Nuclear Weapons in Germany: Broaden and Deepen the Debate – CEIP
(PDF) – On February 9, the London-based Centre for European Reform released a brief by Franklin Miller, George Robertson, and Kori Schake criticizing the new German government for seeking “the withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany.” The authors’ international standing makes their essay worthy of debate. The three authors report that NATO now retains “200-odd” air-deliverable nuclear bombs on bases with U.S. and allied air crews in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey. In contrast, Russia deploys approximately 2,000 operational “tactical” nuclear weapons. The presence of the U.S./NATO bombs in Europe, the three write, “affirms the coupling of US nuclear forces – including US strategic forces—to the defence of NATO territory. Bluntly put, the nuclear arsenal in Europe serves to put the US homeland at risk to nuclear attack if NATO is forced to resort to using Europe-based nuclear bombs to defend its borders. This in turn signals to any potential aggressor the risks of an attack against NATO far outweigh possible gains.” – by George Perkovich