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Europe
Frenchies want US nukes outta Europe
2005-05-19
PARIS - Paris backs a call by Berlin to discuss at NATO the withdrawal of the remaining US nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, the International Herald Tribune reported Thursday citing France's defense minister. The Paris-based daily said that in an interview French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie backed a call made earlier this by her German counterpart Peter Struck for a possible withdrawal in NATO committees. While showing understanding for the demand by Germany's governing center-left coalition for the weapons to be removed, she refused to explicitly call on Washington to withdraw them, the newspaper reported.
You don't have to 'call' on us to remove them, just ask. We can remove the rest of our combat forces from Germany while we're at it.
An estimated 150 US nuclear weapons are stationed on German soil out of a total of about 480 in Europe.
Posted by:Steve White

#19  I like Poland but I'm not sure putting troops there is worth it either since they are so far away from the likely action.

Optimist.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-05-19 21:21  

#18  Nukes in Europe are pointless. All nukes including French ones. If there were none and a nuclear power devastated Europe, the world’s economy would take a massive hit and that would affect the US. The US would not let that happen. Ok, someone needs to have them in the west, but there is no point having them all over the place, they are just targets. France can be a pain, always have been, and always will be. But the reality is that nukes in Europe are just dangerous, there is no deterrent value.
Posted by: Get Real   2005-05-19 20:21  

#17  OK, we compromise: nukes with Visa cards.

(Wouldn't you like to see that commercial)
Posted by: Matt   2005-05-19 20:02  

#16  Nah, they want to keep the troops. They spend money in the local crappy economy. Nukes don't go on shopping sprees.

Talk about money grubbing whores.....
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2005-05-19 19:16  

#15  Romania or Bulgaria. Equidistant from Damascus and Paris.
Posted by: thibaud (aka lex)   2005-05-19 16:17  

#14  Actually I'm thinking the US should take over all UN Peacekeeping duties between Egypt and Israel. We should guarantee the safety of both and build a huge base/hospital in the Sinai desert. We can guarantee the Egyptians never attack. We can guarantee the Israeli's never attack. And we can use the location for our good work elsewhere in the neighborhood.

I'm thinking Golan Heights might be another good location for a big US peacekeeping base to ensure the Syrians and Israeli's get along.

Peacekeeping with teeth. Peacekeeping bases where they can be helpful in other areas rather than just sitting still.
Posted by: RJ Schwarz   2005-05-19 16:13  

#13  We should have pulled them out long ago, after the wall fell and the Soviets crumbled. We also should have bought up every Soviet nuke in site and doubled our defecit to get the things out of the proximity of fools and ingrates.

I like Poland but I'm not sure putting troops there is worth it either since they are so far away from the likely action.
Posted by: RJ Schwarz   2005-05-19 16:10  

#12  Move 'em to Poland.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-05-19 14:59  

#11  We better do what she says or she might attack us with her big, giant teeth.
Posted by: tu3031   2005-05-19 14:54  

#10  Europe means Germany.

This is a manrta of the Red Greens and 1968ers in Germany and "Old Europe". It has been for ever and ever. What is left unsaid is France and the UK both have Nukes that they have no intention of giving up nor would the DU Reds Greens have the nerve to ask (The UK has it's own flavor of anti-nuke Luddites.) Germans see Chirac as the DUs #1 friend in a recent survey. A German's Best Friend: No, It's Not the US.( Points to a blog) France is just taking advantage of the fact that Schroeder is Chirac's suck boy. France isn't even really part of NATO any more, I don't know why we act as if they are? They pulled out and quit ages ago. What the Frenchies want is no US influence in Europe.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-05-19 14:50  

#9  Let's see, France has nukes, and they want US nukes out of Europe. That leaves France (of course discount the UK since they're unwashed non-continentals) as the place to suck up to for EoruNucular deterrence.

What a predicament: Get US Nuke protection and be seen as a US lapdog, or BE a French whore and hope to find French protection on the bed stand in the morning.

Hey Euro-lemmings, good luck with that "France-will-protect-us, right?" thingy.
Posted by: Hyper   2005-05-19 14:48  

#8  I agree that France should be politely rebutted by suggesting that they have no use for nuclear weapons, AT ALL, and are hypocritical for never, ever having even joined talks aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in the world.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-05-19 10:20  

#7  Sure, no problem. We can fly them to the gulf and drop em in Syria, Iraq, Iran and let the last few drop on Saudi Arabia just for kicks.
Posted by: Gir   2005-05-19 09:50  

#6  What's this "out of a total of about 480 in Europe"? Are they counting UK and French nuclear weapons, or US weapons located in Europe but outside of Germany?
Posted by: Dar   2005-05-19 09:48  

#5  Michele's still more manly than Dominique.
Posted by: ed   2005-05-19 09:26  

#4  Uh, you meant the emerging Gaullist Caliphate of the Stinky?
Posted by: Tkat   2005-05-19 09:20  

#3  Leaving, of course, the rogue nuclear state of France...
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2005-05-19 09:16  

#2  Michele's a genuine girl.
Posted by: Fred   2005-05-19 09:14  

#1  Ya know, a man with a woman's name at the head of a country's defense department just doesn't work for me...
Posted by: Raj   2005-05-19 09:06  

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