A Scare for NATO

[kaima]

Nato-Abschreckung
Sicherheitsexperte Ischinger warnt vor Abzug der US-Atombomben aus Deutschland

A Scare for NATO
Security expert Ischinger warns of the withdrawal of the US atomic bombs from Germany

The coalition negotiations also deal with the question of whether the US should withdraw its nuclear weapons from the Federal Republic. Wolfgang Ischinger thinks nothing of this - especially with regard to Poland.
10/28/2021, 02:51 am


Bundeswehr jet fighter in Büchel (Rhineland-Palatinate), where US nuclear weapons are stationed
Enlarge image


Bundeswehr jet fighter in Büchel (Rhineland-Palatinate), where US nuclear weapons are stationed Photo: Harald Tittel / dpa
It is estimated that 20 US atomic bombs are still stationed at the Büchel Air Force Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, which are to be dropped by Bundeswehr fighter jets in an emergency.

Both the party and parliamentary group leadership of the SPD and the Greens have campaigned for the withdrawal of these nuclear weapons in the past. This would mean that Germany would withdraw from NATO's nuclear deterrent. The issue will play a role in the coalition negotiations.



Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference
Enlarge image
Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
However, security expert Wolfgang Ischinger warns against questioning German participation in NATO's nuclear deterrent. With a view to the ongoing coalition negotiations between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, the head of the Munich Security Conference told the dpa news agency that a withdrawal of the US atomic bombs from Germany would have serious consequences for security in Europe.




After years of secrecy: USA again publishes the number of their nuclear warheads (Following post)
USA publishes the number of their nuclear warheads again
"In terms of security policy, we will pull the rug from under the Poles' feet if Germany pulls out of nuclear deterrence," said Ischinger.

Topic causes trouble in outgoing government
Poland could then insist on the stationing of atomic bombs on its territory, he warned. "An active Polish role in NATO's nuclear deterrent would in turn have consequences in Moscow that I don't even want to think about," said Ischinger. “My guess is the consequences would be disastrous. NATO would move even closer to Russia in terms of nuclear power. ”Far too little thought is given in the German discussion.



SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich had criticized statements by the outgoing Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU), who had admitted German participation in NATO's nuclear deterrent, last weekend. He accused her of turning the "escalation screw" with Russia.




In den Koalitionsverhandlungen geht es auch um die Frage, ob die USA ihre Atomwaffen aus der Bundesrepublik abziehen sollen. Wolfgang Ischinger hält davon nichts – besonders mit Blick auf Polen.
28.10.2021, 02.51 Uhr


Kampfjet der Bundeswehr in Büchel (Rheinland-Pfalz), wo US-Atomwaffen stationiert sind
Bild vergrößern
Kampfjet der Bundeswehr in Büchel (Rheinland-Pfalz), wo US-Atomwaffen stationiert sind Foto: Harald Tittel/ dpa
Auf dem Luftwaffenstützpunkt Büchel in Rheinland-Pfalz sind Schätzungen zufolge noch 20 US-Atombomben stationiert, die im Ernstfall von Bundeswehr-Kampfjets abgeworfen werden sollen.

Sowohl die Partei- und Fraktionsführung der SPD als auch die Grünen haben sich in der Vergangenheit für einen Abzug dieser Nuklearwaffen starkgemacht. Damit würde sich Deutschland aus der nuklearen Abschreckung der Nato zurückziehen. Das Thema wird in den Koalitionsverhandlungen eine Rolle spielen.


Wolfgang Ischinger, Vorsitzender der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz
Bild vergrößern
Wolfgang Ischinger, Vorsitzender der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz Foto: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
Der Sicherheitsexperte Wolfgang Ischinger warnt jedoch davor, die deutsche Beteiligung an der atomaren Abschreckung der Nato infrage zu stellen. Mit Blick auf die laufenden Koalitionsverhandlungen von SPD, Grünen und FDP sagte der Chef der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz der Nachrichtenagentur dpa, ein Abzug der US-Atombomben aus Deutschland würde schwerwiegende Folgen für die Sicherheit in Europa haben.




Nach jahrelanger Geheimhaltung: USA veröffentlichen wieder Anzahl ihrer Atomsprengköpfe
USA veröffentlichen wieder Anzahl ihrer Atomsprengköpfe
»Den Polen ziehen wir sicherheitspolitisch den Teppich unter den Füßen weg, wenn Deutschland aus der nuklearen Abschreckung aussteigt«, so Ischinger.

Thema sorgt in scheidender Regierung für Ärger
Polen könnte dann auf einer Stationierung von Atombomben auf seinem Territorium bestehen, warnte er weiter. »Eine aktive polnische Rolle bei der nuklearen Abschreckung der Nato hätte dann wiederum Folgen in Moskau, über die ich gar nicht nachdenken möchte«, so Ischinger. »Meine Vermutung ist, die Folgen wären katastrophal. Die Nato würde nuklear noch näher an Russland heranrücken.« In der deutschen Diskussion werde viel zu wenig darüber nachgedacht.



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Mehr erfahren...Distributed by CONATIVE
SPD-Fraktionschef Rolf Mützenich hatte erst vergangenes Wochenende Äußerungen der scheidenden Verteidigungsministerin Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) kritisiert, die sich zur deutschen Beteiligung an der atomaren Abschreckung der Nato bekannt hatte. Er warf ihr vor, an der »Eskalationsschraube« mit Russland zu drehen.

[kaima]

After years of secrecy
USA publishes the number of their nuclear warheads again
Former President Donald Trump had declared the number to be a military secret, and his successor is striving for transparency: The US government has announced that it has fewer nuclear warheads than it has had since 1967.
06.10.2021, 04.28 a.m.

www.spiegel.de/ausland/usa-veroeffentlichen-wieder-anzahl-ihrer-atomsprengkoepfe-a-4b29563e-8217-465a-8d2e-2b28b8d81a40



A US Titan II ICBM is in a museum in Arizona: Visitors are informed about the Cold War, among other things Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP



The US has published the number of its nuclear warheads for the first time in several years. According to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday , the government was able to fall back on 3750 operational and non-operational nuclear warheads on September 30th last year. That is 55 less than a year earlier.


In addition to the number given by the ministry, there are around 2,000 decommissioned nuclear warheads that are to be dismantled. The current number is the lowest since the height of the Cold War with Russia in 1967, when the US had 31,255 warheads.

Former US President Donald Trump had declared the number of nuclear warheads a military secret and did not disclose it even after a request from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). The last time the figures were published was in March 2018: At that time it was said that the USA had 3822 nuclear warheads in September of the previous year.


"Back to transparency," commented Hans Kristensen on the latest announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he is director of the so-called Nuclear Information Project at the FAS. The Biden government is wise to reverse the policies of the previous government. The fact that the stocks have now been disclosed will help US diplomats in arms control negotiations and at next year's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference, said Kristensen.




The administration of US President Joe Biden is trying to resume arms control talks with Russia. More transparency in the state's nuclear weapons stocks is "important for non-proliferation and disarmament efforts," said the Foreign Ministry.


Under Trump, the US had reduced its disarmament agreements with Russia as a whole. So they got out of the INF treaty on nuclear disarmament in the medium-range range. The US also terminated the Open Skies Treaty on arms control from the air. In the negotiations on an extension of the New Start Agreement, Trump unsuccessfully advocated the inclusion of China.


The US and Russia extended the New Start Agreement shortly after Biden took office. Otherwise it would have expired on February 5th. By signing, Washington and Moscow committed to reducing their nuclear warheads to a maximum of 1,550 each.

Russian and US diplomats held closed-door talks in Geneva last week to discuss a follow-up deal for New Start and conventional weapons. A US representative called the talks "productive". Both sides said the mere fact that the talks were taking place was positive.

According to a January count by the Swedish Peace Research Institute in Stockholm (Sipri), which also recorded decommissioned warheads, the USA had 5550 warheads, Russia 6255, China 350, Great Britain 225 and France 290. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea together had around 460 nuclear warheads

[karl]

Kai

Just a comment on the removal of Nuclear weapons out of Germany. It was enough over these many years to have those things stored on our soil, with this to make us a target in case of war. In the matter of Nuclear weapons, we have France behind us who would be eager to use theirs in the case of war, with this, if Poland wishes to have those things based on their soil, my personal hat is off to them.

Karl

[kaima]

Oct 28, 2021 17:19:35 GMT -7 karl said:

Kai

Just a comment on the removal of Nuclear weapons out of Germany. It was enough over these many years to have those things stored on our soil, with this to make us a target in case of war. In the matter of Nuclear weapons, we have France behind us who would be eager to use theirs in the case of war, with this, if Poland wishes to have those things based on their soil, my personal hat is off to them.

Karl

Karl, my job for ten years was to build facilities for NATO and the US Army, mostly in Germany. I was content to stay in areas I was allowed and needed to be on the job, so though I grew up wondering (and still wonder) at how fast the aircraft can go or how deep the submarine, I also grew up in a mafia neighborhood where everyone knew you lived a healthier and longer life if there were things you never knew. So restraining my desire to poke into secrets came naturally for me.

I knew one or two locations where nuclear weapons were reputed to be stored, but I never had need to go into that area. What did shock me were some of the news articles I read after the Wall opened up, when articles were quietly published and forgotten, such as the military knowledge that small "tactical nuclear weapons" were a firm part of the NATO plan to stop the Soviet hoards if they ever invaded - one nuke, one Soviet battalion, or such a formula. However, the density of German villages is such that it also meant - one nuke, one village lost, as well! That is one heck of a price to be willing to pay to fight a war (much less consider: who will be left to 'win' the war?)

I never wanted to see Poland or the rest of the Soviet satellite countries join NATO.. In the 1990's I did have the radical idea of integrating modern Russia into NATO - with integrated troop units of all NATO nations scattered around Europe, the Russians would be on the inside and see what was happening. They would also be numerically so small and scattered that mounting an invasion would be extremely difficult. A disaster like the war filled breakup of Yugoslavia would also have been impossible.

Well, George HW Bush had no imagination. He sat on his hands wondering what to do for 4 months of opportunity, and then turned to a gathering of European nations to puzzle out what to do, how to reorder Europe without the Iron Curtain.

Kai

[karl]

Kai

I must say you have my greatest respect for you very mature and realistic view points and work history. Yes, one nuclear weapon detonation in our crowded land would have a very bad effect of killing people not to mention of the loss of agriculture land through post detonation radioactive pollution.

Karl