Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS1285
2009-09-23 15:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

BELGIAN LEGISLATORS WRITE TO URGE U.S. CONGRESS TO

Tags:  MNUC MARR PREL PGOV BE 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RR RUEHSL
DE RUEHBS #1285/01 2661538
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R 231538Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9487
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001285 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, ISN AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2019
TAGS: MNUC MARR PREL PGOV BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN LEGISLATORS WRITE TO URGE U.S. CONGRESS TO
END DEPLOYMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN BELGIUM

REF: BRUSSELS 1040

Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason, reason 1.4(d
).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001285

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, ISN AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2019
TAGS: MNUC MARR PREL PGOV BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN LEGISLATORS WRITE TO URGE U.S. CONGRESS TO
END DEPLOYMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN BELGIUM

REF: BRUSSELS 1040

Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason, reason 1.4(d
).


1. (U) On September 21, nine members of the Belgian
parliament sent a letter to U.S. Representatives Ed Pastor
and Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Senators Byron Dorgan and
Michael Bennet, urging them to end deployment of the B61
nuclear weapon. The text of the letter follows para 4.


2. (C) One statement in the Belgian parliamentarians' letter,
that "in Belgium there is a wide cross-party political
consensus that the deployment of B61 nuclear weapons would
best be ended", is exaggerated. The signatories come from
five of the 11 parties in Parliament (francophone Socialist,
Flemish Socialist, Ecolo, Groen! and Open VLD, who hold 93 of
the 221 seats in the House of Representatives and Senate
combined). However, they can best be described as individual
members who see a political advantage in an outspoken
opposition to nuclear weapons on Belgian soil and in the
world. They have been encouraged to become more active by
the approach of the 2010 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT) review conference. One of them is Philippe Mahoux, who
has promised to present a bill to ban nuclear weapons from
Belgian territory altogether. While Mahoux's bill will
engender debate on the issue of Belgium's role in NATO's
nuclear mission, it is not expected to pass or possibly even
come to a vote in Parliament. Ludwig Vandenhove, Chairman of
the House of Representative's defense committee, who signed
the letter along with Mahoux, recently told Poloff that he
did not expect the bill to become law. Belgian government
officials have told us they do not intend to give Mahoux's
initiative any government support (reftel).


3. (U) Post suggests that congressional liaison officers in H
Bureau may want to urge the U.S. legislators receiving the
letter to inform their Belgian counterparts of President
Obama's commitment to achieving a nuclear-free world, as
expressed in his Prague speech, and also to urge them to

support multilateral discussions of disarmament within the
context of NATO and the NPT, aimed at balanced reductions in
weaponry, rather than taking unilateral action on their own.


4. (U) Begin text of letter:

Dear Senator/Representative

Through press reports we noticed the discussion on the
modernization of the B61 nuclear weapons, more specifically
the B61 Phase 6.2/2A 'Refurbishment' Study. We also noticed
this modernization is presented as needed to accomplish the
US obligations toward its European allies and their
expectations towards the US extended deterrence. As members
of the Belgian parliament we like to put into question this
presentation of the opinions concerning the US extended
deterrence in Europe.

Already in its Strategic Concept of 1999 NATO considered
"The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might
have to be contemplated by them are therefore extremely
remot." We consider further deployment of B61 nuclear
weapons as of no military value. All deerrence roles
considered for the B61 tactical nuclear weapons in the actual
circumstances can be accomplished by conventional military
means. The further deployment of the B61 is a waste of
resources for both the US and Belgian air force.

The remaining B61 weapons are also presented as
bargaining tool for the much larger amount of Russian nuclear
weapons. In our opinion the continuing deployment of the B61
rather gives Russia an excuse to keep its tactical nuclear
weapons deployed. Bold nuclear disarmament steps, like
proposing a No First Use-treaty, will be more important
incentives to bring Russia to the negotiation table than
keeping B61's in Europe.

In Belgium there is a wide cross-party political
consensus that the deplyment of B61 nuclear weapons would
best be ended. This opinion was expressed in resolutions of
the Belgian Senate of 21 April 2005 and the Belgian Chambre
of 13 July 2005, and was confirmed in several later
resolutions like the Senate resolution of 29 January 2009.

Fully respecting the autonomy of your decision making on
this issue, we hope with this letter to have aided you in
making an informed decision.

Yours Sincerely,


BRUSSELS 00001285 002.2 OF 002


Marleen Temmerman, Senator, Chairman of the Committeee for
External relations and Defence (Senate)

Patrik Vankrunkelsven, Senator, Chairman of the Committee for
Justice (Senate)

Benoit Hellings, Senator

Philippe Mahoux, Senator

Geert Lambert, Senator

Dirk Van der Maelen, Vice-president of the House of
Representatives

Ludwig Vandenhove, Chairman of the Committee for Defence
(House of Representatives)

Juliette Boulet, Member of Parliament

Wouter De Vriendt, Member of Parliament

End Text.

BUSH
.