Germany may need own nuclear weapons: Scholz

[Kellanved]

BERLIN - Germany may need to build its own nuclear weapons to counter the threat of nuclear bombs falling into the hands of a terrorist state, a former German defence minister said Thursday.

"We need a serious discussion over how we can react to a nuclear threat by a terrorist state in an appropriate manner - and in extreme cases with our own nuclear weapons," said Rupert Scholz who served as defence minister from 1988 to 1989.

Germany does not have nuclear weapons and Scholz admitted in a Bild newspaper interview that his remarks were breaking what is widely seen as a national taboo.

Scholz - who is a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - said Berlin should first try to get binding guarantees from the NATO alliance that it would protect Germany in case nuclear threats were directed at the country.
...

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=27147&name=Germany+may+need+own+nuclear+weapons%3A+Scholz

[bullimiami]

1. will bush bomb and jail merkel and scholz now?

they want to reconstitute their wmd capabilities including 'nookyouler' weapons.

same as saddam it looks like.

[Bob3]

2. Thank you George another unnecessary crisis

While this may not really bother too many people on this side of the Atlantic - several European nations will freak out at the idea of Germany with the bomb. For one, Russia is sure to object and object strongly - yes it's been over 60 years ago but still the world wars left a huge mark on that country.

This is of course more rotten fruit falling off the tree of *'s bungled "war on terror that turned into a complete clusterf-k in Iraq for reasons nobody is really sure why"

And considering the current poor relations between the US and Germany (even with a 'conservative" in charge of Germany) lets face it - it's easier to say FU to America when you have your own Nukes. (see China and North Korea)

[oneighty]

3. And why not?

I wonder. Japan must do so too, and so must all forward thinking countries that wish to remain independent of the 'New World Order'.

Drum roll.

180

[jpak]

4. and the New Hampshire National Guard too...

:evilgrin:

gotta luv "Mildred" Thompson...

[oneighty]

5. Now jpak

you must explain for the uninformed.

She is going NUKE too?

180

[jpak]

9. Sorry - back in the day, then NH Governor Meldrim Thompson

(his detractors always called him Mildred - and it did piss him off)

wanted to arm the NH National Guard with nuclear weapons.

not making this up!

http://www.nhgazette.com/news/chickenhawks/politicans_platoon/

<snip>

Name: Gov. Meldrim "Mel" Thomson (R-Orford)
Born: March 8, 1929
Employer: His Daddy's Publishing Co, Inc.
Conflict Avoided: Korea
Notes: Meldrim Thomson, New Hampshire’s quintessential Goofy Governor, once sought to arm the state’s National Guard with nuclear weapons. Some thought he wanted nukes to blast the Clamshell Alliance out of the way, so his pals at PSNH could build the Seabrook nuclear power plant. You might think that such a notoriously bellicose individual, twenty-one years old when the Reds crossed the line in Korea, might have managed to get into the fight - but you would be wrong.

<snip>

:)

[oneighty]

13. Cool

I turned from seventeen to eighteen in Korea so that he did not have to. Finished my first four year hitch at 21.

180

[PsN2Wind]

19. As I've told you before

My brother died Feb 7, 1951 at the age of 21 while doing his second hitch in the Army. He reenlisted when the North Koreans invaded the south, arrived Korea August 1950 and fought from the Pusan perimeter almost to the Yalu River and much of the way back before being killed. He did this so the chickenhawks of that time such as this idiot and Pat Robertson (another idiot) didn't have to.

[oneighty]

20. That is rough. Poor guy.

Did you ever read 'The River and the Gauntlet'? Written by a General that experienced the Chinese invasion from the north. A terrible story. So sad.

180

[Posteritatis]

10. Japan bounces it around every so often

Usually nothing comes of it; they decided awhile back that they wanted to at least have the ability to build them, Just In Case. (That's probably a good idea, at least IMO; always better to know how to do anything than not know, since you never know.)

Japan's a very powerful country militarily, though, despite the euphemisms about self-defense forces. Usually they look at that aspect of the country and decide that nukes are redundant when they've got a respectable, modern conventional military at hand.

[Posteritatis]

11. Hrm, that'll learn me to read the thread properly

Nemmind the rambling. ;)

[oneighty]

15. I imagine the Japanese

are at any given time a few weeks away from a working nuclear weapon. They are not a foolish people.

180

[jpak]

16. They just completed a $20 billion spent fuel reprocessing plant

and will certainly have the plutonium if they want to go down that road...

[oneighty]

17. No doubt

180

[FVZA_Colonel]

27. Reminds me of a joke my Asian Art History professor told in class-

"Does Japan have nuclear weapons?"

No! Absolutely not!"

"Could Japan have nuclear weapons within a one to two week period?"

"...Umm, I'm not permitted to answer that question."

[Coastie for Truth]

30. If they made nukes

we could outsource our munitions industry to them - to follow cars, consumer electronics, optics, cameras, steel, pharmaceuticals (yes - they invented statins), etc.

:hi:

Domo arigatoo gozaimasu.

Gomen nasai.

[primavera]

12. That's always the problem with neorealism...

...by becoming more dangerous to deter aggression, everyone else now needs to become more dangerous to counter threat you now pose, and the cycle continues with the world becoming progressively more and more dangerous until something slips and it all blows up.

[stepnw1f]

6. Rightwing Ideology... More Guns and WMD's

Fuckin sick sick sick people... all of them.

[megatherium]

7. Reminds me of the Tom Lehrer song, "Who's Next",

which dates to 1965:

First we got the bomb, and that was good
'Cause we love peace and motherhood
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way
Who's next

France got the bomb, but don't you grieve
'Cause they're on our side, I believe
China got the bomb, but have no fears
They can't wipe us out for at least five years
Who's next

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day
South Africa wants two, that's right
One for the black and one for the white
Who's next

Egypt's gonna get one too
Just to use on you know who
So Israel's getting tense
Wants one in self defense
"The Lord's our shepherd," says the psalm
But just in case, we better get a bomb
Who's next

Luxembourg is next to go
And, who knows, maybe Monaco
We'll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb
Who's next, who's next, who's next, who's next

[Squatch]

8. This is just MAD, I tells ya! MAD!

Mutually
Assured
Destruction

[wordpix2]

23. Nuclear Arms Race: great future for our children

[reprobate]

25. Universally Assured Destruction

[Hardrada]

14. Ach! Wunderbar.

"That's not my department," says Werner von Braun!

[savemefromdumbya]

18. no doubt that 'b' of a Chancellor is a warmonger?

I just wish the SPD had hung on to power with a big majority. Like Canada it is a blessing it didn't go all the way right.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Inland]

22. Germany under US nuke umbrella in cold war days, but now......

with nukes all over and the US run by Commander Cuckoobannas.

You know, let's just give them a couple with the promise that that's all. That'll prevent any arms race on the continent, and save money.

[Hyernel]

24. Umm...no.

No fucking way. Ever.

Wonder what Russia thinks about that. Or Poland. (lest one forget)

[Vidar]

26. US ia an undependable liar. Wh not?

[Atreides73]

28. Oh this Irony

Don't worry, nobody here is taking Scholz seriously.

But considering the German government told Iran recently they couldn't have nuclear weapons, I wonder if he noticed the irony in his statement.

I find these recent developments disturbing but understandable. For all these years there was some kind of agreements between the international communities: Those who don't have nuclear weapons do not try to build any, and in return, no nuclear weapons would ever be used against them.
But the Bush administration made it clear with their talks about bunker busters and taktical nukes, that they wouldn't feel bound by such agreements.
So if I would be leading a nukeless country, and happen to sit on a large, exploitable oil-reservoir, my prorities would be clear: BUILD NUKES, FAST!

[JVS]

29. Wouldn't France have their back with that whole EU thing?

Oh well, go for it.

[pro_blue_guy]

31. Hmmmm.....

Although I do not advocate war or the production of nuclear weapons, why shouldn't Germany have them? The US isn't in charge of the world (although some might think we are)!

Peace