03-04-2003, 04:28 PM
Tactical nukes were what President Bush, the older, went to great lengths to get out of the inventory.
The media get it wrong as often as they get it right. Anything might want to do with a "smaller tactical nuke" can be better done with:
A BLU-15 or a large FAE, without any of the toxic fallout. FAE is a Fuel Air Explosive. It sends out an aerosol cloud and ignites it, after which a pretty big fire ball goes off and ceates some pretty interesting over pressure effects, particularly to folks in bunkers. The BLU-15 is a '15,000 tons of TNT bomb' deployed by a parachute and rolled off of a C-130, a purely conventional munition, whose explosive signature resembles that of a very small nuke. However, it 'just' goes boom, leaves a nice sized hole, and is absent the fallout effects of a nuke. Of course, you might want to ask any of the Iraqis who were around when a few of those went off in the Gulf War back in 1991, if they can still hear you.
And yes, the US is, IMO, the least likely to use a nuke for two reasons:
1. We have so many other ways to deal damage that does not require a nuke, and those weapons have cost billions to build. Why would we bother to do that if we could just nuke folks? The tactical battlefield nukes that were developed in the 1950's were eventually realized to be a mistake, one reason being that the chance for error and "first use" was deemed to be too great.
2. You Europeans amuse me, sometimes. :) You did not mind Bill Clinton throwing a random Tomahawk missile now and again, you did not seem to mind 16 nations bombing Serbia for 71 days, you did not mind our money and effort in Bosnia when Europe showed it could not handle its own security without our help. Nope, the Europeans begged for the strong neighbor to help, and now cry 'bully' when we are dealing with someone who is a threat to both Turkey, our ally, and Israel. Most amusing.
I guess anti Semitism is not dead, and I guess that you Europeans still think of the Turks as second class citizens of the World Order, and at best maybe second class citizens of the EU if they ever get into it.
Really amusing to hear the "US" sucks from such morally upstanding and non self absorbed Europeans. Marvelously humorous. :D
The media get it wrong as often as they get it right. Anything might want to do with a "smaller tactical nuke" can be better done with:
A BLU-15 or a large FAE, without any of the toxic fallout. FAE is a Fuel Air Explosive. It sends out an aerosol cloud and ignites it, after which a pretty big fire ball goes off and ceates some pretty interesting over pressure effects, particularly to folks in bunkers. The BLU-15 is a '15,000 tons of TNT bomb' deployed by a parachute and rolled off of a C-130, a purely conventional munition, whose explosive signature resembles that of a very small nuke. However, it 'just' goes boom, leaves a nice sized hole, and is absent the fallout effects of a nuke. Of course, you might want to ask any of the Iraqis who were around when a few of those went off in the Gulf War back in 1991, if they can still hear you.
And yes, the US is, IMO, the least likely to use a nuke for two reasons:
1. We have so many other ways to deal damage that does not require a nuke, and those weapons have cost billions to build. Why would we bother to do that if we could just nuke folks? The tactical battlefield nukes that were developed in the 1950's were eventually realized to be a mistake, one reason being that the chance for error and "first use" was deemed to be too great.
2. You Europeans amuse me, sometimes. :) You did not mind Bill Clinton throwing a random Tomahawk missile now and again, you did not seem to mind 16 nations bombing Serbia for 71 days, you did not mind our money and effort in Bosnia when Europe showed it could not handle its own security without our help. Nope, the Europeans begged for the strong neighbor to help, and now cry 'bully' when we are dealing with someone who is a threat to both Turkey, our ally, and Israel. Most amusing.
I guess anti Semitism is not dead, and I guess that you Europeans still think of the Turks as second class citizens of the World Order, and at best maybe second class citizens of the EU if they ever get into it.
Really amusing to hear the "US" sucks from such morally upstanding and non self absorbed Europeans. Marvelously humorous. :D
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete