Mark Murray and Lauren Appelbaum posted what they see as a clarification for everyone on Obama’s nuclear comment stating Obama specifically said he wouldn’t consider them in Pakistan or Afghanistan or to fight al Qaeda:

Of course, it’s still newsworthy that Obama said he wouldn’t use nukes to pursue Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan — although who would? — but the second story is far, far different from the original.

My own bit of spin here? If you take Obama’s previous comment, that he would bomb inside of Pakistan in order to hit al Qaeda or bin Laden you find a foreign policy/defense strategy that might have to open itself up to the use of nuclear weapons. I am by no means a military expert here but last I checked Pakistan was a nuclear power and al Qaeda was attempting to procure a nuclear weapon.

Pakistan is a fractional nation, not totally unlike our own as are several other “trouble spot” nations like Iran. There is the democratic government, the religious factions within those governments, the military factions & the people along with several other layers in each. All of them have different ideas, different goals and though there is a government figurehead we don’t always know how well they are in speaking for all people. The biggest fear the U.S. had when Pakistan became a nuclear power was that some faction would get ahold of power and use it, specifically an islamofascist regime with the backing of, say, the military.

Most U.S. leaders have agreed the nuclear option always remains open no matter what. Why would we need it in Pakistan? Not only as a deterrent and as a retaliation to a nuclear attack but the other thing about nuclear weapons is this. Nations don’t just build their entire arsenal above ground in places that everyone can monitor. They build them in places that are hard to reach.

We might actually face the possibility of having to destroy a nation like Pakistan or Iran’s nuclear capability with nuclear weapons of our own. The likilhood? Probably not high, but its always an option and its an option that grows if you go around bombing inside of a country causing political/military & social upheaval that could end direct relations between our country & theirs.

Just something to think about.