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Dear Felicity and all, Naom Chomsky documents in Acts of Aggression, Policing Rogue States (1999) that a secret 1995 study of the US Strategic Command, which is responsible for the strategic nuclear arsenal. The study was released through the Freedom of Information Act, and called "Essentials of Post-Cold War Deterrence." I quote from Acts of Aggression, p. 28: The study advocates that the United States exploits its nuclear arsenal to portray itself as "irrational and vindictive if its vital interests are attacked [ and that ]should be a part of the national persona we project to all adversaries [particularly] the rogue states...it hurts to portray ourselves as too fully rational and cool headed...the fact that some elements [of the US government] may appear to be potentially 'out of control' can be beneficial to creating and reinforcing fears and doubts within the minds of an adversary's decisionmakers..." Chomsky goes on to comment that the concept was apparently devised in Israel in the 1950s by the governing Labor Party and was adopted by Nixon's madman theory, that our enemies should recognize that we are crazed and indestructible , with extraordinary destructive force at our command, as they will bend to our will in fear..." Surely the threat of nuclear weapons is a form of torture as these leaders say below to frighten us into submission? It would be good to get a legal opinion on this, Philippa Winkler >===== Original Message From farbuthnot <asceptic@freenetname.co.uk> ===== >thanks to Rick Rozoff again - best, f. > >http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=3481814 > >The Times Of India >March 12, 2002 > >Powell, Rice confirm plans to use nukes > > >PTI [ MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2002 7:40:10 PM ] > >ASHINGTON: The United States on Monday asserted that >using nuclear weapons was definitely an option before >the country after several rounds of squeakish >explanations failed to convince Washington's several >adversaries and key partners alike, of its designs. > >With countries still unable to recover from the shock >of the explosive secret paper leaked recently that >said the US had planned to make at least seven >countries target of a potential nuclear attack, >Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security >Advisor Condoleezza Rice have confirmed the plans. > >"Just as US officials made clear before the Persian >Gulf War in 1991, the President of the United States >and the American people had a full range of options >available to them. Obviously, the full range of >options goes from an M-16 rifle to a nuclear device," >Powell said. > >Rice also confirmed that the Bush administration was >examining a range of scenarios, including possible use >of nuclear weapons. She said the only way to deter the >use of weapons of mass destruction against the US and >its allies is "to be clear that it would be met with >devastating response." > >"The use of a weapon of mass destruction against >American military forces, American territory or >American friends and allies," she said, "would be a >horror. The responsibility of the President of the >United States is to make certain that that does not >happen." > >Libya reacted with shock over the reports, with its >minister for African Affairs Ali Abd Salam Turki >saying "I don't think this is true." > >"I don't think America is going to destroy the world," >Turki said. Russian reaction came at a non-official >level with Dmitri Rogozin, Chairman of the >International Affairs Committee of the lower House of >the Russian Parliament saying "they have brought out a >big stick -- a nuclear stick -- that is supposed to >scare us and put us in our place." > >Col Gen Leonid Ivashov, who was serving Kremlin till >recently said the US even after the end of Cold War >considered Moscow as a rival and wanted to weaken it. >"It is about time Russian politicians realised this >and stopped having illusions that Washington wishes >Moscow well." > >Vyacheslav Nikonov, president of the Political >Foundation, a prestigious think tank, said drawing up >contingency plans for a nuclear war with Moscow was an >unseemly gesture for a nation that says it is Russia's >friend. > >Iran, another target country, former president Hashemi >Rafsanjani accused the US of trying to frighten other >countries into submission. > >He told the official IRNA news agency "America thinks >that if a military threat looms large over the head of >these seven countries, they will give up their logical >demands." > >The Tehran Times said the report indicates that the US >Administration "is going to wreak havoc on the whole >world in order to establish its hegemony and >domination." > >Powell, who was formerly Chairman of the US Joint >Chiefs of Staff and had a prominent role in that >capacity during the Gulf War said, it is the job of >any national leader and military to have contingency >plans for all circumstances and hence the nuclear war >paper should not be treated as anything extraordinary. > >PTI > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! >http://mail.yahoo.com/ > > >_______________________________________________ >Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. >To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss >To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk >All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk