War on Terrorism May Add a Nuclear Option

A Pentagon planning document being updated to reflect the doctrine of preemption declared by President Bush in 2002 envisions the use of nuclear weapons to deter terrorists from using weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. or its allies.The "Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations" was last updated 10 years ago.

A Pentagon spokesman said Saturday that Navy Cmdr. Dawn Cutler, a public affairs officer for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had issued a statement saying a draft was still being circulated among the various services, field commanders, Pentagon lawyers and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's office. The draft's existence was initially reported by the Washington Post on Sunday.