Sweden's NATO Champions 'Forget to Warn People of Nuclear Apocalypse'

A chorus of powerful voices in Sweden has recently urged the country to join NATO but they failed to mention that the bloc embraces a preemptive nuclear strike doctrine which could possibly lead to a nuclear apocalypse, warned a Swedish affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

"NATO is a military alliance with nuclear weapons as a cornerstone," Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Arms wrote in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

The alliance itself described these armaments as a core component of its deterrence and defense capabilities.

"As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance," the bloc reiterated in 2012. Moreover, the organization's hands are not tied by the no first use (NFU) policy, which it has repeatedly refused to adopt.

Five European nations, according to the Swedish medical group, host US nuclear forces. Should Sweden join the bloc, it could become the next country to welcome them and it will also have to accept NATO's preemptive nuclear strike doctrine.

Exercise #BALTOPS2015 | UK Royal Marine Commandos, Finnish Coastal Jaegers, Swedish and US Marines in combined force pic.twitter.com/gyCVCq4VZw

— US Mission to NATO (@USNATO) 13 июня 2015

Research has shown that even a limited nuclear war could threaten survival of millions.

A team at the Department of Meteorology of the Stockholm University studied climate implications of a fictional nuclear war between India and Pakistan, who possess less than 1 percent of world's nukes. The colder temperatures caused by a nuclear explosion in their simulations would lead to crop failures and food shortages across the northern hemisphere.

Swedish Physicians against Nuclear Arms urged the government to commit to an initiative aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide. The organization believes that this goal is attainable and several major steps in this direction have already been taken.

The figures seem to support this view. For instance, the number of missiles with nuclear warheads has been reduced by 75 percent since 1986, the group said.

Banning and eliminating nuclear weapons entirely is the only way to ensure that this humanitarian catastrophe never happens. #70years

— IPPNW (@IPPNW) 16 июля 2015

In May 2015, some 110 states pledged to works towards the goal of a nuclear free world.

100+ nations pledged to fill the legal gap to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons; why not Japan?? #70years #goodbyenukes

— IPPNW (@IPPNW) 8 июля 2015