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Political Implications
115. All the political implications and disadvantages outlined in
paragraph 106 on the political implications of the Critical
level would ensure. Some effects would be markedly increased.
MBFR. It would not be possible to negotiate the
reductions envisaged in BAOR or RAF commitments
on the Central Front in the context of the present
negotiations. Unilateral reductions of this order
(1)
(11)
(iii)
could easily lead to the collapse of the negotiations.
The Dutch have just given a commitment to carry out
their force reductions only in the context of MBFR.
The Cohesion of the Alliance.
Unilateral UK
reductions of this order of magnitude would probably
be followed by unilateral American and European
This would ruin NATO's present strategy
reductions.
and shake Alliance cohesion. What could be done in
these circumstances could only be determined in a
separate and lengthy study which would require
co-ordination with our allies; but it is likely that
major changes in the structure of Western defence
and political co-operation would be required.
The Flanks. Apart from the general effects of loss
of cohesion in the Alliance the cuts proposed would
undermine the credibility of the defence of Norway
and Denmark. This would have important political
repercussions and might even lead them to question
their continued membership of NATO, with possible
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