Talk:Samson Option

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This article needs to describe thehow the "Samson option" differsfrom the mutually assured destruction concept that played a part in the cold between Russia and the U.S.. As I understand it, use of nukes against Israel would not be needed for the option to be invoked (unlike the Cold War's mutually assured destruction) or at least that's how I beleive Hersh described it. --Cab88 04:28, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

No doubt they're somewhat similar in abstract strategic logic, but there are many practical differences of detail, such as that:

1) Both the Soviets and U.S. had nukes, while Arabs have not had nukes.

2) The Soviets and U.S. never claimed as their overall strategic goal the extirpation of the other nation as a political entity, and the "throwing" of its people "into the sea", while for many decades there was a constant stream of wannabe-genocidal threats against Israel from Arabs (including from official government spokesmen), as there still is from Ahmadinajad of Iran.

3) The Soviet Union and the U.S. were completely open and public about possessing nukes, while Israel has not been.

4) It has been implicitly understood that Israel could retaliate nuclearly against a (non-nuclear) biological, chemical, or "mega-terrorism" attack which kills thousands of Israelis and/or thows the future existence of Israel as a Jewish state into question.

5) It has been implicitly understood that in the case of such an attack, Israel could retaliate nuclearly against ALL surrounding and nearby Arab countries, as well as some of its more comitted enemies (such as Iran). That's why Israel probably has over a hundred warheads, not 10 or 12.

AnonMoos 05:48, 18 December 2006 (UTC)