I always thought the nukes in Turkey were sitting atop missiles and the nukes in Pakistan were being guarded by US troops. I wonder what the truth really is.
Either way, we need the nukes out of both countries. The whole nuke sub/long range bomber/ICBM triad philosophy need to be rethunk.
Originally Posted by gnadfly
The missile systems were removed long ago ... both are stored in "secure" hard bunkers. The Turkish bombs ... are just that ..gravity bombs..... and need aircraft capable of delivering them with qualified pilots..... it's not reported if they are "smart" bombs ... and can be guided to the destination. Their purpose was to stop a ground assault and buy some time for Turkish forces to be reinforced via NATO (effectively the U.S.).
Given the current goofballs attitude (and his heiress apparent) they will have cobwebs on them for their "natural" life. They are not a deterrent. The decision to remove and use other assets is always dependent upon the existence of alternative delivery systems and the ability to utilize them. For instance we've had carrier groups down for retrofitting and refurbishing for years ... with the result of fewer alternatives ... Additionally the "reviews" are reporting shortage of parts and supplies for existing aircraft and a seemingly lack of continual upgrading to stay ahead of the technology curve.
Example: It was reported in the 911 hearings that Clinton did not send in troops into Afghanistan/Pakistan because he could not get "flyover" rights into Western Afghanistan ... meaning we lacked the logistical ability to transport and supply with protection inland.
The lack of preparedness and lack of alternative force choices will dictate the worst response in a disaster scenario to avoid a catastrophic result to NATO forces, which means are inability to respond with conventional force will mandate a nuclear response. And coupled with an announced unwillingness to project a nuclear solution, sets the stage for a mandatory nuclear response, when a conventional response might slow things down until supplemental forces can arrive to support the NATO front.
If you recall the Kuwait invasion followed a vague conversation with U.S. diplomatic personnel that led Saddam to believe the U.S. would not oppose an invasion of Kuwait. Those kinds of vague and nonspecific communications create misunderstandings, particularly when the recipient has a mindset in the wrong direction to begin.