The new doctrine, experts suggest, blurs the line between conventional and nuclear weapons by raising the issue of their adaption for use in combat rather than in deterrence as was the case during the Cold War.

Leaked to the US media over the weekend, the secret report to Congress, the US Nuclear Policy Review, discusses emergency contingencies plans for confrontations with nuclear-armed former Cold War enemy Russia, as well as China.

But the report includes five countries without nukes of their own, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria, as potential targets should they launch a biological, chemical or any surprise strike against the United States.

The proposal would also develop new weaponry, such as smaller, hard-tipped nuclear devices that could root out buried bunkers as well as tanks able to destroy weapons of mass destruction including so-called "dirty bombs," which can spread tiny radioactive particles.

Caught off guard by the leak and condemnation from Tehran, Moscow and Beijing, the Bush administration sought to defend its policy review.

The proposals are nothing but different options at President George W. Bush's disposal, said national security adviser Condoleezza Rice soothed.

The United States is not aiming its nuclear weapons at anyone -- at least "not on a day-to-day basis," said Vice President Dick Cheney from London Monday, rejecting "the notion... that somehow this means we are preparing pre-emptive nuclear strikes against seven countries."

Turning his scolding to the media which published the leaked report, Cheney said "the way it was reported, I would say that's a bit over the top."

The new thinking represented in the report seems to reduce "the strategic ambiguity" of existing nuclear policy whereby the US has never said it would not resort to "first-use of nuclear weapons, said strategic analyst John Wolfsthal.

In the report there is a clearly laid out threat of a US nuclear response should there be attacks on US allies Taiwan, Israel or South Korea.

"The US never said they had a no-first-use policy," he noted, yet acknowledged the two new challenges presented by the evolved plan.

First, "it encourages rather than discourages weaker nations to acquire nuclear weapons; this is a self-fulfilling prophecy," he said. It also could "make (them) easier to use, or target some areas."

But just because it is good military planning to give options to the president, "to make sure (he) has good choices in crises, the employment doctrine is a totally separate question," said Center for Strategic and International Studies military specialist Michele Flournoy.

"I think any US president is going to feel enormous pressure not to use nuclear weapons in any situation because of the historical significance, political taboo and so forth," she added, noting the vastness of the existing US arsenal diminishes the urgent need for further nuclear weapons' development.

But any public discussion of the secret plan was resolutely quashed by the close-lipped Pentagon this weekend, which emphasized it "will not discuss the classified details of military planning or contingencies, nor will (we) comment on selective and misleading leaks."

The US Defense Department however, with a proposed 379 billion-dollar budget in 2003, a 48 billion-dollar increase over 2002, insists any evolution in nuclear weaponry is part of a "more diverse set of options for deterring the threat of weapons of mass destruction."

"A combination of offensive and defensive, and nuclear and non-nulcear capabilities, is essential to meet the deterrence requirements of the 21st century."

File Photo: Both soldiers and civilians walk past China's first nuclear missile (middle) as they visit Beijing's Military Museum, 21 July 2000, which showcases China's past military achievements and weapons. China will make sure American plans to establish an anti-missle defense will be put on the agenda when a regional security forum meets later this month, the foreign ministry said on Friday. AFP Photo by Stephen Shaver

China Resents Being On Nuke List
In related news, China has said it is "deeply shocked" at a leaked Washington defence review listing it as a potential target of US nuclear strikes, and demanded an explanation.

A statement released by the foreign ministry in Beijing also reminded the United States of an agreement that the two nations would not target each other with nuclear weapons.

"Like many other countries, China is deeply shocked by this report," ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency late Monday.

"Any Cold War mentality goes against the global trend of peace and development through cooperation, and is doomed to failure," Sun said.

The comments came after the Los Angeles Times said it had obtained a classified Pentagon report revealing the US military had been asked to draft plans to use nuclear weapons against China and six other countries.

The report listed one of the new possible contingencies in which US nuclear weapons might be used as a military confrontation between China and Taiwan.

Beijing regards Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949 at the end of a civil war, as part of its territory to eventually be reclaimed, by force if necessary.

Sun said China was "a peace-loving country and poses no threat to any other nation", and demanded the US government explain itself.

"The US side bears the responsibility to make an explanation on this matter," he said according to Xinhua.

Sun's reaction, while firm, used mild language by comparison with Beijing's response, released Monday, to Washington's recent criticism of China's human rights record.

Using a tone more reminiscent of turbulent past relations between the two countries, the report said the United States "ranks first in the world in wantonly infringing upon the sovereignty of, and human rights in, other countries".

Ye Zicheng, dean of the diplomacy department at Beijing University, told AFP that China would probably seek to limit the political consequences of the leaked report.

"I think China will not react too forcefully," he said. "The Chinese government will adopt a long-term view and seek to address the issue in a flexible way in a dialogue with the United States."

He said the report showed the continued existence within the United States government of a "China threat" school of thought, which sees rising Chinese economic, political and military power as a menace to other countries.

"There will inevitably be ups and downs in the relationship and occasional frictions," he said.

"I don't think this will lead to a sudden deterioration of US-China relations."

Russia also reacted with concern to the US report and demanded clarification.

US Vice President Dick Cheney tried on Monday to ease international worry, saying the United States was not targeting its nuclear weapons as a matter of course at any particular nation, and described the media reports as "a bit over the top".

All rights reserved. � 2002 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

Related Links
Do "backpack" nuclear weapons exist?
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only