IMPROVED" NUCLEAR ARSENAL
Bonn revealed November 22 that Defense Minister Kai-Uwe von Hassel was assured during his recent visit to Washington that West Germany will eventually be given missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to "strategic targets in the Soviet Union." The West German armed forces.already have "tactical" nuclear. arms but do not have rockéts capable of carrying them to "the enemy" to the east,
Bonn assured the world that no one need worry about any madman, in its ranks deciding to suddenly use the nuclear weapons, All nuclear devices received from the United States carry "two-key" control. This’ means that while one "key" is delivered to the Bundeswehr the other "key" is held by U.S. military officers, who, of course, are never affected by psychological difficulties. Both keys have to be used in: order to explode the nuclear. weapons.
According to a special dispatch to. the New York Times of November 23, "There is no present intention to turn over the second key to the Bundeswehr, " i
It can thus be argued that Johnson is dutifully preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons since you don't rate as a nuclear power until you can actually explode the devices.
But. besides producing an occasional madman who might prove capable of firing a live nuclear weapon at a target to the east, the Germans are also noted for their ingenuity in making and solving. puzzles, Is the Pentagon really so: clever as to make a key that. can't be duplicated by the Bundeswehr?
Incredible as all this sounds, the: most: “incredible ts that it solves what has been a nagging "problem" for "West German defense officials"; namely, "to present a credible. deterrent to an attack by Soviet. ground forces upon West Germany and Western Europe,"
Directeur-Gérant: Pierre FRANK. — itéditeur)..