I Believe It Is Peace For Our Time

Obama unilaterally eliminates some strategic ambiguity about when the US might use nuclear weapons, announces that we will respond with underwhelming force if attacked by biological or chemical weapons, and tells the world that he wants some sanctions against Iran but doesn't expect them to work.  All in all, it was a great day foe the unilateral surrender crowd.

The only redeeming news - Obama must have given this interview on April Fool's Day, because officials admit he doesn't really mean all of it:

White House officials said the new strategy would include the option of reconsidering the use of nuclear retaliation against a biological attack, if the development of such weapons reached a level that made the United States vulnerable to a devastating strike.

Would a chemical or biological attack on one city really be be devastating?  

Let's have a To be fair moment - our conventional power, especially our ability to accurately deliver conventional munitions by way of cruise missiles and smart bombs, has gone way up since the 1950's, or even the 1980's.

Still, chemical and biological weapons are already easier to make than nuclear devices.  Obama's new policy makes their use a bit less dangerous, as well.  And shouldn't we presume that our allies living under the American nuclear umbrella are now protected by the same rules?  Under the old rules, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons were all "Weapons of Mass Destruction"; the US didn't have chemical or biological weapons, so our threatened response to an WMD usage was to go nuclear.  Under this new strategy, my understanding is that a biological attack on Dusseldorf would draw the same response as as a biological attack on Pittsburgh, namely, escalated aggravation:

Those threats, Mr. Obama argued, could be deterred with “a series of graded options,” a combination of old and new conventional weapons. “I’m going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure,” he said in the interview in the Oval Office.

That's just great.  Let's segue to Iran, where Obama threatens to hold his breath but then exhale before turning blue:

Mr. Obama said he wanted a new United Nations sanctions resolution against Iran “that has bite,” but he would not embrace the phrase “crippling sanctions” once used by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. And he acknowledged the limitations of United Nations action. “We’re not naïve that any single set of sanctions automatically is going to change Iranian behavior,” he said, adding “there’s no light switch in this process.”

No light switch in this process?  I am not so sure there are any bright lights, either.  (Doc Drezner is less worried.)

HAZY:  I am unclear as to how radiological dispersal devices, known to '24' viewers like me as "dirty bombs", are are treated under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty or Obama's new strategy.  As of 2003, the NPT was not helpful:

While the NPT has the potential to contribute to the control of radiological weapons, it does not supply an effective legal framework to combat radiological attacks because it lacks specific provisions for radiological weapons. 

Fine - we can treat a dirty bomb in the same way as a chemical or biological attack.  That will fly in the court of public opinion.

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I believe I'll have a drink.

Maybe several drinks.

[Terry]

the US didn't have chemical or biological weapons

Not to be a pedant, but we did have chemical weapons. We are spending millions of dollars destroying them now in places such as Tooele, Utah;Umatilla, Kentucky; and Anniston, Alabama.

Our doctrine precluded the use of them because the military believed that they were ineffective and unreliable, something that cannot be said about nukes.

[MarkO]

Let's give the left overs to Iran. That will cover two issues.

Are there no responsible Democrats?

[Ranger]

Our doctrine precluded the use of them because the military believed that they were ineffective and unreliable, something that cannot be said about nukes.

Posted by: Terry | April 06, 2010 at 11:37 AM

Actually, I think it would be more accurate to say that our doctrine precluded first use of them because the Soviets had so much more and better chem weapons than we did. We did also reserve the right to respond with tactical nukes if the Soviets used chem weapons, in an effort to deter the Soviets from using their massive chem stockpile on us from day one of a war in Europe.

[Amphipolis]

The likelihood of our troops being engaged overseas has just dramatically increased, although we have spent the borrowing margin we would have used for a prolonged deployment.

[hit and run]

(repeat from last thread alert)

So,when Obama busies himself revamping America's nuclear strategy, he calls it the "Nuclear Posture Review".

Posture indeed.

He was getting tired of going about his Posture Review one world leader at a time -- so he just decided to bow to the whole world at once.

[Rob Crawford]

Over at AoS, Gabe points out that Bammers didn't get a briefing on the US plans for responding to a nuclear attack until months after he took office:

According to a knowledgeable source who would not be identified discussing sensitive national-security matters, President Obama wasn't briefed on the U.S. nuclear-strike plan against Russia and China until some months after he had taken office. "He thought it was insane," says the source. (The reason for the delay is unclear; the White House did not respond to repeated inquiries.)

ISTR that presidential CANDIDATES get national security briefings. Does this mean he not only waited until months after taking office, but months and months after the briefing was offered to him?

[Danube of Thought]

I shudder to think what this guy and his party are going to do to this country between now and when this congress adjourns for the last time.

[Strawman Cometh]

Have another drink

[Ranger]

The real issue here is that it lets any country thinking about hosting an al Qaeda cell working on a chem or bio attack that all they will face in response are a few symbolic conventional bombs. Up to now, any government that let such an attack originate from their soil had to consider that the response might be a nuke on their capital. Not any more.

[Moldabatementdywalreplacement]

Nukes and war are bad. We don't spend enough on foreigners.

We need to do in the US what we already do overseas like IT health things. Build big offices in Ethiopia for the people we're going to pay and keep paid to help the poor foreigners like we should in the US, but evil Repubs won't let us. Those nice dems like O know what's best for us, but we're all evil.

Of course, we have national service orgs we finance to put people to work doing this type of stuff for no money, except the wonderful staff that gets a fortune.

http://www.reobama.com/remarks-by-the-president-at-the-americas-promise-alliance-education-event/

LUF

[Danube of Thought]

Wow. What the hell was that at 12:06?

[Mike Huggins]

I gather Rod Serling won't be waking us up any time soon from this "dream."

12:06 - "WhatEVer."

[Jane]

Wow. What the hell was that at 12:06?

They all sound alike. They talk about something obscure and always use the wrong pronouns and say it in a way that would make you think they lifted the remarks from an ongoing conversation. Sometime I think all the weirdness comes from the same person.

[Ranger]

BTW, for those interested in November, some Michael Barone:

http://www.american.com/archive/2010/april/what-1946-can-tell-us-about-2010>What 1946 Can Tell Us About 2010

[Ignatz]

--HAZY: I am unclear as to how radiological dispersal devices, known to '24' viewers like me as "dirty bombs", are are treated under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty or Obama's new strategy.--

Or an EMP attack. It is a nuclear weapon but it does not directly impact the target with either blast effects or ionizing radiation and doesn't directly kill many or even any people.

[Danube of Thought]

Way OT, but take a look at this video, which is getting a lot of ink. Reuters and Wikileaks characterize it as "murder," but it looks to me like a good clean kill of terrorists re-assembling after a firefight (which gets no mention, but which had taken place moments before the video begins). It takes place in what was the most dangerous area of Baghdad in 2007. Not the total absence of any women, children or old men in the streets.

Reporters who elect to embed with terrorists do so at their own risk.

[Porchlight]

Sometime I think all the weirdness comes from the same person.

I like to think it's an operative talking to associates in code.

[Dave (in MA)]

DoT, the 'bats probably think the Apache gunner s should have been able to shoot the RPG launchers out of the terrorists' hands like in a 50s TV western.

[Clarice]

Notice the empty streets in that video,DoT--maybe it was siesta time or just maybe there had been firefights just before the video begins.Anyway, since we have a Dem president, it's getting very little traction.

Do you suppose the Obama doctrine increases or decreases the likelihood of false flag operations, much as I believe the 9/11 and subsequent anthrax attacks were?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

We have a bunch of Rogers on this today: Roger Simon and Roger Kimball.

Not to link spam or anything.

[Dave (in MA)]

@12:06:

LUF

LUF? LOL.

[Dave (in MA)]

Clarice, plus two loudmouthed enemies of the US military are no longer with us, Murtha and Kennedy.

[glasater]

Bill Roggio over at Weekly Standard has a pretty reasonable response to the Wikileaks kerfuffle.

[drjohn]

Would a chemical or biological attack on one city really be be devastating?

It depends on your definition of the word "devastating."

And that's frightening.

[Clarice]

If it's the city you live in it would certainly be "devastating".

[Barbara Lee]

15 . Global HEALTH Act of 2010 (Introduced in House)[H.R.4933.IH]

to provide technical and direct financial assistance to entities described in subsection (c) to support the recruitment, training, retention, effectiveness, and equitable distribution within each country of skilled indigenous health workers as part of the health systems of developing countries in order to achieve a combined total of at least 2.3 doctors, nurses, and trained midwives per 1,000 residents, and comparable numbers of other health workers, such as paraprofessionals, community health workers, managers, and administrative and support staff.

They already build their offices with PEPFAR

Link went bad.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Would a chemical or biological attack on one city really be be devastating?

Depends. How do you feel about horrible agonizing protracted death?

[Jane]

Clarice,

How is the weather in DC?

[jean]

Why aren't the reporters families angry at Reuters? They sent unarmed men out with a group going up against the U.S. military.How dumb can Reuters be?Don't they have some responsibility to their reporters

[Clarice]

It's gorgeous, Jane, About 80 and sunny. C

[Bae]

O is canceling Karzai's visit, see he made him mad, called him a coward. Now Indonesia has pulled his trip and threw out his statue.

We supposedly built bio shield or maybe the dems canceled that one. Something genetic so Americans can't reproduce........

[fdcol63]

I'd be very careful about following LUNs like at 12:06.

[Jane]

I'll be there in a week Clarice. I hope it stays that way.

[Jack is Back!]

Where the hell is Sam Nunn now that we need him?

This guy is getting more and more dangerous each and every day. I wonder who is pulling the levers, pulling the strings? Whose knee is he sitting on?

No one person can be this destructive and not get called big time on it. Where the hell are the so called moderate Democrats? Where is the Maverick and his sidekick Robin (Lindsey Graham)? Where is the outrage and the declaration of war on Obama and his ilk that now want to really put us in mortal danger and jeopardy?

[Old Lurker]

"Where the hell are the so called moderate Democrats?"

= Null Set, evidently

[narciso the harpoon]

We've seen there's very few real moderate democrats, when it comes down to it, maybe most of the 40 that didn't vote for the health care bill, Webb certainly can't be counted on, in the clutch as it were. Nunn, when last I recall him, was briefing Couric
on what questions to ask Sarah, he does have
this other nuclear nonproliferation gig, but
he can't be bothered with triviality like that

[fdcol63]

We no longer have an objective and "free" press.

The MSM are nothing but the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party, willing participants in a conscious effort to subvert the truth, obfuscate and distort information, destroy reputations and people with innuendoes and fabrications, and malign those who disagree with their goals and ideology by branding them as racists, hate-mongers, right-wing nut jobs, homophobes, ad nauseum.

The Fourth Estate is nothing more than a Fifth Column.

[Cecil Turner]

The funniest part about this is the guy who so gleefully unveiled the reset button is promulgating a policy guaranteed not to outlast his administration.

What that does to our allies' view of our resoluteness isn't pretty . . . but then nothing about this new "smart diplomacy" is.

[Frau Fakelzug]

Both Obama and Kerry never grew out of their pasts, Obama with his(?) senior thesis on nuclear disarmament and Kerry with his father's ideas about American exceptionalism.

Richard Kerry's book was the distillation of his view of America:
"Americans," he (R.Kerry) writes, "are inclined to see the world and foreign affairs in black and white." They celebrate their own form of government and denigrate all others, making them guilty of what he calls "ethnocentric accommodation -- everyone ought to be like us." As a result, America has committed the "fatal error" of "propagating democracy" and fallen prey to "the siren's song of promoting human rights," falsely assuming that our values and institutions are a good fit in the Third World. And, just as Americans exaggerate their own goodness, they exaggerate their enemies' badness. The Soviet Union wasn't nearly as imperialistic as American politicians warned, Kerry argues. "Seeing the Soviet Union as the aggressor in every instance, and the U.S. as only reacting defensively, relieves an American observer from the need to see any parallel between our use of military power in distant parts of the world, and the Soviet use of military power outside the Soviet Union," he writes. He further claims that "Third world Marxist movements were autonomous national movements" -- outside Moscow's orbit. The book (the Star Spangled Mirror) culminates in a plea for a hardheaded, realist foreign policy that removes any pretense of U.S. moral superiority.
We were spared Kerry but the torch was passed. LUN

[daveinboca]

Frau, Kerry and Obama look like ultra-realists on Iran, and the "nuclear posture" assumes a kowtow unless attacked by nukes.

When BHO says "graded response," I think D- is what I'd give him.

[511]

The Indonesian special envoy says it's cause Obama does all those drugs he writes about; why he acts so strangely and gives all our money away to foreigners.

The link was repaired in the second post.

[Clarice]

Just as Dodd's father was crook before he was, Kerry's was an anti-American leftist who married a rich woman.

[Neo]

Under this new strategy, my understanding is that a biological attack on Dusseldorf would draw the same response as as a biological attack on Pittsburgh, namely, escalated aggravation

So save up your boxtops and mail by midnight tonight.

[don]

I feel so much better now. Especially since even 9mm Browning hand guns, the favorite of gang bangers, are counted as a weapon of mass destruction in some states, and so using the WMD in a drive by gets those gang bangers an enhancement of extra prison time. Yup. That sure has worked out to reduce gang banging. I'm sure once the democrats quit taking prisoners of war and transfer Gitmo POWs to the states, that should reduce the terrorist recruitment incentive too.

[Pagar]

"We no longer have an objective and "free" press."
Meanwhile look what is going on in our Schools.

"If you ever thought that the word "indoctrination" is overused by conservatives as it relates to the education of our children, check out the following document given out by a teacher in Texas to her high school government class. She distributed this without parental consent, and did not allow her students to take the paper home. I think you can see why.Notice first how the "angel" is beside "Liberals," and the "devil" is beside conservative".

Once the leftist teachers get done with your kids, you can forget about a free press or having any conservatives in America.

[narciso the harpoon]

Glenn Beck did a good wrap up of most of these influences today, even getting up to Jim Wallis, our 'good friend' and new spiritual advisor of the president, none of that matters to John McWhorter, who I used
to think was sensible around two years ago

[7.8]

God, O, is angry and has smited the Indonesians and soon he will wash them all into the sea. Re issue the invitation!

[Frau Fakelzug]

Ignore: 6:43 is a code abusing Fibonacci numbers.

[Danube of Thought]

Very nice to hear the indispensable Krauthammer eviscerate this new policy in the bluntest of terms.

[narciso the harpoon]

Mort is as usual as useful as a cucumber sandwhich,

[Old Lurker]

"Very nice to hear the indispensable Krauthammer eviscerate this new policy in the bluntest of terms."

...seeing it exactly as do I, but without the four letter words. He zeroed right in on the impact on those friends who had heretofore counted on our umbrella. As someone replied to me last night, those folks will now have to negotiate new deals with new players.

Rush observed today that this is yet another indication that they are balls to the wall on all changes possible before November. Full court press time.

[Jane says obamasucks]

WHo is Richard Kerry?

[Old Lurker]

Perfect description of that marshmellow, Narciso.

[Pagar]

"Who is Richard Kerry?"

"A 5-part series exposing John Kerry’s Communist connections."

"Part1: John Kerry’s Red Roots: Richard Kerry’s Left-Wing Legacy"

"Introduction"

"Previous articles have drawn attention to the liberal foreign policy orientation of John Kerry’s father Richard Kerry."

[centralcal]

I was a strong and vocal supporter for Michael Steele to be head of the RNC. In recent months I griped here about being utterly disappointed in him.

Now, I am so far beyond "disappointed" that I don't know what else to say, but that he has to go. Everything RNC is now about Michael Steele and whatever the latest controversy about him is.

He turned out to be really, really lousy at his job and becomes a real jerk when anyone points it out.

[Danube of Thought]

He's a moron, CCal. The only issue now is whether it helps or hurts to dump him seven months before the election. My guess is it would help, but I've already written off the RNC as far as my money goes. Why should I dump it into a pot that Tom Coburn will share?

[Melinda Romanoff]

c-cal & DoT-

Ace makes some very valid points about the sustained leak campaign by some weak-kneed Senators against Steele.

The man probably doesn't need any help in shooting his own toes off, but do you have to man the spotlight for the spectacle? The Senate "club" water must really infuse some members with a sense of infallibility.

Reel men of jeeenius, my a$$.

[Janet]

I hate reading that Mel. The media is the enemy....more so than the Democrat Party. Why can't the Republicans see it? Every time they trust, believe, or try to use the media they get burned. That is why I couldn't stand McCain...he was such a media-pleaser.

[Extraneus]

It's difficult for teachers to indoctrinate kids who think that Dems are dorks. Between South Park's treatment of Algore/ManBearPig, the comparison of Obama's and Bush's baseball pitches, and some timely parental instruction as to the correct pronunciation of Schmuck Schumer's name, they seem to get the idea. Alinsky rules.

[glasater]

Don't understand why Steele would bother an R senator. They have their own PAC and ISTM generally don't have that much interaction with the RNC.

It would be the national committee men and women who would technically fire the chairman as I recall.

[Frau Fackelzug]

You may think M. Steele is a maroon, but he is our maroon. He should just keep quiet. it was pointed out this afternoon on Hewitt's show that positive things have happened during his tenure, not because of him maybe, but still good progress for the Rep. party.

[narciso the harpoon]

Look Steele, is the face of the problem, but he's not the only one who approved all these
expenditures, maybe the recently resigned chief of staff, McKay is part of the deal,
but clearly he has become an impediment

[centralcal]

DoT at 8:15 pm - WORD!

[Clarice]

The NYT is pushing to oust him. If they succeed their next tack will be he was pushed out because he's black.

[narciso the harpoon]

Now what has happened is that certain party factions, like the ones that led that DC reporter to an entry of pg 1781, do have it in for him, and they are cooperating with the
Times in this manner. It's not unlike Berman,
Schmidt, and Wallace, feeding the wardrobe
story to the ravenous press. Or more closer
to home, leaking Rubio's credit card records,
which is a crossing the Rubicon moment as it
bare the way the party, drained funds faster
than the crew at Twilight

[Melinda Romanoff]

I bet the NYT is following a strategy not laid out by the editorial/publishing wing of the paper, but perhaps by e-mails from a location near you. They hope to co-opt the damage being done and play the race card in a trump.

Blackwell, if up to the task, would blow that up in their faces. Ken Gladney wouldn't be a bad choice either.

[narciso the harpoon]

Olbermann, still taped his head back together from when he blamed Blackwell for 'stealing
Ohio" regime talk indeed. He carried the burden of the meltdown of the Ohio GOP back in 2006

[sbw]

I think we should replace Steele with a practiced administrator, willing to stump for even unpopular Republicans in our big GOP tent, someone who can communicate with a new generation over the Internet, someone forged strong by the heat of public battle, someone who would be a bright, shining, light who could speak clearly to the important issues of the day...

[centralcal]

ugh, Clarice. My mind tells me you are right, as usual. But, dang it - I think Melinda has a point as well.

I feel like an Obama voter (which you all know I am not), what to do, what to do - and not be branded "raaaaaaacisssst!"

Have company coming. Will see you in the morning.

[glasater]

Blackwell--bless his heart--sent letters to me asking for help to become head of the RNC.
I'd been out of that loop for years so he must have gotten into some back/older files.
Wish I had done though....

[mrharban]

Talk about unintended consequences. Our recent forays into Iraq and Afghanistan highlight, if nothing else, the finite nature of our ability to respond to threats with conventional forces. We can hardly employ our conventional forces against primitive (i.e. asymmetrical) enemies ensconced in places not much larger than California.

So we are telling our enemies that if they launch (or harbor the launch of) an extreme biological attack that we will counter (at worst) with a conventional response -- bombs and boots. Consider the continuing insult of possibly losing thousands of American civilians in a bio attack and then committing the country to yet another protracted war of attrition against an asymmetrical enemy.

Liberals are crying that the wars that we are now fighting are literally bleeding us to death. And our deterrent position to the cyber and bio punks of the world is the demonstrably discredited position that we will commit more troops and treasure in a far away place. The best deterrent for nations who would harbor bioterrorists is the absolute certainty that we will ruthlessly dispatch them in the event of a major attack of any kind against us.

While it is unlikely to happen, it would be amusing to see Iran simply come into compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation protocols and simply wage a bio war on us. How many Americans want to wage yet another boots and bombs campaign for decades in a punk country on the other side of the globe. It is demonstrable that our memory of terrorist outrages will fade in time and our will to worry will disappear.

[Pagar]

IMO, the RNC could make a lot of use of Lloyd Marcus, I don't know if he would be the right person for the Chair. But he is definitely committed to our side.

"I traveled on the Tea Party Express tour bus as a singer/songwriter, entertainer and spokesperson; 16 states, 34 rallies in two weeks. I experienced vicious racial verbal attacks, not from the tea party protesters. The racial hate expressed against me all came from the left, people who support President Obama's radial socialist agenda."

[Melinda Romanoff]

mrharban-

I humbly disagree.

My heritage is known as Scots-Irish on this continent. You might have met one or two of us.

We do not forget. Get that through your head first.

You'll know what to do next.

[sub]

This clown is without a doubt the worst US president in 100 years. His foreign policy is like a failed doctrine from the 1920s, his economics based on failed policy of the 1930s. Worse, he is delusional and mind-boggling arrogant. Only the democrats could put someone so void of temerity and sense into the most powerful job in the land. The average american voter is an idiot.

[Jane]

So - anyone see Porch lately?

Steele lost me forever when he played the race card. And I liked him going in.

[narciso the harpoon]

Beck went into in about 40 minutes, what Remnick wasn't able to find in his Tolstoy
length puff piece, the family background
of Stanley Ann and company, Frank Davis, the
little red schoolhouse

[Janet]

Well sub, I don't think I would say the average American voter is an idiot. I think way too many Americans still believe what the MSM tells them. Now that might be stupid of them. Heck, if I wasn't a news junkie, and I just voted on the fluff the MSM puts out, I probably would have voted for the cool guy over the geezer too. I voted for the geezer, even though I didn't like him too much, because I focused on the candidates ideology and beliefs. It didn't matter how they were "packaged".
IMO Obama won with a mix of propaganda from the media, the "American Idol" vote, and racism (just voted for him because he is black).

[narciso the harpoon]

Slowly but surely, reality almost dawns on them, I say almost, in the LUN

[narciso the harpoon]

And here's an interesting comment on the NY Times mashup of the Weathermen and the Tea Partiers

[Janet]

Good links narciso...I feel such a sadness for our country. It is all backwards and up-side-down.

[Elliott]

Posting to get the thread into the recent comments box

[Elliott]

Nae wind, nae rain, nae gowf.