Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Germany - Time for Withdrawal?
U.S. tactical nuclear weapons (TNW) in Germany are generally considered a relic of the Cold War and not the subject of a broad public debate.[1] However, two developments currently fuel an ongoing discussion: plans to develop a new North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strategic concept by 2009, and the apparent withdrawal of U.S. TNW from Ramstein, Germany. This issue brief outlines the background of NATO's "nuclear sharing policy," examines initiatives in Germany to have U.S. TNW removed, and discusses the prospects for U.S. TNW withdrawal. Recent TNW Developments in Germany and Public Sentiments In January 2007, the U.S. Air Force removed the U.S. air base at Ramstein from a list of installations that receive periodic nuclear weapons inspections. According to Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, this indicates that the 130 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons that had been stockpiled at the air base during the Cold War may have been permanently removed.[2] If so, Germany now hosts only one site with U.S. nuclear weapons: Büchel air base. Since NATO and the United States make no public disclosures as to how many nuclear weapons are deployed, the exact number of TNWs in Germany is unconfirmed. Nonetheless, it is estimated that 20 nuclear warheads are now stationed at Büchel.[3] (...)
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James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, March 2008, Quelle: http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_tactical_nuclear_weapons.html