PRESS RELEASE

11 June 2003

NATO Defence Ministers to discuss 
nuclear policy in Brussels?

NATO watchers are becoming increasingly concerned that the evolving nuclear strategy of the US and the UK will have a serious impact on the Alliance’s nuclear policy, as it has done in the past. Although not discussed at the Foreign Ministers meeting in Madrid last week, it is an issue that may be considered during the Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels 12/13 June.

The question for NATO member states is whether to acquiesce with these developments and to continue with an opaque and ambiguous nuclear policy or to argue for clarification and adherence to international norms.

For European NATO members and Canada, ambiguity may be preferable to challenging US counter-proliferation strategies, particularly at a time when efforts are being made to heal NATO disagreements and bridge the transatlantic rift. 

“The United States has an estimated 150 tactical nuclear weapons based in continental Europe. The recipient nations – Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey - must address the charge that NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements are acts of non-compliance under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” said BASIC Director Dr Ian Davis.

There are further estimated 30 US tactical nuclear weapons based at ‘RAF’ Lakenheath in Suffolk available for delivery by USAF F15 ‘Strike Eagles’.

The US and the UK delegations to the NPT PrepCom in Geneva last month dismissed suggestions that their evolving nuclear strategies undermined the security assurances that both countries have given not to target non-nuclear weapons states with nuclear weapons. Yet both nations have threatened to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states found to be producing chemical or biological weapons.

The final communiqué from Madrid stated:

The Alliance stresses the importance of abiding by and strengthening existing international arms control and disarmament accords and multilateral non-proliferation and export control regimes. In particular, we underline our commitment to reinforcing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the pre-eminent non-proliferation and disarmament mechanism, and ensuring the full compliance with it by all states party to the Treaty.

“Discussion of the role of NATO nuclear weapons continues to be conducted behind closed doors and may be presented for review or approval to the Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning Group meeting of NATO’s Defence Ministers in Brussels, this week,” Dr Davis concluded.

NB: A more detailed paper on this issue 
can be found on the BASIC website at:

http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Notes/2003NATOnukes.htm

For further information and requests for interview, please phone BASIC’s London Office on +44 (0)20 7407 2977 or BASIC’s Washington Office on +001 202 347 8340

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