'All bets are off' if US under WMD attack: Clinton

[Guest guest]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100411/usa/us_nuclear_iran_nkorea_weapons

'All bets are off' if US under WMD attack: Clinton

Sun Apr 11, 12:46 PM

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday the United

States could not rule out using nuclear weapons if it came under biological

attack, saying in that case " all bets are off. "

Both Clinton and Defense Secretary Gates said in joint television

interviews that Iran and North Korea represented exceptions to the limits on a

US nuclear response, as both have defied UN resolutions on their atomic

programs.

" We leave ourselves a lot of room for contingencies, " Clinton said.

" If we can prove that a biological attack originated in a country that attacked

us, then all bets are off, " Clinton said in an interview with CBS's " Face the

Nation. "

Clinton was referring to a new US nuclear policy unveiled last week that

restricts the use of atomic weapons against non-nuclear states that comply with

the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Asked why Iran and North Korea were considered exceptions, Gates said: " Well,

because they're not in compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. So

for them, all bets are off. All the options are on table. "

Clinton and Gates said a new arms control deal with Russia and the revised

nuclear policy would bolster President Barack Obama's diplomatic leverage as he

seeks to isolate Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs.

Both cabinet officers rejected criticism from some Republicans in Congress that

Obama's approach had sent a signal of weakness, and that cuts to the nuclear

arms stockpile undermined US " deterrence. "

" We have still a very powerful nuclear arsenal, " Gates told NBC's " Meet the

Press. "

Obama's nuclear policy " sets forth a process by which we will be able to

modernize our nuclear stockpile to make it more reliable: safer and more secure

and effective. " he said.

Apart from nuclear weapons, the US military was building up missile defense

systems and investing in long-range missiles armed with conventional warheads --

known as " prompt global strike, " Gates said.

" We have in addition to the nuclear deterrent today, a couple of things we

didn't have in the Soviet days, " he said.

[Guest guest]

But that directly contradictions Obama's new policy.

I did find it interesting that mere days after the new policy was announced that it was revealed that terrorists groups are increasing their efforts to get nukes, etc. The new policy states that a nation that hosts a terrorist group while it acquires, develops or uses WMD will not be targeted. In other words, the new policy encourages an attack because host nations don't have to worry about retaliation.

I've always favored the old way: Strike us and die. Be that direct nuclear strike, EMP, bioweapon, etc. IfIran new for a certainty that if it nuked Israel or Europe that it would be reduced, stem to stern, to a utter ruin in an instant, they wouldn't be nearly so rambunctious. Its a hard thing to say, but such a policy is the only thing that has thus far prevented WWIII. Humanity, on average, has had a major war every 20 to 30 years, about every generation. This might not necessarily be a global war, but major regional wars. You can see this even back to Biblical days, particularly in nations outside of Israel.

That means we are really 60 years past due for a big one and we'll probably get it if the US stops keeping a lid on it. Of course, we really can't afford to do so much longer. Many nations, like most European nations, are going to be in for a world of hurt if we go down because they have no effective militaries, England aside, and restive immigrant populations. If the Eurozone goes belly up soon, which there is a good chance it will, I wouldn't want to be in Europe. Then again, it won't be a picknick over here either.

In a message dated 4/12/2010 1:27:44 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday the United States could not rule out using nuclear weapons if it came under biological attack, saying in that case "all bets are off."