From the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/w...6arms.html

For the first time, the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack.

Do you think this policy invites rogue nations to attack the US? They have the opportunity to attack us without retaliation. The article does go on to say use of nukes could be reconsidered in the event of a devastating attack on the US... but is that too little too late? Whats the criteria for devastating? Curious to hear others thoughts... I know nukes are bad and I hope we'd never, ever, ever have to use one in my lifetime, but is having the option keeping America safe? Will it be just as safe now?

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

I am a Trident sailor...bring the pain sir, the first nuke would be a mesage to the rest of them.

If you had read the article, it also states that the no nuclear strike policy only covers non-nuclear states who have ratified and are in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  That already excludes Iran and North Korea.  It also excludes declared nuclear states. 

This in no way invites rogue nations to attack because a) if they already had nuclear weapons they would either be in violation of or non-signatorees of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, or b) they wouldn't attack with nuclear weapons anyway.  Both Russia and the United States have thousands of nuclear weapons, with the US having them stored or deployed all over the world.  Striking the US mainland with a nuclear weapon - which is already beyond the capability of any rogue state at present - would be national suicide for that entire country (though it is doubtful that the US would respond to one nuclear attack with a massive, near-genocidal nuclear response).

The agitprop from the Sarah Palins of the world over how this policy endangers America is a bunch of non-sense from people who either don't know what they're talking about (Sarah Palin) or are being deliberately deceptive to further their agenda (all the commentators on Fox News). 

MCAO--informative post, thanks! Too often people will take a tiny part of a document and take it out of context.