A document accidentally published by a NATO-affiliated body has hit headlines across Europe this week, seeming to affirm a longstanding open secret that is technically still classified: precisely where in Europe the United States stores its nuclear weapons.
According to the document — entitled “A new era for nuclear deterrence? Modernization, arms control and allied,” which was published in April but has since been deleted — the U.S stores its caches totaling more than 150 nuclear weapons in Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
“These bombs are stored at six U.S. and European bases – Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Buchel in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi-Torre in Italy, Volkel in The Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey,” the report, authored by Canadian lawmaker Joseph Day, noted. […]
As a Washington Post analysis pointed out, the document does not attribute the information to any source. The report was re-published last week without references to the nuclear arsenal locations.
“The reasons for U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe are complex and have to do with the U.S. guaranteeing comfort to NATO’s security so these nations could concentrate their wealth on other matters. These reasons arguably remain useful today,” says risk and arms control analyst Dennis Santiago. “However, this potentially reignites a parallel protest yearning by Europeans who fear these nuclear weapons on their soil. It is an unfortunate mention in the draft because it does cause policy and diplomacy stress to an already tenuous NATO hand of cards.” Läs artikel