range missiles that by the late 1960s it was seen as easier to attack the U.S. rather than to defend its own cities. 258 Finally, conflicts and instabilities in the broader environment of the Cold War renewed potential for nuclear warfare to still be a global threat. The U.S. conflict in Vietnam, which defined the Cold War in the 1960s, was one example of an escalating conflict. Although nuclear weapons were never considered to be used on the Viet-Kong, Tennenwald claims that they were considered should China enter the conflict. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded should Chinese intervention “occur on a basis of remotely resembling Korea, possibly the use of nuclear weapons at some point is why we have them.” 259 Should the U.S. and China engage in a nuclear conflict, further concern was given to the role of the Soviet Union in such an event, Under Secretary of State George Ball wrote in a 1964 memo- “The best judgement is that the Soviet Union could not sit by and let nuclear weapons be used agai nst China.” 260 This concern worried President Johnson who was haunted by the fear of Soviet and Chinese intervention, which led him to conduct and lose a limited conflict in Vietnam rather than risk nuclear escalation. One of the latter examples of renewed tensions in the 1960s came during the six day Arab-Israeli war of June 1967. In the conflict between Israel and Egypt, the U.S. and Soviet Union backed both sides respectively. 261 As Israel made territorial gains Kosygin threatened military action ov er the Leader’s hotline. Tensions were even more aggravated when President Johnson responded by moving the U.S fleet including aircraft carriers into Syrian waters. This can be seen as a relapse by both sides into brinksmanship politics between 258 Ibid, pp.41. 259 Nina Tannenwald, The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Normative Basis of Nuclear Non-Use, International Organisation, Vol 53. Issue 3. Summer 1999, pp.194. 260 Ibid, pp.201. 261 Dumbrell, 2012, pp.423
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