Whether the present plan is to use these things as a "last resort" or not, just deploying them to the theatre of operations has to be one of the most reckless acts since the Missile Crisis.

What exactly is a "last resort" anyway? Is that when the Bush warhawks get too tired or frustrated to continue pursuing a goal that was totally unrealistic and unattainable to begin with?

The development of tactical nuclear weapons was only rationalized in the context of a "next-generation" war between nuclear superpowers - they were NEVER to be used in conventional conflicts. In drawing its nuclear sword, the US has signaled to the world that all bets are off.

The US already has set itself above world opinion with its refusal to curtail chemical weapons development and the use of land mines. It has shown contempt for the Kyoto protocol, and has become an outlaw with its warmed over "star wars" program.

The responsibilities of a superpower include setting an example for the rest of the world (which may explain a lot about why things are as bad as they are), but it will now be impossible for the US to preach restraint to anyone concerning nuclear warfare.

Ha'aretz story at