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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: rich4eagle who wrote (236864)	3/12/2002 3:08:57 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 769667

U.S. plan to use nuclear arms 'shocks' rivals Leaked defence report: Iran compares U.S. 'logic of force' to logic of terrorists The Associated Press, with files from Reuters and Agence France-Presse LONDON - A new study by the United States military on the use of nuclear weapons drew an angry response yesterday from its former Cold War rivals, while even its allies reacted cautiously. Russia demanded an official explanation and China said it was "deeply shocked" by a report leaked to the news media that outlined the possible use of nuclear weapons against countries that possess or are developing weapons of mass destruction. The classified U.S. Defence Department report, a "nuclear posture review," revealed the military had been asked to draft plans to use nuclear weapons against seven countries: China, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Syria. The report detailed three scenarios in which the weapons might be used: against targets able to withstand non-nuclear attacks; in retaliation for an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons; and "in the event of surprising military developments." The report said one of the new contingencies in which U.S. nuclear weapons might be used was a military confrontation between China and Taiwan. That led China's Foreign Ministry to yesterday demand the United States explain the report, and spokesman Sun Yuxi told the official Xinhua news agency that "China, like other countries, is deeply shocked" to be in the group of nations targeted. "The U.S. side bears the responsibility to make an explanation on this matter," he said. Mr. Sun said China and the United States have agreed not to target each other with nuclear weapons. "Countries with nuclear weapons should undertake unconditionally not to be the first to use them, and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear state or nuclear-weapon-free regions," he said. Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said any plan to use nuclear weapons "can cause only regret and concern." "And not only Russia's concern, but the concern of the entire international community," he said. "Such plans can only destabilize and exacerbate the situation." Iran -- one of the three nations George W. Bush, the U.S. President, recently called an "axis of evil" -- compared the United States to terrorists. "The era of using force to push forward international relations is long past, and those who resort to the logic of force follow exactly the same logic as terrorists, although they are in the position of power," said the official Islamic Republic News Agency. Geoffrey Forden, an analyst for Jane's Intelligence Review, said in a recent article that one suggested use for smaller tactical nuclear weapons -- against deeply buried bunkers -- does not make much military sense. He concluded that smaller nuclear bombs would not be that effective against the deepest targets. "Even a 10 [kiloton] nuclear weapon cannot destroy or even damage the equipment in an underground facility buried 300 metres in granite," he concluded. Mr. Forden also noted that smaller bombs still produce above-ground radioactive fallout that would "threaten the health and safety of the populations far from the target." Dick Cheney, the U.S. Vice-President, yesterday insisted that Washington was not pointing its nuclear weapons at anyone -- at least not "on a day-to-day basis." "The notion that I've seen reported in the press that somehow this means we are preparing pre-emptive nuclear strikes against seven countries, the way it was reported, I would say that's a bit over the top." Japan, the only country to ever be bombed with nuclear weapons, said it opposes the use of weapons of mass destruction but was otherwise tight-lipped about the study. "We are not in a position to say anything about it because the document is classified," said one Foreign Ministry official, who asked not to be identified. Canada urged the U.S. to exercise extreme caution before even considering the nuclear option. "One starts talking about using them for offensive purposes, and we're going down a very dangerous slippery slope" said Bill Graham, the Foreign Affairs Minister. Mr. Graham added that Washington was "a long way from going down that slope," and said he had not sought clarification from Mr. Cheney about U.S. nuclear plans. Other American allies were similarly reserved. Antje Leendertse, a German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said the U.S. had not told Germany about the report, but said Berlin was satisfied with the Bush administration's insistence that it does not plan to use nuclear weapons against any country.