To understand America’s approach to nuclear confrontation, it may be useful to rewind back to the first presidential nuclear drill in 1977. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman has the story.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia is raising fears of nuclear confrontation.
00:04To understand America's approach to this possibility,
00:07it may be useful to rewind back to the first presidential nuclear drill.
00:11According to the National Security Archive,
00:13this drill, codenamed Ivory Item, happened on October 6th, 1977.
00:18President Jimmy Carter participated in a simulation of a surprise nuclear attack on the United States.
00:23Nuclear safety was a priority for Carter.
00:25He was trained as a nuclear engineer and, according to the CBC,
00:28worked on cleanup after a reactor meltdown in Canada in 1952.
00:32Many details of his participation in the 1977 drill remain secret.
00:37But he apparently felt that too many people were on the missile attack conference call,
00:41which had over 20 participants.
00:42National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski seems to have found the simulation useful.
00:47In a 1978 memorandum preserved by the State Department,
00:50he suggests running another Ivory Item on an LNO, or Limited Nuclear Option.
00:54It's not clear to what extent subsequent presidents have participated in similar drills.
00:59But the New York Times reported in August
01:01that President Biden ordered a reorientation of America's nuclear plan towards conflict with China,
01:06as well as potential coordination between China, Russia, and North Korea.