WI: US Uses Nuclear Weapons in Afghanistan After 9/11
- Thread starter redlightning
- Start date
Why not? From what I read Bush considered the nuclear option. The only thing required is Bush being pissed off enough to do it. In combination with a worse 9/11 (like a plane crashing into the Capitol or the White House) I could see this happen.
OP asked a WI, he gets an answer.
Obviously George Bush wouldn't do such a thing. I know it, you know it, and even my dog knows it. This is a scenario where he hypothetical did.
If you're willing to use nukes on a guerrilla group, you're playing to win. Period. Bush failing as a nuclear power, willing to use it's nukes, to beat a terrorist group would literally be the most humiliating event of perhaps the entire human history.
Bush wins when the Taliban is no longer a formidable force, whether it's from desertions or the actual nuking, someone will sweep up what's left of them.
Maybe he was angry and said something about "nuking the bastards" but it was never seriously considered. And even if Bush had a psychotic break and ordered the nuking of Afghanistan the second person would tell him to go fly a kite, followed by Dubya being declared mentally incompetent, Cheney becoming President, and America having to deal with having a former President in an insane asylum.
Kitiem3000
Donor
Right after 9/11 the US would not diplomatically rule out the use of nuclear weapons. This was in the weeks and months afterwards, so they were probably still riding high an adrenaline. It freaked out most of the European nations, which contributed heavily to a poor showing of support when the invasions came.
However, I cannot see it seriously happening. Simply because it isn't needed to take on Afghanistan OR Iraq, but also by the time they would've known for certain where they should even hit (takes a while with non-state actors) they would've calmed down and realised it would be massive overkill among other considerations.
However, I cannot see it seriously happening. Simply because it isn't needed to take on Afghanistan OR Iraq, but also by the time they would've known for certain where they should even hit (takes a while with non-state actors) they would've calmed down and realised it would be massive overkill among other considerations.
Nuclear weapons are considered by many to be the most worthless weapons in existence. The reason being that you will lose more by using them than you will ever possible gain.
That's why hydrogen or neutron bombs are way more popular. Just as much dmg to human life, cut the amount of dmg to infrastructure significantly. It's actually crazy we don't have treaties on these weapons.
Nuking Afghanistan is not going to win the war. It will stop it, but no one will win. The world denounces america for going too far in response. No amount of self-righteousness and propaganda or faith is going to make the action seem reasonable.
That's why hydrogen or neutron bombs are way more popular. Just as much dmg to human life, cut the amount of dmg to infrastructure significantly. It's actually crazy we don't have treaties on these weapons.
Nuking Afghanistan is not going to win the war. It will stop it, but no one will win. The world denounces america for going too far in response. No amount of self-righteousness and propaganda or faith is going to make the action seem reasonable.
How people would have looked at the US? Like they did with Gengis Khan or Tarmerlane: with soo much fear be unable to even conceive the concept of loathing them. It would have required for the americans to drop the we-are-good-boy-scouts propaganda and switch to the we-are-the-evil-empire-and-pray-we-don't-alter-the deal mode of operation.
My initial thought is a Sum of All fears scenario, somehow a dirty nuke or very large explosive is detonated at a sports arena/stadium.
I once read a scenario on an Objectivist blog where the United States reacted to 9/11 by nuking Afghanistan...
...and Pakistan
...and Iran
...and Syria
..and Saudi Arabia
...and the United Arab Emirates.
And yes, Mecca does get a can of instant sunshine, which somehow causes all Muslims to abandon their faith.
The worst part? The author portrays this as a good thing.
We've had some similar nonsense on this board, in the 'WI the 9/11 attacks were nuclear' threads (there have been several). There's always a few who think "OMG, the US is going to nuke the entire Middle East!!"