US Study on 'Decapitating' Russia, China May Raise Fear of Surprise Nuke Attack

Congress’s request to US intelligence agencies to evaluate the “survivability” of Russian and Chinese leaders after a nuclear attack is unnecessary and could be interpreted as preparing for a US preemptive strike, former US officers and analysts told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The comprehensive study mandated by Congress will be carried out by the US intelligence agencies as well as by the Strategic Command (STRATCOM), which is in charge of the American nuclear forces, according to a little-reported section of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“No other nation-state has any intent of attacking us except if they should survive our initial ‘preemptive attack,’ they can be expected to retaliate the best they are able,” retired US Army Major and historian Todd Pierce said on Monday.

Pierce said the research directive could only be explained by a desire to explore the possibility of wiping out the leaderships of both major nations in a sudden surprise attack.

“That’s the reason for this study: to ensure we wipe out their command and control with a first strike,” Pierce said.

Pierce claimed it was highly misleading to describe the study as being a defensive or deterrence move in any way since it was exploring the possibilities for carrying out an offensive attack.

“Here is typical American double talk when we are in the process of planning offensive military operations, and that is all we plan because,” Pierce stated.

Pierce recalled that Congressman Mike Turner had stated in an email to Bloomberg News that the United States needed to understand how China and Russia intended to fight a war and how their leadership would control a potential conflict in order to be able to deter such a threat.

However, Pierce insisted, “There is no ‘threat’ to deter.”

Former CIA officer Phil Giraldi told Sputnik that the study Congress had called for fell into the realm of comprehensive but not serious assessments routinely made by military intelligence bureaucracies.

“I think it's routine contingency planning as I see no evidence that it was initiated personally by any of the identifiable hawks,” Giraldi said.

Giraldi said the US Department of Defense had prepared plans for the most improbable contingencies that had never occurred and almost certainly never would.

“I'm sure the Pentagon has even worked up a plan and assessment regarding what would happen if we were to invade Canada. Didn't work out too well in 1812.” he concluded.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for a review of the readiness and modernization needs of the US nuclear arsenal. Previous President Barack Obama approved a $1.7 trillion 30 year program to modernize US nuclear forces.