Russia considering 'first use' nuclear strike

[joeblow]

Russia considering 'first use' nuclear strike

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020602


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

A top Russian policy-maker announces a revision of Moscow's military doctrine, saying Russia could attempt a first nuclear strike, should it detect the threat of an incoming attack.

"In conditions critical for national security one should not also exclude a preventive nuclear strike on the aggressor," Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev was quoted as saying in comments to the domestic paper Izvestia.

The official said Moscow was reconsidering its military doctrine. Based on the doctrine's current provisions, Russia would reportedly only carry out a nuclear strike if it were attacked with weapons of mass destruction or if it were the victim of "large-scale aggression" using conventional arms.

"The conditions have been revised for the use of nuclear weapons to rebuff an aggression with the use of conventional weapons, not only on a massive-scale but on a regional and even local level," Patrushev added.

"Moreover, different variants are considered to allow the use of nuclear weapons depending on a certain situation and intentions of a would-be enemy," he added.

The comments came amid reported progress in joint discussions between the Kremlin and the White House on arms reduction. The two sides are supposed to devise a replacement for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which will expire by December.

The official said the threats may realize as the talks are in progress.

Russian commander-in-chief and the chief of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev will review the council's reworking of the doctrine by the end of the year.

HSH/HN/MMN