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

posite discussion within the context of overall as well
as regional stability.
Against this multifaceted backdrop, the discussion
turned to the hard reality of national political <strong>and</strong>
economic imperatives as these confront force modernization
decisions associated with maintaining the
nuclear status quo in <strong>NATO</strong>. The point was made that
national <strong>and</strong> Alliance confidence <strong>and</strong> assurance are
key within today’s environment, <strong>and</strong> nonthreatening
alternatives take on added salience. Thus such less
bellicose factors as stability, emphasis on defense, <strong>and</strong>
engagement itself may become more important than
aggressive-seeming military capabilities in shaping
this stability <strong>and</strong> assurance.
ARMS CONTROL TAKEAWAYS AND A WAY
AHEAD
One primary takeaway from the Dickinson College
workshop underpinning the present book is that
an adapted arms control process can act as a central
vehicle with which to address the core issues surrounding
TNWs in Europe. Arms control <strong>and</strong> cooperative
security present one avenue for addressing
these issues, <strong>and</strong> it may be the preferred avenue given
its vector toward transparency, cooperation, reciprocity,
<strong>and</strong> stability. However, the traditional bilateral,
security-focused, <strong>and</strong> formal arms control of the Cold
War must be adapted to the new realities of Europe in
order to be truly relevant.
Arms control must be balanced. It must move to a
more consultative process that takes note of the range
of national, regional, <strong>and</strong> sub-regional concerns. It
must be aimed toward attaining assurance of regional
stability within which nations do not have to place
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