Reply #6: No they just have a very effective conventional military.

[Statistical]

They have had nuclear weapons for 50 or so years and "restrained" themselves in various conflicts so far. They can be very destructive and brutal without resorting to a nuclear weapons. For example they have a substantial number of US made MLRS artillery (multiple launch rocket system). MLRS can saturate a square kilometer with antipersonel bomblets. That combined with stand off weapons like JDAMS gives them the ability to cause a massive amount of conventional damage.

I am not relying on their "mercy" in my opinion. I just think they are smart enough to know that a nuclear release is not good for their own self interest. From a purely selfish standpoint they won't use nuclear weapons.