Just listened to Sec Def Gates. He said that in the event of a chemical or biological attack on the US, its allies or partners, the US would not respond with nuclear force, but rather with a “devastating conventional arms” attack. Sweet heavens–it takes a veritable eternity to launch a ground attack (assuming we’re not still “overstretched” as the saying goes). And, of course we’d have to abide by the restrictive Rules of Engagement now in force, and we’d risk the lives of our military on the ground and in the air. Air strikes? Maybe, assuming we can get flyover permission (further telegraphs of our mission). ICBMs with conventional weaponry? OK, but still we’d have to send up a boatload to achieve a “devastating” effect. All told, the notion that we would, for the first time, declassify the entire NPR, and in so doing announce that nuclear retaliation is essentially off the table (save me the “nuance” of the right to re-evaluate–by the time we do that hand-wringing the second WMD attack will have occurred), is appalling. Even if that was the administration’s position, don’t tell the A.Q.Khans of the world and their patrons about it.