Posthuman Blues

Sorry -- more fear-mongering . . .

Pre-Emptive Nuclear Strikes Against WMD Considered as CIA Says Al-Qa'ida Has Them

I especially like the following paragraphs:

"This new doctrine offers field commanders more latitude to use nuclear weapons than before, and changes the commitment the US made 10 years ago not to use nuclear weapons against countries that do not possess them. Now, the nuclear option is open against countries or entities that possess or use any form of weapon of mass destruction.

"It offers no explanation of how the US would know if a given target actually possesses such weapons. However, it is likely that a nuclear strike would erase any evidence of the presence of WMDs in the strike area, making it unnecessary afterward to offer proof that they were actually present."