from Pax Christi International
The World Council of Churches and Pax Christi International appeals to NATO not to further delay the withdrawal of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons from Europe.
The statement follows three previous calls by four ecumenical Councils with together some 200 member churches in Europe and North America urging NATO to end ‘nuclear sharing’ with five non-nuclear NATO allies in Europe where U.S. nuclear weapons are still stored, more than two decades after the Cold War.
These five European countries are Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey.
On its summit on 20-21 May 2012 in Chicago, NATO must make decisions about their future. However, NATO remains divided and is likely to postpone decisions again and making urgently needed steps dependent on Russian reciprocity.
In the new WCC statement, supported by Pax Christi Internationalis, the churches call this “a recipe for deadlock.”
See: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/churches-regret-nato-dela.html
For more details about the four Councils arguments, see their joint 11 March 2011 letter: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/general-secretary/wider-ecumenical-movement-incl-wcc/follow-up-on-the-adoption-of-natos-strategic-concept.html