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NOTE: Due to PIO’s participation in Exercise "Strong Resolve 2002," the SHAPE News Morning Update will not be published until March 19. Significant news items are incorporated in the SHAPE News Summary and Analysis.

STRONG RESOLVE-SACEUR

• Stressing that Strong Resolve 2002 managed two simultaneous crises—a defensive war in Norway and peacekeeping in Poland, AP quotes Gen. Ralston saying in Norway Tuesday, after a visit to the exercise area: "It is important to show that the Alliance has the capability to do more than one thing at a time…. You have to realize that it is conducted at the same time as we are carrying out real world operations. We have almost 60,000 soldiers in the Balkans. In addition, many nations have troops deployed to Afghanistan." Norwegian daily Aftenposten quotes Gen. Ralston saying in an interview that Norway’s unique topography offers "first class" training conditions for NATO soldiers. Gen. Ralston promised that more exercises will be held in Norway in years to come, stresses the newspaper, further quoting him saying: "Norway offers unique training opportunities given its geography and climate, and that’s what our soldiers need." According to the newspaper, Norwegian Defense Chief Gen. Frisvold stressed that it was "good" to hear Gen. Ralston’s views. "There has been speculation … that there will be fewer exercises in Norway, but I have never shared that opinion," Gen. Frisvold is quoted saying.

NATO-AFGHANISTAN

• According to the Financial Times, the British government is exploring a role for NATO in any follow-up peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan once ISAF’s mandate expires in June. The newspaper quotes unidentified diplomats saying that so far, the issue has not been discussed in the NAC; it has been confined to London. The newspaper claims that one of the options under consideration in London is that SHAPE might in future be able to assist ISAF. "We would not be visible on the ground. We would be looking at the planning end of things—strategy, resources, force structures," a European diplomat reportedly indicated.

ESDP

• AFP quotes European Affairs Minister Tassos Yannitsis saying in Athens Tuesday that Greece is ready to hold talks on a military cooperation agreement between NATO and the EU over a planned European defense force. According to the dispatch, he added that Athens was ready to discuss the EU’s defense plans with the EU presidency, currently held by Spain, and with EU foreign policy chief Solana. Prime Minister Costas Simitis was set to give details about Greece’s position on the fledging European defense force to other member states during the European summit in Barcelona on Friday and Saturday, he reportedly added.

EU SUMMIT-NATO AWACS

• Stressing that Barcelona authorities are boosting security ahead of this weekend’s EU summit, AP quotes Spanish media saying that among several measures, the military is studying the possibility of beefing up radar surveillance with a NATO AWACS.

BALKANS

• According to AFP, NATO Secretary General Robertson said in Paris Tuesday that NATO will decide within weeks whether to scale down peacekeeping armies in Bosnia and Kosovo. In what it sees as a hint that troop cuts are likely, the dispatch quotes Lord Robertson saying: "If we can reduce the forces and still maintain the same robust military presence, we will obviously do it because these forces are needed elsewhere." In an address to the International Institute of Strategic Relations, Lord Robertson reported stressed, however: "Absolutely no decision has been taken. We have a review every six months and in a few weeks time, there will be the result of that review."

• La Libre Belgique reports that Defense Minister Flahaut held talks with Yugoslav officials in Belgrade Tuesday to negotiate the transit through Serbia of trucks delivering food and mail to Belgian forces in Kosovo. According to the newspaper, Flahaut’s Yugoslav counterpart stressed that although the issue must be handled on a multinational basis with KFOR, the Yugoslav government is prepared to examine each request separately. A transit agreement with Belgium is therefore possible, but details will have to be negotiated before an agreement is signed in April, adds the daily.

• AFP quotes an SFOR spokesman saying Wednesday that SFOR has airdropped thousands of leaflets in the southeast of Bosnia offering a reward for information about war crimes suspect Karadzic. The dispatch stresses that the leaflets are part of the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program. It quotes an SFOR press release saying, however, that the leaflet drop is part of a "long-term" international effort to bring war crimes indictees to justice and adding that SFOR was "continuing its efforts to apprehend" Karadzic.

• Media report that international donors meeting in Brussels Tuesday pledged $515 million in assistance for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

GERMANY-BUNDESWEHR

• German media report prominently on a report issued Tuesday by Wilfred Penner, the parliamentary commissioner for the military, which claims that "the state of the Bundeswehr is even more dramatic than many had assumed." Sueddeutsche Zeitung highlights Penner’s point that as well as using outdated equipment, soldiers are suffering from a catastrophic loss of morale "precisely when more demands than ever are being made on the Bundeswehr." A related Reuters dispatch quotes the parliamentary report saying the German armed forces are using outdated, inadequate equipment and are under strain as they take on an increasing number of missions abroad. Complaints from members of the military reportedly cited the lack of armored vehicles in Afghanistan, inadequate air conditioning on boat patrolling waters off the Horn of Africa and long periods abroad away from their families.

A400M MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE

• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that amid a dispute between Germany’s governing coalition parties and stepped-up threats from the opposition to go to the Federal Constitutional Court, officials in parliament said Tuesday a Budget Committee vote on a plan to order 73 Airbus A400M military transport planes would be delayed for a week.

MIDDLE EAST

• Media report that the Security Council approved Tuesday a resolution endorsing a Palestinian state for the first time and calling for an immediate cease-fire in the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 FINAL ITEM