Newt Gingrich: A Single Nuke Could Destroy America

A sword of Damocles hangs over our heads. It is a real threat that has been all but ignored.

On Feb. 3, Iran launched a “communications satellite�? into orbit. At this very moment, North Korea is threatening to do the same. The ability to launch an alleged communications satellite belies a far more frightening truth. A rocket that can carry a satellite into orbit also can drop a nuclear warhead over any location on the planet in less than 45 minutes.

Far too many timid or uninformed sources maintain that a single launch of a missile poses no true threat to the United States, given our retaliatory power.

A reality check is in order and must be discussed in response to such an absurd claim: In fact, one small nuclear weapon, delivered by an ICBM can destroy the United States by maximizing the effect of the resultant electromagnetic pulse upon detonation.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a byproduct of detonating an atomic bomb above the Earth’s atmosphere. When a nuclear weapon is detonated in space, the gamma rays emitted trigger a massive electrical disturbance in the upper atmosphere. Moving at the speed of light, this overload will short out all electrical equipment, power grids and delicate electronics on the Earth’s surface. In fact, it would take only one to three weapons exploding above the continental United States to wipe out our entire grid and transportation network. It might take years to recover from, if ever.

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Newt Gingrich: A Single Nuke Could Destroy America

I don’t know if any of you saw this Sunday, I know I missed it, and am glad I found it. This was a favorite topic of mine in days past. The survival of the human race after a nuclear holocaust.

This is not science fiction. If you doubt this, spend a short amount of time skimming the Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack from April 2008. You will come away sobered.

To some degree, it is NOT science fiction, but no one knows, with ALL certainty, exactly what will happen to the areas of the earth not struck directly. EMP is one of the biggest fears, always has been. This next quoted paragraph IS science fiction, from back in the mid 1980′s, look at the review and see many similarities, a partial review of the novel War Day.

As well as the human cost, the war has left its mark on the economy and politics of the country. Due to the electromagnetic pulse from the first wave of bomb blasts, virtually all bank accounts, transactions, and other electronic assets—including those in Canada—simply vanish. Because of this, money undergoes a rapid deflation: the cost of a home is reduced to 800 gold dollars. In addition, electronic machinery and devices are rendered useless, which further limits the economy. SOURCE: War Day

I read this novel when it 1st appeared on the shelves. The very premise of this novel was so believable that it’s possible reality was terrifying. It appears that even today the basic idea is still there, and again, it’s ALL pure speculation regarding the actual results of a massive nuclear exchange and the subsequent radiation and EMP damage, and I hope we never have to put any of this to the test.

I don’t really believe that a single nuke could destroy our electronic infrastructure, but it is a fascinating possibility, not what I would call a probability, but a possibility nonetheless. I would personally be more inclined to think that it would take a multiple warhead burst, spread over the entire land mass of this nation to bring about a full EMP disruption, and even then, many systems are so well grounded, I just don’t know, this goes far beyond my field of expertise. But again, we’ve never experienced such a tragedy, so, who knows…