U.S. military studying use of nuclear weapons, admits Rumsfeld

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=85153a465b1dc263

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted the U.S. military was studying the use of nuclear weapons to penetrate underground weapons stores, almost three years ago.

On the weekend respected investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, quoting U.S. intelligence and defense officials, disclosed plans by the Bush administration to wage an air attack on Iran, possibly including the use of nuclear weapons.

The White House, while not confirming or denying the claim, said it was pursuing diplomacy to resolve the Iran nuclear stand-off.

Given the spread of nuclear sites across Iran, and the underground location of many of them, Hersh said, military planners, given the goal of totally destroying the sites, had little choice but to consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons. "Every other option, in the view of the nuclear weaponeers, would leave a gap," a former senior intelligence official told Hersh. "'Decisive' is the key word of the Air Force's planning. Its a tough decision. But we made it in Japan."

Adding weight to the claim the administration is seriously considering the nuclear option is an exchange between a reporter, Rumsfeld, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard B. Myers, at a Pentagon press briefing on May 20 2003, a few weeks after the Iraq invasion.
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Best line

Well," responded the reporter, "why study something if you're not at least considering some..."

:nuke:

[saltpoint]

1. I can't decide if this is 1) one of those crafty & sinister power bluffs

to force a given context onto relations with a potential nuclear program in Iran or 2) if Rumsfeld and Myers are crazier than shithouse rats.

And Dick Lugar (R-Indiana, Chair of For. Relations Committee).

Where is he? Where is his voice? He knows better than this.

[lovuian]

3. Its not a bluff they are not sure they can penetrate the

bunkers and the ONLY thing that can is a low level nuclear bomb...
they are just studying it though...Riiiiiiiiiight!!!

[saltpoint]

4. Hi, lovuian. It's nice to bump into you on DU again, although I wish

it were on a subject we could discuss that didn't involve our president threatening to blow the piss out of Iran.

You put more key pieces of the issue up before us tonight. Thanks for that.

You hang in there.

[lovuian]

5. Hey Crusoe!!! I know doesn't it suck!!!

But glad to see ya... All I'm trying to do is just inform people... thats all we can do at this point
Thanks for the encouragement...


:loveya:
Glad to see my buddies...

[Karmakaze]

6. Not quite true...

In fact, they are POSITIVE they can't destroy the bunkers with anything but nuclear weapons. Even a small nuke (say less than 1 kiloton) will not destroy a bunker that is more than 80 feet deep.

They KNOW they will need to use nukes, hell that is why the facilities are in bunkers!

What they are testing now is whether they can do enough damage to the entrances to put the bunkers out of commission for at least some period of time.

[WindRavenX]

2. yesh.

:scared:

[UpInArms]

7. 9/20/01: Rumsfailed: What is Victory? Using Nukes!

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2001/t09202001_t920ruma.html

Now, what is victory? I say that victory is persuading the American people and the rest of the world that this is not a quick matter that's going to be over in a month or a year or even five years. It is something that we need to do so that we can continue to live in a world with powerful weapons and with people who are willing to use those powerful weapons. And we can do that as a country. And that would be a victory, in my view.

edited to put date in title of post - this freak has been working on using nukes for a long long time.

[corporatemedia]

8. "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when....." n/t