To the Point

Weighing the Nuclear Option in Iraq

Since the atomic bombing of Japan, America has led the world in insisting that a nuclear weapon should never be used again except to retaliate against use by another country. In 1991, Secretary of State James Baker reportedly -hinted- about nuclear retaliation if Iraq used chemical or biological weapons. Now, it-s said that the Bush Pentagon is planning for possible -first use- to stop Saddam Hussein from using weapons of mass destruction or to penetrate targets buried deep under ground. Though critics call that a lowering of the threshold that-s -potentially catastrophic- worldwide, supporters say it-s really nothing new. We weigh the nuclear option with non-proliferation experts, former members of Defense Department and the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Competitiveness, and the military affairs analyst who recently broke the story in the Los Angeles Times. Making News: Eight European Allies Sign Support Letter on Iraq Italy-s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed support today for President Bush and urged the Security Council to take action if Saddam Hussein violates the UN-s call for disarmament. Italy was one of eight European counties represented in an op-ed piece in today-s Wall Street Journal, along with leaders of Spain, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and Great Britain. Jerry Seib is following the story for the Wall Street Journal. Reporter-s Notebook: VP Ted Turner Steps Down as AOL-s Losses Hit $99 Billion As the founder and builder of CNN, Ted Turner is often called the most influential TV executive of the past half-century. CNN is now the property of AOL Time-Warner. Today, in addition to reporting record losses of almost $100 billion, AOL is also losing its biggest shareholder. Investment consultant and writer Porter Bibb has more on the resignation of Ted Turner as vice president of that conglomerate.