The Nukes of October: Richard Nixon's Secret Plan to Bring Peace to Vietnam

[Octafish]

6. Know your BFEE: Nixon Threatened to NUKE Vietnam

The short version:

In 1969, after a half a year as president (and with no real peace plan he had told the nation he had to get elected), Richard M. Nixon wanted to drive the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table.

So, Tricky Dick ordered Henry Kissinger to spread the word among the North Vietnamese that he, Richard Milhous Nixon, was a “madman.” To “pretend” the president was crazy, Nixon ordered the Air Force on nuclear alert.

To Nixon, acting like a rightwing nutjob was just his way to make a point. Unfortunately, while the Ho Chi Minh and the government of North Vietnam thought he was seriously coo-coo, the Soviets could’ve thought otherwise.

At that very moment, the Soviets had problems – and plans – of their own. Locked in a border dispute with China, the Russian commies were preparing to nuke China first.

Imagine what would happen if the Soviets thought all the U.S. bombers in the air were meant for THEM?

Wonder if some comrade colonel would’ve said, “Gee. We’re gonna get hit. We better hit first.” And pressed the button.

As the Mean Drunk Cheney would say, “That’d be a real bummer.”

CONTINUED DU2 from 2005...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3953519

Amazing history, what the empire does to those who stand in its way.