Europe's Nuclear-Free Future

By Janice Castro

President Bush got the ball rolling in Europe when he called for the elimination of NATO's nuclear-tipped artillery shells and Lance missiles. Now he may not be able to stop it. Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands have told Washington that they want to finish the job by getting rid of the only nukes that would remain: the bombs carried by 1,100 American and 300 NATO aircraft. Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell says the U.S. will keep the arsenal. But privately, senior U.S. officials concede that by the end of next year Europe will probably be a nuclear-free zone.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart