https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/8ee5532ddf2816b4aaa31216cce39081.pdf 2ab8eed734858cdcb7ca5216781a636c PDF Text Text j Signal Centre I Chairman, * _..*, ....,' BOEffl^raB SECRET . JUL ' .- 3• J 23... ,0® fehone J- . «? / £ & - / S E C R E T CDN EYES ONLY .•• feom^BS^Bldg ;-j . ? 9-2-4835i . CANADIAN EYES ONLY »«we?W« S' ^^P^K/I Wj ftS LDN DL<$lS PRIORITY NATO PARIS INFO UASHDC CCOS^ o./ <J>^-/ REF LDN TET*2067 JUN24 AND 21IS JUN29 NATO TEL 1324 JUN26 .—,. • _ • i • UK CONTROL OVER NUCLEAR WEAPONS UE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE PRIME MINISTERS STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON JUN23 IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED BY SIR FRANK ROBERTS AND SIR PATRICK DEAN*WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE MR MACMILLANS REMARKS MUST BE VIEUgP IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT DEBATE IN THE UK ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS?UE CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOR OUR OWN PURPOSSES<ESPECIALLY IN VIEU OF THE ANNOUNCED INTENTION TO AARM CDN FORCES IN EUROPE WITH LACROSSE WEAPONS)A CLEARER UNDDERSTANDING OF UK THINKING IN THE LIGHT OF THE PRIME MINISTERS STATEMENT. 2.IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES,UE ARE SETTING FORTH BELOW OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE UKS POSITION IN RESPECT OF THE POLITICAL CONTROL WHICH THE UK GOVT EXPECTS TO EXERCISE OVER THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONSCAS DISTINCT FROM THE ESSENTIALLY MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR EQUIPPING UK AND NATO FORCES WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS')-, 3*IN IKE CASE OF ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATIONED ON UK TERRITORY A POSITIVE DDECISION WILL BE REQUIRED BY THE UK GOVT-BEFORE THEY ARE USED*IN PRACTICE,UE ASSUME THIS WILL MEAN A JOINT DECISION WITH THE USA IN CASE OF IRBMS OR USA AIRCRAFT CARRYING NUCLEAR BOMBS t* \e. 001173 SECRET �[''Signal Centre • . Chairman, . . . wmmnmm ?._-£ TWO DL 616 SECRET SECRET CDN EYES ONLY tZ'mti™ 9-* 2-48 3^ jphone OR nr,P TO AIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS FROM UK BASES.PRIME MINISTER MACV.I7.LAN HAS SH:;~< ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONSCEG.HIS BROADCAST /5S)THAT THE UK UILL HAVE JAN5 AN ABSOLUTE VETO IN RESPECT OF DROPPING NUCLEAR BOMBS FROM ANY PLANES BASED Uv V- TERRITORY.IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHETHER, CONVERSELY, THE USA W0UL5 HAVE ANY VOICE IN A DECISION TO LAUNCH A NUCLEAR STRIKE BY THE UK STRATEGIC BGKoER POR.IE. k» IN RESPECT OF TACTICAL WEAPONS IN EUROPE.,THE PRIME MINISTERS STATEMENT SUGGESTS THAT THE UK EXPECTS TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE A POSITIVE DECISION BEFORE TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS OF ANY KIND ARE USED BY NATO FORCES IN EUROPE.AS FAR AS WE CAN JUDGE FROM THE EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED BY SIR PATRICK DEAN AND SIR FRANK ROBERTS?THE REF TO QUOTE POSITIVE DECISION UNQUOTE MUST MEAN A DECISION GIVEN IN IKE COURSE OF CONSULTATION BETWEEN NATO MEMBERS* IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY-THE UK AUTHORITIES APPARENTLY ENVISAGE QUOTE SOME CONSULTATION UNQUOTE NO RPT NO MATTER HOW URGENT THE SITUATIOM*UE LVULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW,HOWEVER, WHETHER THEY HAVE IN MIND SBSULTATION BETWEEN ONLY THOSE NATO P:EPiBERb POSSESSING NUCLEAR WEAFONS OR WHETHER THEY CONSIDER OTHERS WOULD BE INCLUDED AS WELL*WE ARE ALSO WONDERING WHETHER THEY ARE THINKING IN TERMS OF CONSULTATIONS UITHIN THE NATO COUNNCIL OR OUTSIDE* 5oIN A SITUATION WHERE THERE IS TIMECEG,WARNING OF ATTACK IN THE FORM OF A LARGE BUILD-UP OF SOVIET FORCES IN CENTRAL EUROPE) THE EXPLANATION OFFERED BY SIR PATRICK DEAN SUGGESTS THAT THE UK 001174 SECRET �Signal Centre Chairman, nrrooRorai PAGE* THREE DL 6iG SECRET SECRET KsS^Bidl CDN EYES ONLY ^9B2—2zidll2' BELIEVES THAT ALL MEMBERS OF NATO WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE QUOTE A POSITIVE DECISION UNQUOTE INSOFAR AS IT WOULD RELATE TO QUOTE NATO APPROVAL OF AN ALLIED PLAN OF ACTION UNQUOTE.IN OTHER WORDS*THAT SACEUR WOULD ADVISE THE COUNCIL OF HIS INTENDED COURSE OF ACTION AND GOVTS WOULD THROUGH THEIR REPS EITHER APPROVE OR UBJECT TO HIS PLANS, <SeAS YOU ARE AWARE,THEE QUOTE DECISIONS UNQUOTE TAKEN BY HEADS OF GOVT 17 1957 RELATING TO THE SUPPLY OP NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO NATO FORCES WERE CAST IN VAGUE AND AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE AND NO RPT NO CONCERTED ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO DEFINE ARRANGEMENTS FOR POLITICAL COMTROL OVER THE USE OF TACTICAL WEAPONS»THE ONLY POLITICAL CONTROL OF WHICH AT THE MOMENT WE CAN BE CERTAIN WOULD BE EXERCISED BY THE USA GOVT,THROUGH THE DECISION OF THE PRESIDENT TO RELEASE THE NUCLEAR WARHEADS REQUIRED FOR SUCH WEAPONS*CWE HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME HEARD OF A FURTHER THEORY WHICH IS RELEVANT -NAMELY THAT USA COMMANDERS IF ATTACKED MAY USE ANY WEAPONS AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO PROTECT THEIR FORCES>«IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PRIME MINISTERS STATEMENT IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING INSOFAR AS IT INDICATES THAT THE UK WOULD IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE A POSITIVE DECISION BEFORE TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE USED IN EUROPE AND,THAT WHERE THERE IS TIME,OTHER GOVTS WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT RIGHT, FOR NATOPARISI IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF YOU COULD DISCUSS THE ABOVE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE WITH EITHER AIR VICE-MARSHAL DUNLAP OR GENERAL NORSTAD IN ORDER TO CONFIRM OUR INTERPRETATION PARTICULARLY 001175 SECRET �• -"" " |BY SECURFMSANS) e*—_ PAGE FOUR SFHRFT U L V l V L 1 PL 5^3 SECRET •['•Signal Centre' • Chairman, Chiefs of Staff iRoora 4802A Bldg IPhone 9-2-4835 CDN EYES ONLY IN RESPECT OF PARAS 3 TO 5 ABOVE.SHOULD YOU FIND IT POSSIBLE TO APPROACH SACEUR ON THIS SUBJECT TOW MIGHT EXPLAIN THAT THE ANNOUNCE!] INTENTION TO EQUIP OUR BRIGADE WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE RECENT DECISION TO RE-EQUIP PART OF THE AIR DIVISIONS TO ASSUME A STRIKE RECONNAISSANCE ROLE CREATES A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERCTArPPiPuH OF V7.Z I-h'OPQSEL- POLITICAL »RiiANGEHENTb' REGARDING THE USE OF SUCH WEAPONS* FOR LDNsAS YOU WILL OBSERVE^OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE UK POSITION LEANS FAIRLY HEAVILY ON THE EXPLANATION PROVIDED BY SIR PATRICK IiZAi:.i:: Tni oiKUUI-ISTANCZo^YeU MAY WISH 7\) CONFIRM THE ABOVE WITH BOTH'HIM AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS IN THE FO*IN THE SAME CONTEXT UE SHALL CONTINUE TO BE INTERESTED IN REPORTS 'ON THE LABOUR PARTYS CAMPAIGN FOR A NON-NUCLEAR CLUB AND THE EFFECT OF THAT CAMPAIGN ON UK GOVT THINKING UITH RESPECT TO THE CONTROL OF USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONSc 2i4S5/HAH/3U100Z JUL 59 001176 SECRET � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW04273 Title A name given to the resource NATOParis to LDN Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "NATO Cooperation Regarding Nuclear Weapons And Missile Bases (IRBM)," RG24-B-1, vol 21468, file CSC 2108:1, part 3, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Nuclear Weapons Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource n.d.