Observers Fault U.S. for Pursuing Mini-Nukes

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mininukes23dec23,1,2311336.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Research on a new generation of precision atomic weapons by the Bush administration threatens to undermine international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear arms and to tarnish recent successes, according to diplomats and nonproliferation experts.

The criticism focuses on the administration's decision to lay the groundwork for developing low-yield weapons -- known as mini-nukes -- while pursuing President Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive strikes against rogue states.

The diplomats and independent experts said Washington's strategy weakens support for more stringent controls at a time when the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty faces serious challenges from North Korea and Iran and amid widespread fears of terrorists acquiring atomic weapons. The U.S. strategy, critics said, may cause other countries to pursue nuclear arms.

"The U.S. follows a double standard that allows it to develop and threaten to use nuclear weapons while denying them to smaller countries," said Hussein Haniff, Malaysia's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. "We do not know whether the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty can survive with these U.S. policies."

[chasqui]

1. This is misleading

It is misleading to think that a 'mini nuke' will be responsible for proliferation BECAUSE of its quality of being 'mini'.
The US Army managed to send a Nuke downrange using a cannon, in the early 50's. If they could do it then, they could definitely do it nowadays, and so could Iran, Russia, Israel, India, Pakistan, etc, etc. Furthermore, the caliber of that cannon, 240 mm, would make it powerful enough to range 50 - 60 miles. That is about the distance between Seoul and the DMZ.
hmmmmmm.....

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

2. Atomic cannon

A nuke is a nuke is a nuke is a nuke. All it takes is for one nuclear weapon to be used during a battle and it opens the door for all nuclear weapons -- regardless of size -- to be used.

They can call them a "mini-nuke", "bunker-buster", "tactical nuclear weapon" -- they're all euphemisms for the real weapon of mass destruction. Bush's* madness has got to be stopped!

[PATRICK]

3. Alternative to the draft

Justification and acceptance when WE or some ally gets hit hard by terrorists we neglected sort of. Russia is putting in a new generation of nukes. Madness. Bush has planned for atomic strategies and a privatized downsized army well before 911. The road map to "peace" has a radioactive aura to it.

I think caught up in the Bush juggernaut to the Dark World we forget all the strategies and pieces of the vision which in fact have a detemrinstic wholeness and relentless progress from which horrible details or inevitabvle jolts that fit into the plan- distract us.

The whole is much worse than the sum of its parts. It is not stopping. All horrors are linked. All villains and weak-minded accomplices work to the same ends whether they admit it to anyone- even themselves. The real madness is blind acceptance that we cannot stop these crazed profiteers and fanatics until circumstances make us hand over more power to the same problem people.

If people don't reject this changeable destiny we will have nuclear detonations, more degradation, loss and shock. The usual suspects will not lose a drop of blood or a nickel. For this opportunity alone is Bushco well prepared.

[Bridget Burke]

4. Seven minutes to midnight: watch the Clock

That's the one kept by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The last move (up) was in February 2002.

www.thebulletin.org/media/current.html

Check out their website for links to several stories we'd rather not think about.

[GRClarkesq]

5. Keep digging Kim Jong-il

Better make your bunker a little deeper.