Ecumenicals say NATO should remove US nuclear weapons from Europe

The World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches say NATO should rethink deterrence and security cooperation in Europe.

There are around 200 US tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey.

In a joint letter to NATO, the ecumenical bodies say that the withdrawal of the last remaining US nuclear weapons from European soil is an important step towards a nuclear free world.

"These former ‘battlefield nuclear weapons’ are remnants of Cold War strategies, when Europe was considered the battlefield," they said.

"We maintain that, 20 years after the end of the Cold War, NATO should rethink deterrence and security cooperation in Europe and decrease its reliance on nuclear weapons.

"By withdrawing these tactical nuclear weapons from Europe NATO is contributing concretely to nuclear arms control."

The WCC and CEC said that changes to NATO's nuclear policy were "long overdue".

They are disappointed with the Alliance's new Strategic Concept, which expresses a commitment to the "goal of creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons" whilst maintaining that "as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear Alliance".

They argue that by reducing the number of countries in the world with nuclear weapons on their territory from 14 to 9, NATO would enhance the credibility of its arms control and non-proliferation policy.

The two bodies are supported in their call by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and the Canadian Council of Churches, which also undersigned the letter.

The call comes in anticipation of an important NATO nuclear policy review this year and reiterates recommendations they made to the Alliance at the time of its 60th anniversary in 2009.

The church organisations said: "We understand that during this review process serious discussions about the future of NATO nuclear policy will take place.

"The enduring commitment to nuclear disarmament of our Councils of Churches is a reflection of the national majorities in favour of nuclear disarmament across the Member States of NATO.

"Thus we welcome the forthcoming close examination of NATO nuclear policy as a new opportunity for change that is long overdue and widely anticipated."

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