Battlefield nuke ok'd by Bush

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on November 27, 2003). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

If Bush has his way, in a few years our ground troops could be carrying ‘small scale’, ‘low-yield’ nuclear rockets.

President Bush signed a huge new defense bill that includes millions of dollars for a small nuclear bomb designed to destroy deep, hardened underground bunkers.

Among the many items tucked away in the \$401 billion defense authorization act was a \$15 million three-year research project by the Energy and Defense departments to create the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator.

The legislation repeals a decade-old ban on research into low-yield nuclear weapons.

The controversial new weapon would consist of a hard-nosed rocket able to penetrate 20 feet into the earth with a small-scale nuclear bomb, modified from an existing nuke, that would go off on a delay – so that it would explode at the deepest point.

Bush scares me more and more every day.

(via MetaFilter)

4 thoughts on “Battlefield nuke ok'd by Bush”

  1. Why does that scare you and why do u single him out.. Man portable nukes have been around for a lllong time, since the 60s at least. Their needed to penatrate underground bunkers that are too deep to destroy by conventional means.

  2. Why single him out? Well, considering that we’re dealing with a tyrant who has the mind of a small child and is given to listening to the voices in his head (that he refers to as the voice of God) urging him to attack other countries, I’ll concur with Michael: I’m worried, too. Not so much about the Idiot Non Savant in the Oval Office, but his henchmen behind the curtain. I’m worried that there won’t be free and fair elections in this country in 2004 if this administration has anything to say about it. I’m worried that we’ve become the Evil Empire.

  3. I’m sorry, but watching you people discuss this matter is like watching children argue over who is better,
    He-Man? Or the Power Rangers?

    This weapon is necessary in the continuation of the United State’s Nuclear Supremacy. ICBM facilities in
    Russia that were originally not destroyable will become such thanks to this bomb. It will now have the ability
    to cavitate hardened facilities that can not be reached by traditional bunker busters.

    This is important, as the only branch of services important anymore, are the Strategic branches. We can disband
    our entire Army and Navy (except for the SSBN leg of the Triad), and not have to worry about invasion from anyt
    other nation thanks to our Strategic Warfare Capabilities.

    Anyone who is afraid of Nuclear Warfare, simply doesn’t understand it.

  4. Oh and to emphasize my point…the creator of this thread doesn’t even know what the hell he is talking about
    claiming that ground troops would have mini-nukes. The research is in converting old low-yield weapons into
    gravity bombs capable of not “20 feet” but 20-50 meter penetration of the earth. We have this capability,
    Bush simply is oking it for use.

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