Translated by Edward Spalton
GARCHING, Germany- A research reactor for making weapons-grade uranium has gone into production in Germany. Berlin now has sufficient weapons-grade material at its disposal to build its own atomic bombs. The technical preparations for developing Germany’s own nuclear weapons systems are already available. German politicians and military experts have recently and repeatedly made known their intention of achieving control of atomic weapons. Germany is bound by treaty to renounce either building or possessing Nuclear, Biological or Chemical (NBC) weapons of any kind.
The controversial research reactor FRM-II in Garching near Munich is now officially on stream. For at least the next six years the reactor will be fuelled with uranium which is extremely highly enriched to above 90%. Highly enriched uranium is unusable for power generation, unnecessary for research but optimal for nuclear weapons. Unlike highly poisonous plutonium it is suitable for the production of atom bombs without much further technical effort and expenditure. The Pakistani atom bombs tested at the end of the Nineties were uranium bombs, built in this way.
The construction of Pakistan’s atom bombs was only possible with German support, which made a decisive contribution to the development of nuclear weapons in this south Asian country. (1)
GRASPING FOR THE ATOM BOMB
German and Austrian critics of the atomic reactor, who protested at the opening celebrations, fear that its establishment creates the conditions for Germany’s bid for the atomic bomb.
According to an Austrian position paper (2) “The congruence between the Garching reactor and German foreign policy is impressive. The creation of an EU nuclear strike force will admit Germany to the ranks of the nuclear powers. The Munich “Centre for Applied Political Research” which is among the close circle of advisers to Federal Chancellor Schroeder, already demanded last year the creation of “United European strategic strike forces” which should have the High COmmand over a European nuclear capability. By this means the EU could take to itself “the unfettered means of international power politics”.
IN SECRET COOPERATION?
Berlin forced through this nuclear reactor, the only new construction of its type in the world, against all international critics and the determined opposition of the United States government. The USA, sole producer of enriched uranium in NATO tried to halt the German reactor programme. In 1991 as a first step they refused the supply of weapons grade uranium. For decades the USA has sponsored programmes to replace weapons-grade material with less highly enriched uranium and sought to initiate a boycott by all suppliers of weapons-grade uranium. In 1994 the US Department of Energy offered to place its research capabilities at the disposal of Garching with its world-leading best technologies in the production of non-weapons grade uranium. The German side rejected this offer by return of post as provocation and interference.
Afterwards Germany secured Russia as a supplier rather than the European Atomic Community (Euratom). From a critical viewpoint this explosive German-Russian nuclear cooperation recalls the forbidden activities of both sides between 1928-1932. Then the German Reichswehr (Army) cooperated with the Red Army so that Berlin could circumvent the armament restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. (4)
The atomic reactor, now in production, is designed as a pretext for the storage of large quantities of weapons-grade uranium and for the building of nuclear weapons or the threat of building them. As early as 1996, Lammers and Pflueger, foreign policy spokesmen for the Christian Democrat parliamentary group, established in a common declaration
“at any time it is technically possible to develop (atomic) weapons systems”.
Other Articles (in German) on www.german-foreign-policy.com
1. Background Report: Germany on the way to military nuclear power.
2. Peace Workshop Linz: Garching near Munich on stream
See also “Downfall or Ascent to World Power?”
3. Germany insists on weapons-grade material
4. Armament Alliances and Strategic Projects
SOURCES
Highly Enriched Diplomacy. Concerning the Research Reactor at Garching ;
Konkret 6/19996
Starter’s gun for Garching; Deutschland Radio 09.06.2004
A Bottomless Nuclear Barrel; Neues Deutschland 09.06.2004
2. GERMANY EXPORTS WEAPONS WITH ATOMIC CAPACITY
Dateline 15th June 2004
Translated by Rodney Atkinson
BERLIN / TEL AVIV –
The German Government has agreed to the export of weapons which can deliver atomic bombs. This has emerged from discussions between the German Defence Ministry and Israel. Therewith the German Government has for the second time broken both its own export guidelines and the German Constitution.
The German Export agreement concerns a fourth Submarine of the Dolphin Class being built by the Armaments firm Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Thyssen Nordseewerke. Suppliers include Siemens and MTY. As with the previous submarines the Dolphin will be fitted out in Germany with 650 mm tubes and then fitted with missiles in Israel. They carry atomic charges and are aimed at Arab capitals.
Breaking the German Constitution
These deliveries contradict Chapter II(4) of the German Government’s export guidelines of 19.1.2000 in which it states that weapons materials may not be exported to countries which are engaged in armed conflict.
This definition applies to Israel and was confirmed in the presence of the German Defence Minister Struck in Tel Aviv. As Struck emphasised the deepening of German-Israeli military cooperation Israeli jets attacked targets in Lebanon. The deliveries of the weapons also contradict Article 26 of the German Constitution because they are likely to disturb “the peaceful relations between peoples”. EU guidelines also forbid the export of war materials to “areas of tension”.
The weapons sales are in accord with the wishes of the German armaments industry which also sells to Arab Governments thus also supplying Tel Aviv’s enemies. Even in the 1950s the German-Arab arms trade flourished and reached its high point with sales to Irak and Iran. Germany has now risen to be the fourth largest weapons exporter and claims to be pursuing purely economic goals. (1)
While Germany promotes the interests of its arms industry and speaks of a “special German responsibility for Israel” (!) there are plans muted in Berlin for the territorial division of Israel and the “removal” of whole ethnic groups. According to these ideas Israel should give up the Negev in the South and agree to a horizontal border at the level of Beersheba according to a study (2) from the quasi-official German Society for Foreign Policy (DGAP) (3). The circa 900,000 Israelis living in Southern israel are to be transferred to the West Bank while the circa 1.2million Arabs there are to be sent to the Negev desert!
Israeli military installations like the Atomic weapon factory at Dimona and Airforce bases like Chatzerim are should be “moved to the North”. This plan is to be carried out under “international”£ auspices in particular by the European Union(!) (note yet again Germans claim to be able to speak for the EU! – ed) as the author of this DGAP study Professor Dr Erwin Haeckel writes.
Haeckel is not only active at the DGAP but also in German military circles. He supervised a “valuable and very helpful” study of “Soldiers and Leadership corps in the Armed Services” (4) published by the Social Studies Institute of the German Army (5). Haeckel is also a supporter of Germany being a “civil nuclear power” and is an adviser to the International Atomic Energy Authority in Vienna.
1) s. auch ,,Spektakuläre Erfolge´´ im Waffenhandel
2) Prof. Dr. Erwin Häckel: Land gegen Land; in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 01.06.2004
3) s. auch Deutscher Außenpolitiker: Europäische Truppen in den Nahen Osten und Strahlender Abgrund
4) So der Oberst i. G. und Direktor des Sozialwissenschaftlichen Instituts der Bundeswehr, Geppert.
5) SOWI-Arbeitspapier Nr. 112: ,,Die neue Bundeswehr´´; www.sowi-bundeswehr.de
s. auch Deutsche Außenpolitik entwirft Strategie für europäischen ,,Friedenseinsatz´´ in Israel
