Annie Jacobsen

In addition to the launch on warning concept, there's this other insane concept called sole presidential authority. And you might think in a democracy that's impossible, right? You can't just start a war. Well, you can just start a nuclear war if you're the commander in chief, the president of the United States. In fact, you're the only one who can do that.

And we can get into later why that exists. I was able to get the origin story of that concept from Los Alamos. They declassified it for the book. But the idea behind that is that nuclear war will unfold so fast, only one person can be in charge. the president. He asked permission of no one, not the Secretary of Defense, not the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not the U.S. Congress.

And we can get into later why that exists. I was able to get the origin story of that concept from Los Alamos. They declassified it for the book. But the idea behind that is that nuclear war will unfold so fast, only one person can be in charge. the president. He asked permission of no one, not the Secretary of Defense, not the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not the U.S. Congress.

And we can get into later why that exists. I was able to get the origin story of that concept from Los Alamos. They declassified it for the book. But the idea behind that is that nuclear war will unfold so fast, only one person can be in charge. the president. He asked permission of no one, not the Secretary of Defense, not the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not the U.S. Congress.

So built into that is this extraordinary speed you talk about, the six-minute window. And some people say, oh, that's ridiculous. How do we know that six-minute window? Well, here's the best sort of You know, hitting the nail on the head statement I can give you, which is in President Reagan's memoirs, he refers to the six minute window and he says he calls it irrational, which it is.

So built into that is this extraordinary speed you talk about, the six-minute window. And some people say, oh, that's ridiculous. How do we know that six-minute window? Well, here's the best sort of You know, hitting the nail on the head statement I can give you, which is in President Reagan's memoirs, he refers to the six minute window and he says he calls it irrational, which it is.

So built into that is this extraordinary speed you talk about, the six-minute window. And some people say, oh, that's ridiculous. How do we know that six-minute window? Well, here's the best sort of You know, hitting the nail on the head statement I can give you, which is in President Reagan's memoirs, he refers to the six minute window and he says he calls it irrational, which it is.

He says, how can anyone make a decision to launch nuclear weapons based on a blip on a radar scope? His words to unleash Armageddon. And yet that is the reality behind nuclear war.

He says, how can anyone make a decision to launch nuclear weapons based on a blip on a radar scope? His words to unleash Armageddon. And yet that is the reality behind nuclear war.

He says, how can anyone make a decision to launch nuclear weapons based on a blip on a radar scope? His words to unleash Armageddon. And yet that is the reality behind nuclear war.

I mean, one of the things I found shocking was how little, apparently, most presidents know about the responsibility that literally lays at their feet, right? So you may think through this six-minute window, I may think through this six-minute window, but...

I mean, one of the things I found shocking was how little, apparently, most presidents know about the responsibility that literally lays at their feet, right? So you may think through this six-minute window, I may think through this six-minute window, but...

I mean, one of the things I found shocking was how little, apparently, most presidents know about the responsibility that literally lays at their feet, right? So you may think through this six-minute window, I may think through this six-minute window, but...

But what I learned, like, for example, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was really helpful in explaining this to me because before he was SecDef, he served as the director of the CIA. And before that, he was the White House chief of staff. And so he has seen these different roles that have been so close to the president.

But what I learned, like, for example, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was really helpful in explaining this to me because before he was SecDef, he served as the director of the CIA. And before that, he was the White House chief of staff. And so he has seen these different roles that have been so close to the president.

But what I learned, like, for example, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was really helpful in explaining this to me because before he was SecDef, he served as the director of the CIA. And before that, he was the White House chief of staff. And so he has seen these different roles that have been so close to the president.

But he explained to me that when he was the White House chief of staff for President Clinton, he noticed how President Clinton didn't want to ever really deal with the nuclear issue because he had so many other issues to deal with. And that only when Panetta became Secretary of Defense, he told me, did he really realize the weight of all of this?

But he explained to me that when he was the White House chief of staff for President Clinton, he noticed how President Clinton didn't want to ever really deal with the nuclear issue because he had so many other issues to deal with. And that only when Panetta became Secretary of Defense, he told me, did he really realize the weight of all of this?

But he explained to me that when he was the White House chief of staff for President Clinton, he noticed how President Clinton didn't want to ever really deal with the nuclear issue because he had so many other issues to deal with. And that only when Panetta became Secretary of Defense, he told me, did he really realize the weight of all of this?

Because he knew he would be the person that the president would turn to were he to be notified of a nuclear attack. And by the way, it's the launch on warning. It's the ballistic missile seen from outer space by the satellite. And then there also must be a second confirmation from a ground radar system.