Germans aim to grab British Nukes for EU Army

THESUN ^ | 10/24/03 | GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON

[Pikamax]

RELATED STORIES • Sun Says

By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON Deputy Political Editor

GERMAN defence chiefs want Europe to seize control of Britain’s nuclear weapons under breathtaking EU army plans.

The Sun can reveal the UK would be forced to share its arsenal with the Germans — who are banned from possessing their own nukes.

Documents circulating in Germany’s defence ministry will send a chill through the Pentagon as they expose how EU states want the new Euro army to rival Nato.

An eight-page dossier passed to The Sun states: “Another difficult and delicate area will have to be addressed. That is the transfer of national nuclear weapon capabilities of certain EU countries. They should also be integrated within the European defence system. This needs extensive consultation and the assistance of the non-nuclear states to decide what to do with those weapons.”

Last night shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin stormed: “Only British Prime Ministers should have their finger on the nuclear button.

“This paper proves what Tony Blair cannot admit — that people in Europe DO want an EU army which will threaten Nato.”

Germany renounced nukes after World War II — although it has accepted US missiles on its soil.

The devastating document calls for an entirely NEW EU defence department. MEPs would be HANDED the power to send UK troops into battle.

A new EU navy AND an elite commando unit are demanded. Meanwhile Britain and France risk losing their independent voice on the UN Security Council to a Brussels official.

An EU army staff COLLEGE to rival Nato’s would be built — in Germany. Britain’s defence firms would also be FORCED into working with EU rivals.

The report states: “To ensure its own military and political influence in Nato the EU has to duplicate military capabilities so it can act independently of the United States.”

It adds: “A European army legitimised and financed by the European Parliament is the visionary goal of German policy.”

US defence chiefs are so worried about the Euro army they demanded urgent talks in Brussels. US military chiefs have already warned it will wreck the Nato alliance.

BRITISH firms merging with companies on the Continent are set to be hit with German-style labour laws under EU guidelines. They hand unions more power and have been blamed for dumping thousands of workers on the dole.

[AMNZ]

"someone has to PAY for developing that military."

Right, and they expect to get our past investment in bases, our past investment in armaments, and our continued investment in Nato operations.

Not gonna happen. I hope Tony is seeing through this and will not succumb.

[Free Vulcan]

I'd like to get a copy of the report and see what it says.

[The Great RJ]

Hey the Frogs are a nuclear power--why not grab the force de frappe?

[Southack]

Germany signed and ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

[Constantine XIII]

They only have to worry about sustaining this level of freebies as long as they have to worry about elections...

[Poohbah]

IIRC, there was another treaty that Bonn ratified in the 1950s that renounced nuclear weapons.

Incidentally, the German signature on the NPT was caveated with a proviso favoring a the right of the Euro-Peon Union to have nuclear weapons.

[RinaseaofDs]

Agree completely.

If this is true, this is a little scary. European hegemony for Germany through Brussels?

If I were Italy and the UK, I'd be pulling up stakes.

[Michael81Dus]

Yep, and who cares??
That paper can be easily declared null and void by our parliament. And I promise you: this is going to happen the day after the U.S. government takes back its security guarantee (which is still valid), to defend the Federal Republic of Germany with nuclear forces in case of an nuclear attack.

[Southack]

"That paper can be easily declared null and void by our parliament."

Ah, but what will the news media say about such a "unilateral" action?! What about all of the bleatings that will be heard from news commentators about Germany no longer having any respect for "international will and law"?!

< /Kidding! >

[Michael81Dus]

Bull$#it! Germany does not strive for hegemony, the French eventually do...

[Michael81Dus]

LOL, the actual reason why we have no nukes (one could wonder) is not that we lost WW2, it´s because the USA didn´t want us to have them.

In the end of the 50´s, just right after we got armed forces again, the West German government asked the parliament to allow the development of nuclear weapons.

Against the votes of the Social Democrats (they were always on the side of the losers), the permission was granted. But then, the U.S. government thought it might be not a good idea because then all the satellite states of the USSR would want nukes on their own too, so they gave us the promise to destroy all enemies who dare to nuke us. This promise is still valid (and I hope it will last many many years to come), and it´s the real reason why we don´t have nukes.

[krb]

England should just offer to sell Europe its nukes at a fair price, and that would shut them up.

[Southack]

"...the U.S. government thought it might be not a good idea because then all the satellite states of the USSR would want nukes on their own too, so they gave us the promise to destroy all enemies who dare to nuke us. This promise is still valid (and I hope it will last many many years to come)..."

It's safe to say that we'll keep our military defense promises, especially in regarding to taking the opportunity to bash our foes.

The U.S. never backs down from a fight, after all (a concept that gets repeatedly lost on generation after generation of our antagonizers; Ba'athists in Iraq and Talibans in Afhganistan come to mind, for instance).

[LTCJ]

Tommies = Englischers (after the Tommy guns).

Bzzzzt. Nope. Tommies = Englischers (after Tommy Atkins).

[Michael81Dus]

And despite the differences between our governments... I could never imagine that the U.S. would not strike back when somebody dares to attack the NATO territory with nuclear weapons! Deterrence must be serious and credible... I never felt that the U.S. foreign policy was not like that.

[Michael81Dus]

And why do you call the Germans Jerries? I mean, it probably doesn´t come from Tom & Jerry, does it? :-)

[Veritas01]

The EU is the worse thing that could possiably happen to Great Britian

[Cronos]

WEll, thats' what I thought when I had heard it for the first time too ;-P