This is John Patsch, a conversation with Peter Husey about strategic weapons, the Russians and the Americans and the Chinese.

Comes to a question about the Cold War, first Cold War.

There was an operation called Dead Hand. We're told this after the fall of the Soviet Union.

It meant that the weapons would launch whether there was anyone alive or not to give

the order. Speaking to Peter Husey, do we have such a plan? Peter gives a very careful response.

Much more of this tonight about strategic weapons in the news, always, that we vaguely described as a

dead hand would launch the nuclear warheads, even if all

the leadership was decapped in Moscow. Do we have a plan like that now?

What, America? Yeah. Well, I don't have the kind of classification that would be required to know,

but I'll tell you my guess is no,

that we have a man that the president is authorized or if he isn't there, the vice president,

to launch any kind of retaliation because you don't want to launch a retaliation and then go,

oops, we got the wrong guy. Okay. So, and given the speed with which

misinformation can get to you, just as good information can get to you, you want to be absolutely

certain that what you're doing is kosher, so to speak.