This article was linked in the comments. I will not link to it for legal reasons, but you should be able to look it up easily.
I'd like to offer a quick hint that reveals how the author totally did not do his homework and in fact wrote an article that mostly and as a whole made no sense whatsoever because of this ignorance.
Article IIEach non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to receive the transfer from any transferor whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or of control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
An anecdote was leaked years ago that French then-president Sarkozy had proposed (in a meeting with chancellor Merkel) a binational control over French nukes as one of his erratic ideas and got angry when German minister of foreign affairs shot the idea down pointing out the NPT. I suppose a Spiegel journalist and his editor should have been aware of this part of the NPT since that leak at the latest.
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There is already NATO concept of "nuclear sharing" in play and also 20 B61 bombs at Büchel Air Base stored for German Tornados. This "nuclear sharing" concept says that in case of war, NPT is suspended. So if European war starts, you already have nukes at your disposal.
ReplyDeleteThe German air force would (have) deliver(ed) those B61 nukes, but control and authorization up to the point of delivery was the U.S.'s alone.
DeleteIt is a possibility to share on a similar level with the French, who could include for example a German "Nein"-button for some bombs. Quoting NPT in this case shows an unwillingness for nuclear armament and creative solutions. A "Nein"-button would not equal possession, but would make us much safer against the use of such objects in this corner of the world.
DeleteThere's no use for the French in such a German veto power over French nuke employment.
DeleteThe NPT is such an important pillar of the international security system that it's practically guaranteed to not be abandoned by Europeans, and changes would require all members to agree - which wouldn't happen.
I`m former activist against arms trade and nuclear energy. I grew in times when old regime scared us almost on daily basis by "Carters neutron bomb". Surely I don`t learned to stop worrying and don`t love the bomb, or even nuclear power plants. I can understand that Germany don`t want to have "absolute weapon" in her possesion. - But I also can see what Kremlin is doing right now in Europe. - By the way, when Obama attacked Libya, country which scrapped nuclear program in supposed reconciliation with the West, he also effectively burried NPT. No state in the world will ever trust in any international guarantees, much less after Ukraine war and Budapest Memorandum violation.
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