SL 2
STRET UK TYDS A
7. These four are of critical importance, * but there are two
others to consider. On the Northern Flank, there is potential
threat to the Alliance in the Eastern Atlantic and North West
Europe, stemming from the military weakness of the
Scandinavian members of the Alliance.
Their forces bear no
We
relation to the threat, but they will not permit other NATO
members to station forces in their countries in peacetime.
therefore consider it essential, for political and military
reasons, that the UK should continue to support Norway and
Denmark with reinforcement forces, including our current land
and air contributions to the ACE Mobile Force.
8. In the Southern Region of Allied Command Europe, the UK's
naval and air forces, and reinforcement forces, are clearly of
secondary importance compared to those of the United States and
to the military resources of the littoral nations. We have
therefore examined our current presence in the Mediterranean
against the strategic importance of the British contribution in
other regions, bearing in mind the size of the resources that
we are likely to have available. It is essential that we should
concentrate our reduced military resources into those areas
where they can do the most for the Alliance. We have concluded
therefore that to withdraw our stationed and reinforcement
forces from the Southern Region would be militarily less
damaging than to weaken our contribution to the Central and
Northern Regions, and to the Eastern Atlantic area - where it
is vital.
3
SECRET UK EYES A