← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Angeleyes
Thread ID: 20167 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2005-09-12
2005-09-12 15:07 | User Profile
[url="http://www.nukestrat.com/us/jcs/JCS_JP3-12_05draft.pdf"]http://www.nukestrat.com/us/jcs/JCS_JP3-12_05draft.pdf[/url]
It is chilling to read the clinical discussion of nuclear weapons capabilities, postures, and apparent intentions as held in the unclassified Joint Doctrine Publications. (The above link to the official working Draft.) What else is up that isn't publicly accessible, hmmmmm? How legit is the assertion of "1700-2100 warheads by 2012?"
One wonders if the access to this document on the web is part of the strategy of "convincing potential adversaries of the credibility of our intention." In other words, a poorly veiled threat.
Considering the declarative statements embodied in the doctrine of nuclear weapons use, the policy of deliberate ambiguity -- "we'll use it if we feel like it" -- it gives me a creepy feeling that we are edging back toward the precipice, a cliff that we backed away from for thirty years in a series of agreements and confidence building measures with the Soviets and then the Russians.
Check out the table in page I-10.
Scary, to my mind, is the fact that we don't have the kind of understanding and equality in risk of loss with anyone other than the Russians, yet nations like India and China are full up nuclear powers, and plenty of other folks can't be deterred via the approach that worked between two superpowers.
I read a few weeks ago that the "tactical nuke bunker buster" bomb, which lost funding last year, is still being pushed by the Silver Bullet crowd at the Pentagon.
What are they thinking?
Consider this scenario:
America reduces/cuts aid to Israel due to a change of policy and sentiment in the Congress. (AIPAC is exposed as a spy organization, for example.) A couple of years go by. Israeli economy in a slump, recession, high inflation. A surprise attack on Israel, let's say for the sake of a scenario, from Syria, complete with some technological surprise (some decent precision weapons, new generation SAMS, C2 jamming capability, etc.) which IAF handles badly due to well coordinated fifth column work by Palestinian saboteurs, to include massive network attacks on the C2 structure. Golan Heights over run, command and control breaks down, IAF cannot establish air superiority, Israel looks to be defeated.
Tel Aviv starts lobbing nukes when they realize they are beaten. (Massada, anyone?)
Accidentaly or purposefully, one hits an American concentration in . . . Egypt, or Kuwait, or Iraq (assuming US is still messing about in there.)
What then?
(With sincerest apologies to Arlo Guthrie)
Good morning, America, how are you? * Don't you know me? I'm your megaton! While you gnash you teeth And moan about New Orleans There's Silver Bullet droppin' down a piece of the sun*
AE