Biden Sticks With Longstanding U.S. Policy on Use of Nuclear Weapons Amid Pressure From Allies

[dalton99a]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-sticks-with-longstanding-u-s-policy-on-use-of-nuclear-weapons-amid-pressure-from-allies-11648176849

Biden Sticks With Longstanding U.S. Policy on Use of Nuclear Weapons Amid Pressure From Allies
The president stepped back from a campaign promise that the sole purpose of nuclear weapons should be to deter nuclear attacks
By Michael R. Gordon
Updated March 25, 2022 12:38 am ET

President Biden, stepping back from a campaign vow, has embraced a longstanding U.S. approach of using the threat of a potential nuclear response to deter conventional and other nonnuclear dangers in addition to nuclear ones, U.S. officials said Thursday.

During the 2020 campaign Mr. Biden promised to work toward a policy in which the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal would be to deter or respond to an enemy nuclear attack.

Mr. Biden’s new decision, made earlier this week under pressure from allies, holds that the “fundamental role” of the U.S. nuclear arsenal will be to deter nuclear attacks. That carefully worded formulation, however, leaves open the possibility that nuclear weapons could also be used in “extreme circumstances” to deter enemy conventional, biological, chemical and possibly cyberattacks, said the officials.

During the Cold War, the U.S. reserved the right to use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack to offset the Soviet bloc’s numerical advantage in conventional forces. After giving up its chemical and biological weapons in accordance with arms-control treaties, the U.S. later said it was reserving the right to use nuclear weapons to deter attacks with poison gas and germ weapons in some circumstances.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have been particularly nervous about shifting to a “sole purpose” doctrine, fearing it could weaken deterrence against a conventional Russian attack on the alliance.

[Kid Berwyn]

1. "Why did you change your mind?"

“Because I learned something new.”

[Ray Bruns]

2. Whether you know it or not, NATO has always had a first strike policy.

If the Warsaw pact had ever launched a surprise attack, NATO would never have been able to stop it. Hence the drive to upgrade to Pershing 2 and cruise missiles in the 80's.