German Armed Forces wants ,,influence over nuclear bombs"
BERLIN While the German Federal Government pushes for the establishment of a European military nucleus, the German military are already submitting their demands for the creation of a future EU-Army. The military arsenals of the member states are to be subject to the administration of a future EU-government and thus to be available for the utilisation of Berlin's ambitions as well. A part of the catalogue of demands is the access to French and British nuclear arms.
These demands are the object of an eleven-page paper (,,Mit der ESVP zur Europäischen Armee" - ,,With the ESVP to the European Army"), developed by the leadership of the German military and attributed to the highest ranking military commandant of the Federal Armed Forces, the Inspector General. The catalogue of demands states that the European Union would have to develop independent military capabilities, ,,while backed by the security of its own military-political influence", in order to be able to act independently of the USA.1)
,,Visibly taking the lead"
Military which are committed by law to national parliaments will not be essential in the future, according to German concepts; on the contrary, the creation of ,,an integrated European military force" will be absolutely necessary. The Federal Government should ensure that the ,,trend toward more national sovereignty and intergovernmental co-operation evident in several areas" should be ,,permanently redirected toward integration". Since the success of important political projects often depends on ,,one side taking on the initiative" Germany should play the role of the ,,pace setter". The military strategists demand that beyond bilateral relations (for example German-French) and ,,temporary central and isolated solutions" with specifically chosen partners, Berlin should ,,visibly provide leadership" in the establishment of such a military ,,European nucleus".
,,Envisioned goals of German policy"
The policy of military ,,integration" repeatedly brought into play, aims to render a sovereign and integral national defence, by the smaller European national states, impossible. Only ,,remnants" of the national armies would continue under the commanding power of their respective governments. Central military arsenals, however, would have to be surrendered to the yet to be established ,,government of the European Union". Military strategists in Berlin explain that ,,the envisioned goal of German policy" should be a European Army, legitimised and financed by the European Parliament".
,,Transfer of national nuclear arms potential"
The ,,envisioned goals" of the German military specifically include access to French and British nuclear arms. In its paper the German military leadership considers the ,,question of the transfer of the potential national nuclear arms by several EU states" a possibly ,,difficult endeavour". In this case, at least the ,,mechanisms for consultation and participation in decisions by non-nuclear states" would have to be negotiated.
1) See also earlier articles German Global war and The will to world power
See also earlier article Demand for far reaching shaping of the world
Sources:
Gemeinsame Erklärung Deutschlands, Frankreichs, Luxemburgs und Belgiens zur Europäischen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik; www.bundesregierung.de
Ein Heer für Europa; Süddeutsche Zeitung 29.04.2003