Chirac threatens with nukes
If a state sponsors a terrorist WMD attack on France, France could respond with nuclear weapons, Jacques Chirac warned Thursday.
This is simply applying proportionate response theory to WMD, is it not? Is it any different from Reagan bombing Libya?
Of course, the civilian casualties are multiplied by 100-fold or more, but in principle it's the same. And Chirac's proposal might sound nutty to those of us who came of age in the era of smart bombs and UAVs, but he grew up in the ashes of total war.
When one considers warfare as state vs. state, avoiding civilian casualties is not much of a priority. And many argue that that is the most realistic way to analyze international relations; Iran might be discouraged from supplying Hezbollah with WMD if the state - as a state - will be punished severely for doing so.
Then again, I do think we can assume nuclear weapons are an absolute last resort. No one wants to see total war again, or the use of nuclear weapons in any capacity. But situations like this remind us they're still around - and states still may use them one day.
This is simply applying proportionate response theory to WMD, is it not? Is it any different from Reagan bombing Libya?
Of course, the civilian casualties are multiplied by 100-fold or more, but in principle it's the same. And Chirac's proposal might sound nutty to those of us who came of age in the era of smart bombs and UAVs, but he grew up in the ashes of total war.
When one considers warfare as state vs. state, avoiding civilian casualties is not much of a priority. And many argue that that is the most realistic way to analyze international relations; Iran might be discouraged from supplying Hezbollah with WMD if the state - as a state - will be punished severely for doing so.
Then again, I do think we can assume nuclear weapons are an absolute last resort. No one wants to see total war again, or the use of nuclear weapons in any capacity. But situations like this remind us they're still around - and states still may use them one day.
posted by bp at
7:38 AM
6 Comments:
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t'su, at 1:48 PM
(deleted last comment - wasn't clear)
Huh. I figured the french would retaliate with sneers and explosive baguettes.
As to total war, I wonder if nukes are a last resort to fundamental states such as Iran? The aspect to fundamentalist muslim states that disturbs me the most is their disregard for the corporeal - inherent in their belief that a better life awaits after death, and that upon death God will punish the infidels and reward the faithful.
I recall a Syrian friend from my undergrad years who, after a heavy-handed meneuver by Israel that resulted in Palestinian deaths, remarked, "I can't wait until the judgment day, when all those fuckers [practically hissing the words at this point] will be judged."
I wonder if the same sentiment could lead to widescale deployment of nuclear weapons in attempt to speed armegeddon. Total war, in other words, to rush God's judgment.
Scary shit, I think.
By
t'su, at 1:49 PM
Yeah, the religion angle makes it quite scary. "God's got our back, so anything goes."
Israel with nukes is a little frightening, but perhaps the existence of the bomb in Israel has kept its neighbors from trying anything. If Israel and Iran get nukes - and the ability to deploy them a decent range - it's bomb shelter time. (Well, at least for the Europeans. We're far enough away to probably survive, but nuclear war is still, you know, scary as hell.)
By
bp, at 10:52 AM
I think Israel's already nuclear (http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/israel/nuke/). Surprising that they haven't alraedy used them ...
Maybe they're avoiding setting a precedent?
By
t'su, at 11:05 AM
Yeah, they're nuclear, but what's funny is I don't think they've ever publicly declared they are. They don't talk about it.
I think as soon as they used them, the surviving Arab states would try to destroy Israel. That kind of mentality is why the international community is quite concerned that Israel might even launch a strategic strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. The U.S. had to basically beg the Israelis not to respond when Iraq launched scuds at them in 1991.
By
bp, at 12:59 PM
What a mess.
By
t'su, at 7:13 PM
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