Obama’s Greatest Bi-Partisan Event Leaves Questions

One of the greatest accomplishments of Senator Obama and the past few years has been the bi-partisan effort w Sen Lugar (R) to contain the spread of loose nuclear weapons to rogue states and to terrorist groups that might be used by rogue states as a deniable/stealthy means of attack. Once a terrorist-delivered nuke destroys a city-like Los Angeles, it will happen w/little or no warning, and take months of forensics to determine the possible nation responsible for the matl. However, nukes tend to destroy most evidence, so it could take longer-particularly if the forensic facilities were destroyed.

QUESTION:

If a President DOES know who is responsible via human intelligence reporting, and/or electronic intercepts (as was the case w the 911 attacks), then would President Obama, or President McCain have the resolve to order a massive retaliatory strike capable of deterring the nation the sponsored the attack as well as other nations? Would he be willing to launch bombs knowing there’d be civilian casualties? Would Senator McCain (who has already, personally and repeatedly dropped bombs on civilians back in Vietnam) be capable of giving the order to kill millions of people?

It’s a thought worth considering especially since the purpose of a terrorist delivered nuke is to
1) provide no warning
2) provide no trace to the state that also benefits from the attack and sponsored it
3) impose terror

Imagine the terror in American cities as days and weeks went by without any forensic reporting as to who was responsible for destroying an American city? Would people stay in the cities? Would the economy survive if they left? So many questions. So few visuals. Here is one in almost real time where a state blows up LA, and the US instantly (best case circumstances) knows who is responsible.