此项决定是在美国1962推出所谓“灵活应对”的法令后而做出的。 灵活应对的含义是“只要苏联不对美国实施核打击，美国也不会使用核武器。
This decision was mainly grounded on the American doctrine, adopted in 1962, of “flexible response,” which said to the Soviets: “As long as you do not use nuclear weapons, we will not use them, either.”