We are willing to discuss it with anyone who wishes to do so,“ Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said. Apparently seeking to cool the controversy sparked by the release of the doctrine this week, Vajpayee stressed India would never be the first to use nuclear arms against a nuclear state and would never use them against a non-nuclear state. New Delhi unveiled the draft doctrine on Tuesday, saying it would pursue credible, minimum nuclear deterrence based on aircraft, ships and mobile land-based missiles. The National Security Advisory Board said the doctrine was aimed at convincing a potential aggressor that „any nuclear attack on India and its forces shall result in punitive retaliation with nuclear weapons to inflict damage unacceptable to the aggressor“. Washington criticised the document as „not encouraging“, and said it opposed India‘s intention to build a nuclear arsenal. Islamabad said it could not ignore New Delhi‘s plans to bolster its conventional and nuclear weapons programmes, and would intensify its reliance on nuclear capabilities to deter the threat of aggression. Vajpayee said the draft doctrine had been made public now because there were demands for an explanation of the country‘s control and command mechanism. Since India‘s nuclear tests last year, the United States has urged India to define its deterrent and to join non-proliferation accords. Pakistan followed India‘s underground blasts with tests of its own. Vajpayee said India was committed to the destruction of all nuclear weapons in the world and would join the five official nuclear states if they took such a step. He said India was also prepared to be part of a multinational commitment to no first use of nuclear weapons.