NH #723: HOT! India/Pakistan Escalation of Hostilities Risks Nukes +cInside Nuclear Launch Command Chain w/Former Head of U.S. Strategic Command + IPPNW's Ira Helfand at UN for NPT

HOT! India/Pakistan Escalation of Hostilities Risks Nukes + Inside Nuclear Launch Command Chain w/Former Head of U.S. Strategic Command + IPPNW’s Ira Helfand at UN for NPT

What you never want to see in your neighborhood…

This Week’s Featured Interview:

Gen. C. Robert Kehler, Ret., former Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, explains from inside the process how an order from the Commander in Chief to launch nuclear weapons would unfold down the chain of command. Excerpts from an interview conducted at the 2024 Outrider Nuclear Reporting Summit. He was interviewed on stage in front of an audience of 130 reporters by W.J. (Bill) Hennigan, Correspondent, New York Times Opinion. A nuanced military insider’s take on what the nuclear launch process looks like once an Executive Order to launch takes place. The interview took place on December 6, 2024, after Donald Trump was elected president but before he took office.

NOTE: This episode was ready to go with the full-length interview with Gen. Kehler, including a 20-minute section with his observations on nukes, deterrence, and AI. With the news of India’s attack on Pakistan and the downing of five Indian jets, the second half of the interview has been delayed to make room for this other story. We hope to be able to have it for you in a few weeks.

Our thanks to the Outrider Foundation for having held this event and for permission to use this recording on Nuclear Hotseat.

Ira Helfand of IPPNW at the United Nations for the NPT:

Dr. Ira Helfand, a board member of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), addressing the Third Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, on April 30, 2025. Watch the speech by clicking on the image above or go to: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1h/k1hse9op1q?kalturaStartTime=3685.
To read a copy of the speech or download a pdf, go to: https://peaceandhealthblog.com/2025/04/30/do-not-let-the-nuclear-armed-states-lead-us-down-the-path-to-death/

ICAN: The Five Myths of Nuclear Deterrence:

A two-page brochure/fact sheet that spells out why “deterrence” is a flawed defense of nuclear weapons. You can DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.

LINKS:

• 5 things to know as Trump rolls out Golden Dome missile defense shield
• Trump wants denuclearization and a ‘Golden Dome.’ He can’t have both
• International Responses to the Fukushima Water Release: Science and Politicss