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

of the last century; “There [can] be no greater calam-
There [can] be no greater calamity
than for the free peoples, the enlightened, independent,
<strong>and</strong> peace-loving peoples, to disarm while
yet leaving it open to any barbarism or despotism to
remain armed.” 31 In that era (circa 1908), the Hague
Peace conference had concluded, Andrew Carnegie
was making plans to build the Peace Palace in The
Hague, the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s, many were writing that there
would be no more wars. At the dedication of the Peace
Palace in 1913, Carnegie predicted that the end of war
was “as certain to come, <strong>and</strong> come soon, as day follows
night.” 32 Of course, less than a year later Europe
was plunged into a catastrophic world war.
Who would have predicted what the next 40 years
would bring? There is no case that I know of in history
where a nation has been made secure by pursuing a
policy of vulnerability. The tragic arc of history has
demonstrated that such is a sure path to destruction
<strong>and</strong> enslavement.
As stated in the Strategic Concept, “Deterrence,
based on an appropriate mix of nuclear <strong>and</strong> conventional
capabilities, remains a core element of our
overall strategy.” 33 I believe <strong>NATO</strong> will maintain its
nuclear deterrent at the minimum level sufficient to
preserve peace <strong>and</strong> stability consistent with <strong>and</strong> in response
to the shifting <strong>and</strong> hopefully increasingly benign
international security environment. The goal of
the DDPR is to bolster or strengthen our security, not
to maintain the status quo or diminish it. In this same
context, the Alliance will continue to examine innovative
ways to maintain <strong>and</strong> sustain a credible nuclear
deterrent as one part in <strong>NATO</strong>’s larger defense posture
consistent with the principles of fair burden-sharing,
the indivisibility of security, <strong>and</strong> maintaining a
strong transatlantic link.
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