ABC's Ted Koppel "stunned" by Cohen's mention of "nuclear" as possible response to WTC attack

ABC News ^ | 9/12/01 | ABC Live Coverage

[ppaul]

About 5:50 am Pacific, ABC's Ted Koppel was being interviewed. He was in London. It was mentioned that before Koppel became famous for Nightline, he served as a correspondent covering the U.S. State Department. Koppel said he had been watching the ABC coverage this morning for a "couple of hours" and that he was "stunned" when he saw the interview early this morning of former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen, and Cohen mentioned the use of nuclear weapons among the list of possible responses to yesterday's terrorist attack. Koppel said it was the first time he ever recalls any high level person mentioning nuclear weapons as even a possibility.

[ppaul]

Remember how Koppel became famous, and Nightline got started? When the Iranian terrorists held our embassy hostages. Every night for a year, Koppel's voice would say "Day number 150" etc. Too bad we didn't have the resolve then, to eradicate the terrorist problem.

[Milosevic2]

A must to help your thoughts : (Nikkei below 11,000) March, reposted July
Pearl Harbor 1941-2001, May
The truth about the G7 Oil reserves - (April 1999) as the TV tower in Belgrade was bombed

[Wyatt's Torch]

Unfortunate (and in most cases, fortunately) Cohen is not in the Administration. I sure as hell hope nuclear weapons are being considered. It would be an appropriate response to reduce Kabul, and all other capitals of terrosist sposoring states, to glowing basketball courts.

[HalfIrish]

Does ABC have any credible, normal looking newspeople?

[Brett66]

If the country that's harboring the scum were nuked then maybe they,and others, would think very seriously before they aid and abet terrorists.

[A+Bert (Outta here)]

NBC has been running Cohen, Holbrooke, Berger as advisors. Can't wait for them to invite Maddie. The Kosovo Warriors are alive and well.

[boomop1]

Cohen has critical words when he is out of the loop, he is a fake phony fraud.

[wny]

Cohen was S-O-D under Clinton wasn't he? Nothing said by any former Clinton flack is credible.

[demlosers]

Stunned?

This talking head pundit should know that all options for a retaliation is on the board. This is an attack of War!

[FightThePower!]

I am at work discussing an appropriate response with my coworkers. Some say a nuclear response is approporate I am not sure unless you can pin in an the nation and not just a terrorist within the nation.

[EntropyRising]

Woah! Woah! Woah! Wait a minute! The weapons we have now are tens to hundreds of times hotter than what we had back in WWII. There could be some serious repercussions to using these weapons now. Lets just think about this for a minute..

[11th Earl of Mar]

Does ABC have any credible, normal looking newspeople?

Of course they do. I saw George Stephanopolis last night on ABC.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I agree. I can't stand him. I do agree with his consideration of nuclear weapons in this case. We shall see if this Administration has the gumption to consider the ultimate penalty.

[bvw]

Two jerks yapping at each other on national TV. Hey Ask Cohen if he's doing any more $2,000 a night hotel room military recruiting missions to the Oscar Awards.

Is there a toilet big enough down which we could flush these two at the same time?

They stink up the place.

[karth]

Thanks for posting. I hadn't heard this. It is stunning, given that Cohen is a non-hawk type. Your instinct is to think that if he is saying nuclear weapons should be considered, its not any kind of hyperbole.

[Wyatt's Torch]

We know which "States" are active in the funding, support, and promotion of terrorist organizations (Afghanistan, Libya, Iran, Iraq, and Syria to name a few). The CIA and the Mossad are aware. Regardless of which "State" is responsible for this attack is irrelvant. The terror industry is a coallition of states who, if one is destroyed, the others will simply step in and pick up the flag. The all must be destroyed.

[kevkrom]

The weapons we have now are tens to hundreds of times hotter than what we had back in WWII.

We have them in all sizes...

Nuclear is an option, but an unlikely one. We should, however, declare war immediately on any nation-state harboring and supporting the terrorists involved -- and for the first time since WWII, allow our military to prosecute the war without political restrictions.

If those who support the terrorists can see what they will suffer as payment for that support -- then they will stop hiding and supporting these terrorists, and the bastards will be vulnerable and unfunded.

[tm22721]

I am sickened this morning by the lack of a response while there is unending talk of 'reconciliation' from those who want retaliation, but want it to be 'rational'. There is nothing rational about revenge, it is an emotional response. To Bush - get on with it !!

BUMP

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

No need to go nuclear. Carpet bombing with fuel/air bombs will solve the problem nicely, with no pesky radiation.

[b4its2late]

Nothing said by any former Clinton flack is credible.

Well said.