Obamas statement triggers fears of nuke war

A recent statement by leading Democratic US presidential candidate Barack Obama that if he had the authority and credible information about Osama bin Ladens haven in Pakistan, then he would strike without Islamabads permission, has triggered fears of nuclear war.

Washington, Aug 22 : A recent statement by leading Democratic US presidential candidate Barack Obama that if he had the authority and credible information about Osama bin Laden's haven in Pakistan, then he would strike without Islamabad's permission, has triggered fears of nuclear war.

Questioning whether Obama's statement is an indication of rational thinking, noted scholar Dmitry Shlapentokh of Indiana University writes in an article in Asia Times that the problem is not with Obama, but with the US public in general.

He writes that critics insist that these irresponsible statements about preventive war, especially nuclear war, are just the predilection of a narrow circle of intellectuals known as neo-conservatives, who believe the US can remodel the world by using its military superiority.

However, Shlapentokh believes that the spread of such mentality among a considerable segment of the US public poses "very serious problems."

"A strike against Pakistan, a nuclear power, as advocated by Obama, could lead to the collapse of President General Pervez Musharraf's regime and increase the chance of nuclear weapons being acquired by terrorists. And, any nuclear war- even the most 'successful' from a US point of view- would be an unimaginable catastrophe," he writes.

The article goes on to say that those who plan such events should prepare the country for the implications, as a larger segment of US society have a strong irrational streak in their collective subconscious.

"The danger is not just that the United States is the only nuclear superpower. The US dollar is the major global reserve currency, but at the same time, the US is the major debtor, running up trillions of dollars' worth of debt with no idea of how it can be repaid," Shlapentokh opines.

He adds that a preventive strike against a nuclear power, use of nuclear weapons against any power, or similar irresponsible economic actions could lead to the US economy collapsing, "just as the twin towers of New York's World Trade Centre collapsed on September 11, 2001."

"The rubble from such an attack would cover the world. And, in fact, the recent plunge in US and global stock markets might be a portent of what could be expected if the US elite-- and the US public-- continue to behave like cowboys from Hollywood movies," concludes the article.

ANI