Nuclear War Cannot Be “Managed” : LCNP Statement on the Normalization of “Tactical” Nuclear Weapons and the Illusion of “Escalation Management”
The Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy expresses concern over the growing normalization of so-called “tactical,” “non-strategic,” “low-yield,” and “precision” nuclear weapons. The term “tactical nuclear weapon” is a military classification—not a legal, humanitarian, or moral distinction. Nuclear weapons do not become lawful, controllable, or subject to a lower standard of scrutiny because they are described as lower-yield, shorter-range, precision-guided, tailored, or tactical. International law does not establish a diminished standard of protection for civilians or the natural environment based on the explosive yield, range, delivery system, or military label attached to a nuclear weapon. The United Nations Charter rules and the same principles and rules of international humanitarian law—including distinction, proportionality, precaution, military necessity, humanity, and the dictates of public conscience—continue to apply. Nor can claims of proportionality or military necessity, including arguments based on an adversary’s prior conduct or anticipated actions, displace independently applicable prohibitions designed to protect civilians and the natural environment.