Nuclear weapons gone from Greece
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- 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early in President Bush's first term, making Greece the first NATO ally where nuclear weapons have been completely withdrawn, according to a new study by private defense experts.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 Those weapons were withdrawn in the early 1990s, but air-launched bombs remained.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.
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 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 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 stored elsewhere in those countries.