U.S. Envisions using Nukes on Terrorists

[Lokrian]

Originally posted by Rosuav
Land mines are probably the best known of conventional weapons leaving stuff around, since they're designed to sit around until touched. And, personally, I think that mining large areas of ground not in pure military use (eg cities) is just as reprehensible as dropping a nuclear bomb there. Of course, war is always devastating... so, there is some aspect of "war is ugly, what's the difference between this war and that one"; but even in war time, it IS possible to consider what it'll mean after you finish fighting. If nothing else, think what your occupation troops are going to have to deal with.

Carpet bombing leaves large amounts of unexploded ordinance as well. Often there is unused ordinance after the battles are complete that gets left behind.

There is an after-war cleanup cost that needs to be factored in I think, but often is not. In models that consist of using nukes, I hope that the cost is factored in terms of lives saved. If there seems to be a pretty clear danger that a nuke could be used on London or New York or Sydney or Tokyo, or any city really, and that could be stopped by the prudent use of nukes, so be it. If it can be stopped by using lesser weapons, obviously, do that instead.

There's the problem that intel is not perfect. I understand that. How do we know if there is a site being used for x, y or z? Sometimes you have to roll your dice and take your chances, and when one is talking about nukes I guess that dice roll gets to be one big, fat, angry looking pimple of a decision to have to make. I am not at all satisfied with the changes we have made in intel over the past 4 years either.

I began to get very frustrated watching things go on and on about the failure of intel when it is plain that intel has been being cut back for a long time in the US by, guess who, elected officials. So when intel fails, the elected officials turn right around and BLAME the intel community. And being professionals with their jobs at stake, the intel community's leaders can't just snipe back, 'well, it's you people's fault! You cut our funding!' Just in general, professional politicians win political battles with beurocrats hands down anyhow... But there you have it. Politicians cut spending on intel and then stand in AMAZEMENT that we do not have effective intel gathering and analysis. WOW!!!!

I mean, I am not even AGAINST the reductions in intel. I believe the decisions were based largely on reasonable grounds. But having done it, how do you get all indignant that your reduced intel capabilities are, well, reduced?

All that to say... I think by and large you can expect nukes to stay on the shelf. But I still believe the possibility should be looked at and discussed and held open.