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From: david@fisher.UUCP (David Rubin)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Wisdom of European Heads of State
Message-ID: <419@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Nov-84 08:25:04 EST
Article-I.D.: fisher.419
Posted: Wed Nov 21 08:25:04 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Nov-84 05:44:28 EST
References: <6166@mcvax.UUCP> <3171@ucbvax.ARPA> <47@uwvax.UUCP> <106@talcott.UUCP> <679@erix.UUCP> <2797@ucbcad.UUCP> <358@whuxl.UUCP>
Organization: Princeton Univ. Statistics
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But the West Germans don't WANT a key to the new Cruise missiles and
Pershings! Such a move would defeat the purpose of attempting to "link"
US and European nuclear defenses: the Soviets could credibly threaten
to retaliate ONLY against the FRG if the missiles were used. By having
ONLY the US hold any keys, the Soviets would be forced to escalate
against the whole of NATO, rather than just against the FRG, thus
risking US cities to deter a conventional attack on West Germany.

Besides which, the Soviet Union has made it abundantly clear that it
would consider German control of nuclear weapons a grave violation of
treaty, and perhaps even a causus belli.

					David Rubin
			{allegra|astrovax|princeton}!fisher!david