Nixon Considered Nuclear Option Against North Korea

NPR :

Since March, South Korea and the United States have pondered how to respond to North Korea after the torpedo sinking of a South Korean naval ship that left 46 sailors dead.

It was the case, too, in 1969 after North Korean fighter jets shot down an American spy plane. Then, President Nixon and his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, considered a range of military responses, up to the possible use of nuclear weapons, according to newly disclosed documents.

Read the whole story: NPR

Comments

[MajorKong]

11:48 AM on 08/07/2010

"The danger of a wide war tends to trump whatever benefit you think might come from punishing your enemy here with a retaliatory strike"

Worth noting.

[KIVPossum]

02:03 PM on 07/08/2010

April 22, 1994 was Nixon's finest contribution to the country

[theborg]

01:44 PM on 07/08/2010

This actually happened. My 'team' was involved in loading nuclear weapons on the A-4 Skyhawks on board the Coral Sea at that time while on combat operations in Yankee Station (North Vietnam). We set the detonations for air-bursts. Boy, the pilots looked like they were scared too death. They launched and there was no coming back for them. Once it was called off, they had to land in Da Nang and we actually had to manuver that big ass aircraft carrier into the narrow harbor there to get our nuc's back on board. Weird...

[chandran007]

10:40 AM on 07/08/2010

This arsehole wanted to attack India in support of Pakistan.

[Tulka2]

08:11 PM on 07/07/2010

The planet was so big back then.

[audadvnc]

07:28 PM on 07/07/2010

Seems to me, the 3rd rate movie star governor Ronnie Raygun advocated turning North Vietnam into a parking lot about that time. Those USA#1 idjits elected him President anyway. Then Raygun negotiated in secret with Iran, selling them arms against international law, to raise money for his hobby Contra death squads in Central America. And drove the US national debt into realms undreamed of previously. What a prize he was!

[TJwineman]

06:02 PM on 07/07/2010

Where Nixon went wrong was NOT nuking North Viet Nam......North Korea would have been OK too.

[audadvnc]

07:29 PM on 07/07/2010

TJwino advocates mass murder against people of which you know nothing. That'll put you in great stead, come your judgement day...

[TJwineman]

05:42 AM on 07/08/2010

Hey, I have Lindsay Lohan's finger for you.

[CigarGod]

08:44 AM on 07/08/2010

...and the Soviets.

[CigarGod]

08:43 AM on 07/08/2010

But China would not have been okay, with either.

[angrymanspokane]

04:47 PM on 07/07/2010

Scary times, just like now...

[anitaj]

04:13 PM on 07/07/2010

Heck, didn't Pres. Nixon consider using a nuclear option against anyone who pissed him off?

[Steelsil]

02:43 PM on 07/07/2010

Any attack on N. Korea would result in the instant annihilation of Seoul. Also, many S. Koreans have family in N. Korea - two reasons why we would lose S. Korea as an ally, as well as resulting in many deaths.

[SouthJerseySteve]

04:03 PM on 07/07/2010

Not to mention, it's a stupid idea!

[santiago sherwood]

12:53 PM on 07/07/2010

and, of course they considered it. back them they could not strike back.

[LMPE]

01:30 PM on 07/07/2010

The Soviet Union could have retaliated.

[citizen1787]

01:22 AM on 07/08/2010

could have but would not have, M.A.D.D.

[hyman hackowitz]

01:35 PM on 07/07/2010

Unless you consider the obliteration Seol with conventional artillery.