Ingrates
Apparently, Old Europe wants us to pull our nukes out of Europe according to a Stars & Stripes article.
The countries — Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway — will discuss the issue with the rest of their NATO allies at a November summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
“This does not mean a call for an immediate withdrawal for all these weapons,” Bart Ouvry, spokesman for Belgium’s Foreign Ministry, said by telephone on Thursday.
Ouvry declined to elaborate, saying he would reserve further comments for his partners at the NATO meetings.
The Federation of American Scientists, using information gathered from public records, has calculated in recent years that nuclear weapons were removed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and RAF Lakenheath, England. Based on inspection data, the group said, that means U.S. nuclear weapons in northern Europe remain at Büchel Air Base, Germany; Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium; and Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands. The majority of U.S. nuclear weapons are thought to be kept at three bases around the Mediterranean Sea: Aviano Air Base and Ghedi Air Base in Italy and Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.
Fine if they want to remove the single class of weapons that has kept the peace in Europe for the longest period in it’s history, pull ’em out tomorrow – along with the troops that stalwartly faced East for six decades. Move them forward so they can ground guide the Russians through New Europe. Maybe Luxembourg can hold back the onslaught by themselves.
Like I’ve said here before, the most grateful Germans lived within sight of the intra-German border, heard the mines detonate and listened to the dogs tearing apart human bodies during failed escape attempts. It’s time to give them what they’ve wanted since the Reagan Administration – the view down the bore of an AK47.
Category: Foreign Policy, Military issues
I agree, Jonn, let Europe finally pay their own fricken security bill. Let them spend their own money to protect their ass. Let the local workers at the US bases find new employment after we leave. I’m old fashioned, I don’t stay where I’m not welcome.
Hope they’re up to speed on their Farsi lessons. Maybe they can buy a few hundred thousand copies from Rosetta Stone. And when they see how much we’ve paid out of our pockets to cover their asses for the last 60-plus years, maybe then they’ll appreciate what we’ve done all along.
But somehow, I doubt it.
That seems to be the way of the world now-a-days. Memories are short in the new generations. They better be careful, they may get what they want, us gone from their landscape and our replacement may not be so nice. Then what? We have to take the beaches again over there?
…..Then what? We have to take the beaches again over there?….
Nah, we’ll just use sanctions and diplomacy…. 😉
The Fwench have nukes. Of course by the time they decide to use them the bad guys will have control of the silos and they will be aimed our way, buy hey it ain’t a perfect world.
I agree we should pull out and let these “civilized” poeple survive on their own. How many years will it be untill they are fighting to trade the same few inches of dirt like they have done for thousands of years. How long will it take Vlad to decide that Poland is just a rouge province of Russia? We allready know that the Big O doesn’t have the cajones to stand up to him. I am about half a step from just saying that we should just become isolationists.
Just the same way that they did with their Navy until Churchill ordered that fleet destroyed.
No arguments from me, Jonn.
The Europeans were able to emplace and develop their brand of socialism because the United States covered the bulk of defense costs through our troops stationed their. We also had nukes in Europe because it was a HELL of a lot cheaper than the 60 divisions we would have needed to face down the Soviets without them.
I’d have no problems about removing all out forces from Europe, and start off with taking them out of the Balkans. Let’s also dissolve NATO, too, since for all intents and purposes, it has ceased being a collective force.
I agree with Tim on this one. What has NATO accomplished lately, save dragging us into conflicts that did nothing for our National Security.
Besides, the Islamists seem to be doing a pretty good job of subverting Western Europe already.
Luxembourg is bitching? Hell, there is an Iceberg the size of Luxembourg. How in hell could they defend themselves from anyone meaner than the newsboy? I guess this is what the smelly hippies are describing when they say that we are occupiers? Like we’ve occupied South Korea, and several other places that we’ve defended.
And, it ain’t the Furriners that I am pissed at; it is the “New Generation with a short memory” that Bulldog alluded to.
These so-called Americans that deride the greatest country on the planet, and won’t shut their damned mouths until we’ve been totally disarmed and overrun; are America’s greatest enemy. It is this same bunch of useless turds who’ve brought us “Political Correctness” and with it Ft Hood Texas 11/5/09!
When we have no military they can demand that we meanies wear pink ribbons in our hair.
Nuf Sed
Merkel is paying us back for the GM-Opel deal that we backed out of. Lotta Germans lost jobs over that one.
I have no problem with us pulling out of ‘Nother American Taxpayer Obligation and leaving the Western Eurowenies to their own devices. The EU-SSR has the GDP to handle their own defenses.
Putin, a badass I highly respect, isn’t going to resurect the USSR and invade Europe. He was KGB back in the day and that is a good thing, guys like him who worked within the system understood the USSR and communism were unsustainable because they were working the failing machinery, so to speak. His KGB intelligence duties exposed him to the West & quite frankly, he understands the West better than we understand Russia.
Frankly Opinionated Says:
And, it ain’t the Furriners that I am pissed at; it is the “New Generation with a short memory” that Bulldog alluded to.
I ve got three kids, 20, 18, 11. We decided to homeschool the youngest. She now knows more about WWII and why we were there than my older kids. The schools dont teach patriotism and duty the way they used to. There arent too many generations left that can or WILL do anything like those guys did for all of us in Europe and the Pacific. I would hate to see this place in about 50 years.
Yep! Leave Europe. With our missles. And Get Out Of NATO. Let it fall apart and dissolve on it’s own. We can use the pogues, fobbits & grunts better in other places like Irag & the ‘Stan. Rotate out the troops already there to give them a rest.
BUt keep a few of the bases – the ones we can fly in & out of – like Ramstein. Good stopover for refueling, repairs, and R & R on the way back to The States.
I remember being in Germany in the early ’80s, my first tour after Basic & AIT. It was quite a mix of ages and attitudes. We had the anti-nukes & GreenPeace. We had the Bader-Meinhoff. We had a lot of older people thankful for us being there. We had the occasional older nut-job that still believed in Hitler. We had younger protestors at the guard gates.
But mainly, we got along. A beer, a pretzel, a wave, a hello. Seems like things have gone downhill — a lot. Too bad. I miss Germany as I remember it.
Hey Woodman, where were you at? I was at Kitzingen, Larson Barracks in 81-83′.
Although I agree, I believe it won’t happen. The Germans have had it too good. And they would disintegrate. What would happen to the US troops in both theaters who need care?
In the 80’s, the ‘Stuhl was the place to be. It is not anywhere near the teeming place it once was for obvious reasons. The Turks and the Muslims have overrun the Imbiss’ with Kabob stands and they have zero respect for the culture. And the economy has certainly stagnated. The only thing that was a comfort in going back was that the flower shop, the shoe store and the Kathe Wolfart at Ramstein still existed. Yeah. I like stuff. No kartoffelpuffe to be found either. Wah.
Alas the troops come first. Where *would* they get treated when needed so quickly upon evacuation from the front?