No first use

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No first use refers to a pledge not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons.

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[edit] Countries pledging no-first-use

The People's Republic of China[1] is the first country pledged to No Frist Use of its nuclear weapon soon after it's development of atomic bombs.

[edit] China

China appears to have backpedaled over its no first use pledge when, in 2005, Chinese Major General Zhu Chenghu, suggested that China would use nuclear weapons if it were attacked with American high-tech military forces. According to Zhu, "If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons." [2] However,his statement is strongly disputed.

[edit] India

India has pledged not to initiate attacks with nuclear weapons, and that it would not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state.[3]

[edit] Countries pledging only to use nuclear weapons defensively

Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States,[4] France, and Pakistan[citation needed] reserve the right to use nuclear weapons against either nuclear or non-nuclear states only in the case of invasion or other attack against their territory or against one of their allies. Historically, NATO military strategy, taking into account the numerical superiority of Warsaw Pact conventional forces, assumed that the use of tactical nuclear weapons would have been required in defeating a Soviet invasion.[5]

At a NATO summit in April 1999, Germany proposed that NATO adopt a no-first-use policy, but the proposal was rejected.[citation needed]

[edit] United Kingdom

In March 2002, British defence secretary Geoff Hoon stated that the UK was prepared to use nuclear weapons against rogue states such as Iraq if they ever used "weapons of mass destruction" against British troops in the field.[6] This policy was restated in February 2003.[7]

[edit] United States

The US Department of Defense revised the doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons titled "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations" and written under the direction of Air Force General Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The new doctrine envisions commanders requesting presidential approval to use nuclear weapons to preempt an attack by a nation or a terrorist group using weapons of mass destruction.[8] The draft also includes the option of using nuclear weapons to destroy known enemy stockpiles of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. The draft was not approved by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.[citation needed] This new policy would update rules and procedures governing use of nuclear weapons to reflect a preemption strategy first announced by the Bush White House in December 2002.[citation needed]

[edit] Israel

Although Israel does not officially confirm or deny having nuclear weapons, the country is widely believed to be in possession of them. Its continued ambiguity stance puts it in a difficult position, since to issue a statement pledging 'no first use' would confirm their possession of nuclear weapons, which would make its support for a WMD-free Middle East untenable. Instead Israel has said that it "would not be the first country in the Middle East to formally introduce nuclear weapons into the region." This maintains sufficient ambiguity to satisfy its neighbors, as well as the United States. It also implies that Israel would not strike first with nuclear weapons during a war, only using them for a retaliatory strike.[9] If Israel's very existence is threatened, the "Samson Option", a "last resort" deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons, may be initiated should the state of Israel be substantially damaged and/or near destruction.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Key Issues: Nuclear Weapons: Issues: Policies: No First Use Policy
  2. ^ Chinese general sees U.S. as nuclear target. International Herald Tribune (July 16, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  3. ^ Nuclear Policy - Draft Report of National Security Advisory Board on Indian Nuclear Doctrine (August 17, 1999). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
  4. ^ Pentagon wants 'mini-nukes' to fight terrorists - Telegraph. Julian Coman in Washington (12:39am BST 26/10/2003). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
  5. ^ (1982) The East-West Strategic Balance. 
  6. ^ BBC News - UK 'prepared to use nuclear weapons' (Wednesday, 20 March, 2002, 14:49 GMT). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
  7. ^ BBC NEWS - UK restates nuclear threat (Sunday, 2 February, 2003, 19:25 GMT). Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
  8. ^ Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations.
  9. ^ Israel’s Nuclear Program and Middle East Peace. Lionel Beehner (February 10, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-11-03.

[edit] Further reading

  • Rhona MacDonald: Nuclear Weapons 60 Years On: Still a Global Public Health Threat. In: PLoS Medicine. 2(11)/2005. Public Library of Science, e301, ISSN 1549-1277
  • Harold A. Feiveson, Ernst Jan Hogendoorn: No First Use of Nuclear Weapons. In: The Nonproliferation Review. 10(2)/2003. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies, ISSN 1073-6700

[edit] External links