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American nukes in Europe serve NATO political point
Published: 22 May, 2010, 03:53
Edited: 23 May, 2010, 13:15
TAGS: Arms, NATO, Nuclear, Politics, Europe, USA
An estimated 200 US air-dropped gravity nuclear bombs wil remain on military bases throughout Europe, according to a draft version of NATO’s new mission statement.
The nuclear weapons, which are stationed in non-nuclear NATO member states, have remained in the region because they are in line with NATO’s mission to preempt any potential nuclear war.
The American warheads are remnants of the Cold War, and many European states, including Germany and Belgium, want them removed.
The placement of American nuclear weapons in Europe was designed to deter the Cold War Soviet threat. Later, the idea was to maintain the nuclear shield to prevent European states from creating their own nuclear programs under US protection.
“These weapons are designed to ward off a Cold War threat and very much are not designed to tackle the current challenges to Euro-Atlantic security; cyber-terrorism, catastrophic climate change and all the other new and much more diffuse threats that face European security today,” said security analyst Dex Torricke-Barton.
These weapons remain in Europe in part because some still think there is a need to defend from a Russian threat. However the more accurate logic is political.
“These weapons are placed there to provide evidence of the strength of the Transatlantic alliance. But, it’s a very very expensive and dangerous political point to make,” said Torricke-Barton.
The maintenance of the weapons comes at a high cost. Although the political climate in the United States favors a reduction in government spending and cutting the deficit this is not a program the US seems ready to cut.
“There is enormous good will on Capitol Hill at the moment among the Democratic Party to pursue the main plank of Obama’s foreign policy; that is achieving a nuclear free world. But, when it comes to looking after your own home state’s defense industries, absolutely, there is going to be much greater good will for that,” said Torricke-Barton.
22.05.2010, 01:16
3 comments
US and Europe face off over nuclear weaponsA draft version of NATO’s new mission statement released May 17 recommends keeping an estimated 200 US air-dropped gravity nuclear bombs on military bases throughout Europe. |
22.05.2010, 04:25
White House should have let Blair do his jobOn May 20, Dennis Blair resigned from his position as the US Director of National Intelligence after being highly criticized by the US Senate Intelligence Committee. |
Any US weapons on foreign soil are there as a contingency. In order to ensure US security globally as well as domestically (some may also say in order to secure thier empire too) the US must station capital equipment / heavy weapons and personel around the world. This is simple and sensible millitary planning.
It's a sad state of a charade the U.S. continues to pretend it's a 'super power'.
Does it really need to propagate a 'shadow cold war' in some event a puppet president of the global Bilderberg's (Post Harry Truman) is going to have time to tell a NukWep Team to load an aircraft and launch somewhere to prevent a what from happening where? Or is that the plan? Alan Dulles must have whispered this in Eisenhower's ear to go ahead with the Atoms for Peace program in the Middle East. Then General Electric had Reagan programmed do a 'Teddy Roosevelt carry a big stick act' with Star Wars to supposedly head fake our best WWII allies-the Russians. If the world thinks those U.S. Patriot Missiles worked in the Persian Gulf War, then those war mongers have won a propaganda victory. George W Bush had no business becomingpresident, let alone negating the 1972 ABM Treaty.