A group of former armed forces chiefs from the United States, Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands insists that a "first strike" nuclear option remains an "indispensable instrument" since there is "simply no realistic prospect of a nuclear-free world" (Herald, January 23).
The group includes General John Shalikashvili, the former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, and Field Marshal Lord Inge, the former chief of the defence staff in Britain. They have presented their arguments to the Pentagon and NATO.
They believe that the West must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try to halt the imminent spread of nuclear weapons. They paint an alarming picture of the threats confronting the West, arguing that its values and way of life are under threat and that we are struggling to summon the will to defend them. They consider that nuclear war might soon become possible in an increasingly brutal world. They propose the first use of nuclear weapons must remain "in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction".
