Originally published in Nationalism Today, June 1985 Print

AMERICAN AUTHOR GERALD SMITH ADMITS...

Cruise Missiles Threaten YOU

Cruise Missile Launcher: based in Britain, it makes us a target

THROUGHOUT EUROPE thousands of people are protesting against the deployment of Cruise Missiles and justifiably so. In the event of a war, the mere presence of these weapons are an almost ironclad guarantee that Europe will became a Nuclear wasteland. Sadly most of those who would and should stand in the way of this development are painfully unaware of the real issues. It is that lack of awareness that handicaps their efforts. What are these issues?

A. The United States Military wants the deployment as a trade off. European lives will be sacrificed in place of American ones in the event of a Nuclear War.

B. In the event of a Nuclear War it will be total war and not the limited one that we are being conditioned to believe could take place.

C. Once the Warheads are in place they will be permanent regardless of any future arms negotiations involving delivery systems.

D. The American White House is gambling European lives with this deployment as a means of creating a bargaining chip for future East-West arms negotiations.

Any of these would be justifiable grounds for the other Nato countries to refuse deployment, and as they are facts known to the governments involved, there arises the question of what kind of pressures were exerted to get their agreement. This deployment is an indictment both of America's Foreign Policy and the total lack of consideration that the White House feels for its European Allies.

Presently most of the missiles that would be used by the Warsaw Pact in an East-West confrontation are aimed at targets in America. By introducing large numbers of American missiles into Europe, the Eastern Bloc will be forced to retarget an equivalent weight of warheads on the new Nato launch sites. The immediate result would be fewer American targets, and appreciably lower casualty probabilities for the United States. Conversely Europe will not just suffer the difference in casualties. Instead it can expect a ratio of between 10 to 20 times that amount. The reasons for this are the high population density, and the prevailing wind patterns. Those not killed outright by a blast would suffer the effects of fallout. The American government would derive a political bonus in that the Pentegon will announce that once more the United States has a strategic edge in the arms race. The present administration will use that as reinforcement for the continuation of its present Foreign Policy.

PLAIN STUPID

A lot of garbage has been thrown about, both here and in Europe, in regards to the 'Probability' that any nuclear war could be kept as a limited one. The general public would have to be either mad, or just plain stupid, to believe that any side would launch one lone missile at their antagonists. The moment that either side shoots off even one, the other will respond en masse as they have been trained to do. Reactions are conditioned and automatic, perhaps even more so in the East. In the last two World Wars the Russians have suffered over 30 million dead, and they are determined that in any future war they will give as good as they get. Over-riding all of this is one simple fact. Even if a limited war was possible, the manner that the cruise would have to be used eliminates any chance of that occurance. This missile system guarantees all-out nuclear war.

NOT RELIABLE

American plans call for the deployment of 464 BGM-109G missiles, built by General Dynamics, over the next 5 years. Even now as they are being distributed, research is continuing to try and make this a more reliable weapon ― something it is not. This is not a tried and true weapons system, but an experimental one still going through teething problems. American publications speak of a new longer range cruise, to replace this one, already in production by Boeing. The bottom line is that Europe is putting its existance up on American cast-offs, not first-line weapons. Complicating this deployment is the Pentagon's assessment as to how it must be used. This is a blanket weapon that must be fired en masse. If enough missiles are fired one may get through. A certain percentage are expected to malfunction or go errant once fired. Another percentage is expected to be interupted either electronically, by ground launched anti-aircraft missiles, or by the combined Warsaw Pact Air Forces. Pure and simple, because of its slow speed, it is a highly vulnerable weapon. There can be no way that cruise missiles could be used in a limited manner.

DISARMAMENT

It is the American dream, that once seated with the Soviets at a disarmament conference, they might be able to swap off their cruise for the SS20. The Soviets know about the Boeing missile and equally are aware of the possibility of Mirving (Multiple warheads on a Ballistic Missile) those warheads now in Europe. They also, realise that regardless of whatever deal might be struck on delivery systems, the warheads brought by the Americans will stay there. The best that the Russians could therefore hope for is to maintain the status quo. Before they are even seated at the conference table the Soviets have placed themselves in a no win situation that they must walk out on. They will be shown falsely as villians and the Americans will have scored another diplomatic coup.

CRYSTAL CLEAR

There is a saying in America 'Look out for number one'. It is crystal clear that this is just the intent of the American government. They are willing to pay any price in European lives, to attain their goals. Two hundred years of co-operation will go down the drain because of their failure to make clear all the facts to those peoples who, for them, must put their lives on the line. What was the coercion used on the European Governments, who know the facts, to make them agree to be pawns? America is wantonly following a dangerous course in its Foreign Policy. The time has come that the people of all nations who are friendly to America must insist that their governments henceforth will be partners, and not servants to the White House will. The United States must not be left alone to determine the fate of Nations. Decisions that affect the world must be discussed by the world. Don't just sit and watch George Orwell's distorted dream come to pass, rather let our voices be heard so that freedom and justice will prevail.