We Need American Nuclear Warheads in Europe

Europe is discussing the removal of American nuclear weapons from the Old Continent. Poland should support a reduction but not a complete withdrawal.

In the air bases of the five NATO members of Turkey, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy are about 200 ultramodern B-61 bombs armed with nuclear warheads. The exact number and locations are a strict secret. These weapons are called tactical weapons because they are small and their striking distance is much shorter than that of ordinary atomic bombs.

During the Cold War years, these bombs were meant to be a deterrent to the Soviet Union. In case of a mass attack of Warsaw Pact forces, NATO wanted to use these bombs to halt the anticipated armored spearhead. In order to use those bombs, the alliance wanted to use specially modified American aircraft as well as planes from the forces of the five host countries.

Currently, NATO is debating what to do with those weapons. In May 2012, the alliance will decide on how to change their approach to nuclear deterrence. The debate is ongoing, although it is currently taking place between experts and has no input from the public.

A group of alliance members, mainly from western and northern Europe, is of the opinion that nuclear weapons have lost their usefulness after the end of the Cold War. Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy are currently cutting their defense budgets and would gladly like to stop paying for the expensive maintenance of these weapons.

In addition, the Germans are planning to retire the Tornado airplane which was designed to carry these bombs. They are planning to replace them with EuroFighters, which are not equipped for such a task. No one in NATO believes that the Germans will buy airplanes just so they can carry American bombs.

The countries of Central Europe want the B-61 bombs to stay as they are unsure Russia’s plans for the future.

“We are disturbed by the existence of rebuilt tactical nuclear arsenals near the borders of the EU and NATO,” the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared in an official statement.

The spokesperson for the ministry went on to say that “NATO should firstly strive towards building trust with regards to tactical nuclear weapons and only then create conditions for reduction while enforcing parity. Eventual reductions would have to be done in a manner agreed upon by all members of the alliance.”

Poland is concerned about the about the several hundred short range missiles and the unknown number of tactical nuclear weapons deployed by Russia in the Kaliningrad region. The swift removal of the B-61 is out of the question. If Germany and Belgium think that they can make a decision without Warsaw’s consent, they are mistaken.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates made an appeal to Europe’s NATO members that they do not forget that NATO’s foundations are based on the equal sharing of the risks and expenses by all members of the alliance. Most experts thought he was talking only about Afghanistan. Gates, however, was also referring to tactical nuclear weapons.

The Democratic-leaning Brookings Institute in Washington recently declared that the maintenance of the current system is impossible. No one can afford it, and it is opposed by public opinion and the political elites in Western Europe.

On the other hand, according to Steven Pifer, one of the most renowned American nuclear experts, the nuclear arsenal serves as a tool to make the Central European members feel less concerned. After all, NATO exists so that its members can feel secure.

Franklin Miller, the former White House and Pentagon adviser on nuclear policy, predicts that the complete withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Europe would cause a crisis of trust and lead to the eventual dismemberment of the alliance. He accuses the old members of NATO of being arrogant and selfish. “For decades, they begged the United States for protection from a nuclear attack, but the moment they feel safer, they deny the same to the new members of the alliance.”

Miller, Pifer and many experts from Central Europe are of the opinion that the alliance is slowly becoming a paper tiger. Denying the alliance tactical nuclear weapons, maintained and financed together by all the members, would spell a further disintegration of the alliance.

Undoubtedly the opponents of an American nuclear presence in Europe have strong arguments, but even if they don’t believe in the Russian menace, they should care about the unity of the alliance.

Warsaw, along with Paris, who also is opposed to the withdrawal of the B-61 bombs from Europe, should lobby for the continued presence of the American warheads on the Old Continent. The only topic worthy of discussion is the number that remains there.