Board-Ansicht
Mix-Ansicht- Pentagon said to eye nuclear attack against terrorists - rodex, 22.09.2001, 15:42
Pentagon said to eye nuclear attack against terrorists
Pentagon said to eye nuclear attack against terrorists
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The Defense Department has recommended to President
George W. Bush the use of tactical nuclear weapons as a military
option to retaliate for last week's terrorist attacks in the United
States, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
It is unknown whether Bush has made any decision. Military analysts
said the president is unlikely to opt for the use of nuclear weapons
because doing so would generate a backlash from the international
community and could even trigger revenge from the enemy involving
weapons of mass destruction.
However, the Pentagon's suggestion shows the determination of U.S.
officials to retaliate for the first massive terrorist attacks on the
U.S. mainland, the analysts said.
The recommendation appears intended to deter terrorists, they said.
On ABC television's"This Week" program Sunday, Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld refused to rule out the use of tactical nuclear
weapons. Rumsfeld, who is notoriously tight-lipped with the press,
avoided answering a question on whether their use could be ruled out.
To a similar question, a Pentagon official also replied,"We will not
discuss operational and intelligence matters."
The diplomatic sources said the Pentagon recommended using tactical
nuclear weapons shortly after it became known that the terrorist
attacks caused an unprecedented number of civilian casualties.
On Sept. 11, hijackers seized four commercial U.S. aircraft. Two of
the planes slammed into the twin towers of New York's World Trade
Center, while a third hit the Pentagon near Washington. The fourth
plane crashed outside Pittsburgh. More than 5,000 people were left
dead or missing in the attacks.
Tactical nuclear weapons have been developed to attack very specific
targets. The military analysts said Pentagon officials are apparently
thinking of using weapons that can reach and destroy terrorists hiding
in an underground shelter, limiting damage to surrounding areas.
In 1986, the U.S. conducted an air raid on Libya, attempting to target
Col. Moammar Gadhafi. In 1998, Washington fired a cruise missile into
Afghanistan in an attempt to kill Osama bin Laden.
Analysts said that since these attempts failed, U.S. officials may be
mulling the use of tactical nuclear weapons, which can cause much
greater destruction than conventional weapons.
The U.S. has indicated that it does not rule out the use of nuclear
weapons if a country attacks the U.S., its allies, or its forces with
chemical or biological weapons.
The Japan Times: Sept. 20, 2001
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20010920a6.htm
<ul> ~ The Japan Times</ul>
<center>
<HR>
</center>
Thread gesperrtgesamter Thread:
