Posted on 02/10/2005 9:05:45 AM PST by Destro
U.S. Said to Remove Its Nukes From Greece
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
(02-09) 14:07 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --
The United States quietly removed the last of its nuclear bombs from Greece early in President Bush's first term, making Greece the first NATO ally where nuclear weapons have been completely withdrawn, according to a new study by private defense experts.
The change, which the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed, was disclosed in a book published last month _ "Code Names," by William Arkin. The Natural Resources Defense Council, a private group that advocates arms control, described the change in detail in a study released Wednesday.
Arkin said he believes the withdrawal from Greece could lead to an unraveling of NATO's long-standing policy of "burden sharing" in the hosting of U.S. nuclear weapons, which are meant to deter an attack on Europe but are highly unpopular among segments of the European population.
Enormous political battles were fought in Germany and other European NATO countries over the early 1980s deployment of new U.S. ground-launched missiles capable of striking the former Soviet Union. Those weapons were withdrawn in the early 1990s, but air-launched bombs remained.
The NATO countries that still host U.S. nuclear weapons are Belgium, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. Reports on the number of these weapons vary. The study released Wednesday said the total is as high as 480, but others believe it is about 200.
"It is a bit of a mystery," Arkin said, about whether the correct total is 480 or something lower. He said it is possible that 480 is the authorized maximum but the actual number deployed is in the 150-200 range.
A Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said Wednesday that as a matter of policy the U.S. government does not discuss the numbers, capabilities or locations of its nuclear weapons abroad. The only nuclear weapons deployed beyond U.S. borders are in Europe and aboard ballistic missile submarines.
"Nuclear weapons support the general deterrence goals of the NATO alliance," Whitman said.
The defense council study said 20 U.S. nuclear bombs were airlifted out of Araxos air base in southern Greece in the spring of 2001. President Bill Clinton authorized the removal of the bombs in a top-secret document dated Nov. 29, 2000, according to a person who has seen the document.
U.S. nuclear weapons also were removed from two air bases in Turkey in 1991 and one air base in Italy in 1993, the study said, but other nuclear bombs are still stored elsewhere in those countries.
"The trend seems clear: Nuclear burden-sharing in NATO, in as far as host country nuclear strike missions are concerned, is on a slow but steady decline toward ending altogether," the study said.
The United States has stationed nuclear weapons in Europe since 1954.
The weapons that were at Greece's Araxos air base were intended for use by the Greek air force, in coordination with the United States. But when Greece scrapped its older A-7E warplanes as certified to carry nuclear bombs in the late 1990s, it did not replace them with a new certified nuclear-capable aircraft, thus prompting removal of the weapons, Arkin said in an interview from his home in Vermont.
Arkin, a former Army intelligence officer, has written numerous books on nuclear weapons and other military topics. In "Code Names," he discloses the classified code name _ Flaming Arrow _ of the U.S.-only UHF communications network that is installed at all main operating bases and munitions support squadrons in Europe where nuclear warheads are stored.
The high-frequency nuclear weapons radio communications system that would be used to transmit a U.S. presidential authority for the launch of nuclear weapons in Europe is code-named Regency, Arkin wrote.
Those two code names are still being used today. Arkin justifies revealing them by saying his information was gathered from documents in the public domain or through interviews with government officials.
___
On the Net:
National Resources Defense Council study:
Defense Department:
www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/contents.asp
www.defense.gov
On a completely different note... There was a FLAMING ARROW found in the street of IRAN today... ;-)
Our sucidal, unilateral disarmament continues unabated.
Your kidding right? We still have about 400 nukes left in Europe.
Those goofy Greeks are on their own, now. Careful what you ask for. The place will become a petri dish for all the Middle East disaffected losers. Asta la bye bye, guys!
What's your opinion, Destro?
Secondly, almost all nuclear arms are being removed from Europe. Greece was the first because she scrapped her aged nuke bomb carring planes and decided not to replace them in favor of spending their budget on conventional air fighters.
So removing the nukes has zero to do with your dumb assertions.
....Go Turkey?
/sarcasm
As NATO member airforces modernize they will eliminate their old nuke bomb carrying aircraft in favor of conventional role fighters.
Turkey will lose them soon too - its a drawing down program initiated by the Pentagon as NATO's mission ends or shifts.
naw
/sarcasm's.... '1984'
What Muslim army (not sponsored by America like Albanians and Turkey) will invade Greece?
You wanted to make a point that the facts did not supprt - the removal had zero to do with anti-Americanisim.
I really wonder if this is true or just means they were moved to more mobile platforms.
No mention of the listening posts on the islands.
Iraklion Airbase is still in Crete. What you say makes no sense.
"Gentlemen don't read other gentlemen's mail"
Henry Stimson
I guess that depends on how you define "U.S. borders".
The change, which the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed, was disclosed in a book published last month _ "Code Names," by William Arkin. The Natural Resources Defense Council, a private group that advocates arms control, described the change in detail in a study released Wednesday.
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