Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO.pdf - Program on Strategic ...

While many disarmament advocates see this occasion
as another opportunity to remove U.S. nuclear
weapons from Europe for the reasons <strong>and</strong> factors discussed
below, it is highly unlikely that there will be
any substantive changes in either the posture or the
policy. The DDPR process is deliberately designed in
such a way as to ensure <strong>and</strong> reaffirm that <strong>NATO</strong> has
the full range of capabilities necessary to deter <strong>and</strong>
defend against any threat to the safety <strong>and</strong> security of
the Alliance. However, while the DDPR will examine
all capabilities, this chapter will limit its discussion to
the nuclear dimension of that review, fully recognizing
that the intent is to have an appropriate mix of
conventional, nuclear, <strong>and</strong> missile defense forces as
well as defenses against relatively new threats such as
cyber-attacks.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Before discussing in detail the DDPR process <strong>and</strong>
likely outcome, it is important to underst<strong>and</strong> the environment
in which this review is being undertaken.
Several points are relevant.
An Increasingly Dangerous <strong>and</strong> Proliferating
Security Environment.
According to <strong>NATO</strong>’s most recent intelligence assessment,
the security environment for the Alliance
remains dangerous <strong>and</strong> uncertain, with the range <strong>and</strong>
variety of potential risks <strong>and</strong> dangers facing the Alliance
ever increasing <strong>and</strong> less predictable. These range
from the continuing conflict in Afghanistan, unrest in
the Balkans, the recent Libya operation, on-going efforts
to stop piracy <strong>and</strong> terrorism, <strong>and</strong> the challenges
of addressing new threats such as cyber-attacks.
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