01-09-2016, 12:06 PM
R.K. Locke Wrote:Do we have any confirmation that America have moved their nukes from Incirlik to Romania?Not sure. Some schmoozing going on here:
Quote:http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_134500.htmDeputy Secretary General in Romania outlines NATO's response to new security environment
NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow outlined NATO's response to the new security environment in a speech at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy in Bucharest on Monday (29 August 2016). Noting that challenges posed by Russia and from terrorism "will be with us for many years to come," he stressed that "NATO has always done what was necessary to protect the territory of its Allies and the freedom of its people."
- 29 Aug. 2016 -
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- Last updated: 29 Aug. 2016 17:03
Ambassador Vershbow welcomed the important contributions Romania is making to the Alliance, including through hosting key elements of NATO's missile defence system at Deveselu. "Romania's commitment to NATO is most clear in Afghanistan, where not only it is the sixth largest contributor of troops, but those troops are based in one of the most hostile areas," he said.
In response to challenges from the east, the Deputy Secretary General noted that NATO will enhance its forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as in southeastern Europe, including Romania. An existing Romanian brigade has been offered as the framework for a multinational brigade, and will serve as a "focal point for extensive training of NATO forces in the region," he said. "That means more NATO forces, and more exercises and training, right here in Romania."
Ambassador Vershbow also outlined NATO's response to challenges from the south, highlighting that the Alliance will step up support for the US-led coalition to counter ISIL, increase its presence in the Mediterranean, and significantly strengthen support for partners in the Middle East and North Africa. He noted that NATO will soon begin training in Iraq. All of this will help "project stability beyond our borders," he said.
While in Bucharest, the Deputy Secretary General was awarded the prestigious "Star of Romania" by President Klaus Werner Iohannis, honouring Ambassador Vershbow's years of service to international security. Ambassador Vershbow also met and addressed the media with Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu.
Romania says 'No' But US bases are not very popular there so they would say that.
Quote:http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/...08-18-2016Romania Denies Accepting US Nuclear Weapons
Bucharest officials have denied media reports that US nuclear weapons stationed in Turkey are being transferred to Romania after the coup attempt against the Ankara government.
Marian Chiriac
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Bucharest [TABLE="class: photocaption, width: 640"]
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[TD]Romania's Deveselu military base. Photo: Aegis Ashore[/TD]
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The Romanian foreign ministry, MAE on Thursday dismissed claims that the US has started transferring nuclear weapons from Turkey to Romania amid tensions in relations between Washington and Ankara.
"The MAE firmly rejects these pieces of information," the ministry said in a press release, without elaborating.
Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said that such media reports were just speculation and "so far there have not been any plans or discussions [among NATO members] on this topic".
The statements came after website Euractiv reported on Thursday morning that more than 20 B61 nuclear weapons were being moved from Turkey's Incirlik air base to the Deveselu base in Romania.
According to one of the two anonymous sources quoted by Euractiv, "US-Turkey relations had deteriorated so much following the [recent attempted] coup that Washington no longer trusted Ankara to host the weapons".
US and Turkish officials made no immediate response to Euractiv's request for a comment.
NATO said however that US allies must ensure that "all components of NATO's nuclear deterrent remain safe, secure, and effective".
In Romania, analysts said they doubted whether the transfer would happen.
"Such a transfer is very challenging in technical and political terms. I doubt the Alliance would run against its political commitments to cooperation with Moscow, based on the Founding Act of mutual relations and security between NATO and Russia," said political analist Andrei Tarnea.
The Founding Act, signed in 1997, says NATO allies "have no intention, no plan and no reason to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of new members [such as Romania], nor any need to change any aspect of NATO's nuclear posture or nuclear policy - and do not foresee any future need to do so".
Jeffrey Lewis, director of non-proliferation studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, said in a Twitter post that Romania does not have the capacity to store the weapons.
"For one thing, there are no WS3 vaults at Deveselu - or anywhere in Romania - to store the B61s," Lewis said.
In December 2015, the US Navy formally inaugurated its new missile defence base in Deveselu in southern Romania. The base became operational in mid-May this year.
It is one of two European land-based interceptor sites for a NATO missile shield, a scheme which is viewed with deep suspicion by Russia.
Russia has warned Romania to abandon the anti-missile system that the US is installing at Deveselu.
Relations between Bucharest and Moscow are already rocky. Romania has been among the strongest regional backers of the package of Western sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with the crisis in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
Romania also hosts another major US military base, at Mihail Kogalniceanu airport, near the Black Sea, which became operational in 2007.
And Foreign Policy is denying it but they are basing theirs on the Romanian government statement (Paywalled)
https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/08/19/no-...o-romania/
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"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.