Berliner Informationszentrum Für Transatlantische Sicherheit (BITS)
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Berliner Informationszentrum für Transatlantische Sicherheit (BITS) Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security (BITS) BITS Policy Note 05.3 ISSN 1434-3274 May 2005 Nuclear Disarmament, Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and Nuclear Sharing Should Germany end U.S. 'nuclear outsourcing'? Otfried Nassauer Fifty years after the arrival of the first nu- And therefore I support the endeavour to clear weapons on German soil a - perhaps achieve a withdrawal of these weapons in decisive - debate on their future has begun. concert with NATO”.3 Public demands to withdraw the remaining Presently, the Federal Government plans to nuclear weapons from Germany are becom- arrange for consultations with Belgium, Italy ing more numerous.1 Furthermore, relevant and the Netherlands, since these countries - decision-makers have recently joined the like Germany - stockpile American nuclear chorus being either in favour of a with- weapons on their territory as part of their drawal or at least regarding such a demand nd nuclear sharing agreements in NATO. In a worthy of consideration. On May 2 For- second step it is planned to approach the eign Minister Joschka Fischer referred to U.S. and NATO on this issue. A meeting of this demand as a “reasonable initiative”, the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG), sched- which the government will "seriously" take uled for June 9th and 10th in Brussels, would into consideration.2 Defence Minister Peter th offer an opportunity for this. It will be the Struck announced on May 6 “that we will first meeting of this NATO body after an 18 mention this issue in the relevant NATO month long break. bodies”, and stated: “Together with those other allies, on whose territory nuclear The course of action proposed by the Fed- weapons are deployed, we will deliberate eral Government is to look for ways to end this". Furthermore, one can assume that the deployment of nuclear weapons in Kurt Beck (SPD), Prime Minister of the Europe in concert with those European State of Rhineland-Palatinate, which is the NATO states being in a similar situation. It sole remaining federal state still housing points in the right direction. Since most nuclear weapons, has conferred with Struck security policy experts agree that these before their recent visit of the U.S. Air weapons have no real military value nowa- Force Headquarters at Ramstein, where he days and are presumably kept mainly for added: “I completely share the view of the symbolic reasons, it is time to talk about Federal Government that the we no longer their withdrawal. have a threat situation which justifies in any way maintaining this storage permanently. Berliner Informationszentrum für Transatlantische Sicherheit (BITS) Rykestr. 13, 10405 Berlin, Tel 030 446858-0, Fax 030 4410-221 Homepage: http://www.bits.de Email: [email protected] Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security (BITS) Rykestr. 13, 10405 Berlin, Germany, ph +49 30 446858-0, fax +49 30 4410-221 2 It is to be welcomed that the Federal The Proposal Republic, being of particular importance as The Federal Government of Germany Europe's largest deployment site, has should pushed this debate and wants to strive for a consensus on the withdrawal. 1. declare Germany's willingness to abandon existing technical capabilities Nevertheless, the Federal Government and of the German Air Force to use U.S. German Parliament (Bundestag) should also nuclear weapons during NATO op- take a second step which could help to un- erations in times of war; derline the seriousness of their intentions and avoid a crucial disadvantage of the 2. initiate consultations with other Euro- charted course of action: Sticking to the pean member states of NATO, which original plan would mean, that the German possess similar capabilities, on their decision to give up nuclear weapons and the readiness and willingness to follow associated capabilities to employ them on- suit; board German aircrafts inside the frame- 3. initiate consultations with these Euro- work of NATO would come too late to pean NATO member states in order influence the ongoing and extremely diffi- to achieve a common position to cult negotiations on the future of the Nu- work together in NATO for a with- clear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in a drawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons positive fashion. These will end on May 27th from European soil; - two weeks before a possible decision by 4. introduce such an initiative in pursuit NATO. Therefore, Germany is about to of a positive decision in time for the miss an opportunity to substantially session of the NATO defence minis- strengthen nuclear non-proliferation and ters on June 9th and 10th, when they nuclear disarmament. meet as the Nuclear Planning Group; In his statement at the opening of the Re- 5. inform the participants of the NPT view Conference on the Nuclear Non- Review Conference in New York as Proliferation Treaty on May 2nd Germany's soon as possible on the measures Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer remarked taken by Germany. in an explicit fashion: “We should re- examine the existing arsenals of strategic The Bundestag should add a corresponding and sub-strategic (formerly 'tactical' - ON) resolution as a supplement to the present nuclear weapons and energetically work to resolution on support for the NPT Review further reduce them. (...) What we need now Conference. is a new impetus for nuclear disarmament.” Thereby, Germany would leave the technical And further onward: “It is our objective to dimension of NATO's nuclear sharing ar- reduce and eliminate these weapons on all rangement. It declares its readiness to aban- 4 sides”. Fischer made clear, that the Federal don the capability of German aircrafts and Government hopes that the Review Confer- pilots to use U.S. nuclear weapons in times ence could achieve a 'balanced' outcome in of war once the U.S. President authorised regard to the two main goals of the NPT, their use. Practically, this would mean, that non-proliferation and disarmament. Germany This policy paper presents and explains a · will no longer provide aircraft and pi- proposal, by which the Federal Government lots for future nuclear missions of can independently contribute to a successful NATO, conclusion of the NPT Review Conference this month. · will phase out its nuclear-capable air- craft, · halts all training measures for these purposes, Berliner Informationszentrum für Transatlantische Sicherheit (BITS) Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security (BITS) 3 · cancels the respective agreements that those of the nuclear power USA.9 constitute the legal basis for the tech- Numerous reasons and arguments can be nical dimension of nuclear sharing. listed in favour of implementing this pro- For many years now, a majority of the NPT posal during the NPT Review Conference. member states have regarded NATO's prac- This measure tice of nuclear sharing as a violation of the 1. is the only step by which Germany, as spirit, if not even the letter of the NPT. This a non-nuclear state, can actively con- view was again voiced repeatedly and explic- 5 tribute to disarmament of existing itly at the present Review Conference. military nuclear capabilities and the The above mentioned proposal corresponds respective delivery systems; with the mid- and long-term plans of the 2. can facilitate long overdue discussions German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The on the inclusion of tactical or sub- Bundeswehr wants to convert its two re- strategic weapons, into the arms con- maining Tornado units, which can contrib- trol debate - or respectively actively ute to nuclear sharing capacities. On January encourage to push for such a discus- 29th, 2001, the "Order of the Day", issued by sion - especially with respect to Rus- the Air Force Chief of Staff outlining plans sia; to adopt the “Air Force Structure 5”, stated, 3. is a clear signal that Germany consid- that the 31. and 33. Fighter-Bomber Wings ers nuclear weapons to have a lesser “will be equipped with the multi-role capa- role for security policy in the future; ble EF 2000 between 2007-2010 and 2012- 4. constitutes a confidence-building 2015”. The multi-role Eurofighter is not measure; designed as a nuclear-capable aircraft. Par- liamentary Secretary of State of the Ministry 5. strengthens the Nuclear Non- of Defence, Walter Kolbow, reassured the proliferation Treaty, because by Ger- Bundestag in July 2004: “It is not planned many terminating nuclear sharing, a and no steps are undertaken to make the practice is ended which the majority Eurofighter weapon system capable for a of the state parties to the NPT regards mission with nuclear weapons.”6 Therefore: as a violation of the spirit, if not the In about ten years time the German contri- letter of the treaty; and bution to the technical dimension of nuclear 6. explicitly demonstrates that Germany sharing is scheduled to be phased out any- is committed to pursue a restrictive way. This raises the question, why this can’t interpretation and strict adherence to happen now - or asking the other way the NPT without any compromises. around: which reasons justify maintaining this expensive capability for another ten In addition, regarding the other non-nuclear years? NATO member states which are at present also parties to the nuclear sharing mecha- The proposal would not prevent other, nism, Germany takes a leading and con- more far-reaching but also more complex structive role, encouraging the other states. and time-consuming attempts to reach an to follow suit in an analogue fashion. agreement with the U.S. on a complete withdrawal of all nuclear weapons from The legions of arguments which have been Germany and Europe.7 Instead, it could fielded throughout Germany's 50 years of serve as a first step on the way towards history in favour of maintaining the techni- achieving these longer term goals.