict with Iraq
potentially catastrophic.
President Bush had an opportunity Tuesday night to explain why he believes
such a radical departure from long-standing policy is justified or
necessary. At the very minimum, a change of this magnitude should be brought
to Congress for debate before the U.S. goes to war with Iraq.
The reports of a preemptive nuclear strike are consistent with the extreme
views outlined a year ago in President Bush's Nuclear Posture Review and
with the administration's disdain for long-standing norms of international
behavior.
According to these reports, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has
directed the U.S. Strategic Command to develop plans for employing nuclear
weapons in a wide range of new missions, including possible use in Iraq to
destroy underground bunkers.
Using the nation's nuclear arsenal in this unprecedented way would be the
most fateful decision since the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Even
contemplating the first-strike use of nuclear weapons under current
circumstances and against a nonnuclear nation dangerously blurs the crucial
and historical distinction between conventional and nuclear arms. In the
case of Iraq, it is preposterous.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/020103A.kendy.seed.htm
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Our Nuclear Talk Gravely Imperils Us Notion of a First- Strike
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Type: discussion
Comments
I must say this is one of the first things that has really made me worry
since the propeganda they forced on us in school in the 80's.
I guess we should all get our shit together on this issue.
This issue is sure to turn a large % of the american population against the
current government.
Lee
on 2/8/03 8:53 PM, marc.garrett at [email protected] wrote:
> Our Nuclear Talk Gravely Imperils Us Notion of a First- Strike
> Use in Iraq Carries The Seed of World Disaster
> By Edward M. Kennedy
> Los Angeles Times | Commentary
>
> Wednesday 29 January 2003
>
> A dangerous world just grew more dangerous. Reports that the administration
> is contemplating the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in Iraq should set
> off alarm bells that this could not only be the wrong war at the wrong time,
> but it could quickly spin out of control.
>
> Initiating the use of nuclear weapons would make a conflict with Iraq
> potentially catastrophic.
>
> President Bush had an opportunity Tuesday night to explain why he believes
> such a radical departure from long-standing policy is justified or
> necessary. At the very minimum, a change of this magnitude should be brought
> to Congress for debate before the U.S. goes to war with Iraq.
>
> The reports of a preemptive nuclear strike are consistent with the extreme
> views outlined a year ago in President Bush's Nuclear Posture Review and
> with the administration's disdain for long-standing norms of international
> behavior.
>
> According to these reports, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has
> directed the U.S. Strategic Command to develop plans for employing nuclear
> weapons in a wide range of new missions, including possible use in Iraq to
> destroy underground bunkers.
>
> Using the nation's nuclear arsenal in this unprecedented way would be the
> most fateful decision since the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Even
> contemplating the first-strike use of nuclear weapons under current
> circumstances and against a nonnuclear nation dangerously blurs the crucial
> and historical distinction between conventional and nuclear arms. In the
> case of Iraq, it is preposterous.
>
> http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/020103A.kendy.seed.htm
>
>