It says "deterrence of potential adversary WMD use requires the potential adversary leadership to believe the United States has both the ability and will to pre-empt or retaliate promptly with responses that are credible and effective."
It says "this will be particularly difficult with nonstate (non-government) actors who employ or attempt to gain use of WMD. Here, deterrence may be directed at states that support their efforts as well as the terrorist organization itself.
"However, the continuing proliferation of WMD along with the means to deliver them increases the probability that someday a state/nonstate actor nation/terrorist may, through miscaluation or by deliberate choice, use those weapons. In such cases, deterrence, even based on the threat of massive destruction, may fail and the United States must be prepared to use nuclear weapons if necessary."
Our enemies must fear what we will do. Nations must worry that if they so much as provided an aspirin and a bandage to a terrorist who detonates a nuclear weapon that we will hit them with a nuclear strike.
If we are to avoid getting struck we must inspire fear abroad among those rational enough to know fear. And we must be prepared to use nuclear weapons first when we think we are under threat of a biological or nuclear attack.
But if fear isn't enough and if we can't strike first, we must also be prepared to respond to a nuclear strike or even an attempt--there is no such thing as no harm, no foul when it comes to nukes--with a nuclear response.
So we need a variety of nuclear weapons in order to retain credibility by having realistic nuclear counter-strike options. For if we ever take a nuclear hit and fail to respond with a nuclear weapon--even a devastating conventional retaliation will not cut it--we will have declared open season on the American people. Deterrence will have died for good.
It is a sobering thought but one we must face squarely.
