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SACEUR-BULGARIA

• Further review of Bulgarian media confirm the interest Gen. Ralston’s visit to the country generated. Sofia’s BTA, March 18, highlighted that Gen. Ralston focused his attention on the military aspects of the Bulgarian army reform. It noted that in a lecture organized by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria Monday, SACEUR made a very high assessment of the multinational peace forces’ headquarters in Plovdiv, and of Bulgaria’s efforts for the force’s formation in particular. The dispatch further reported that earlier on Monday, as he came out of a meeting with Foreign Minister Pasi, Gen. Ralston said it was important for Bulgaria to persevere in its efforts to implement the NATO Membership Action Plan, which he described as "very good." SACEUR reportedly pointed to the Air Sovereignty Operations Center (ASOC) as an example of great progress. The dispatch noted that Foreign Minister Pasi described Gen. Ralston’s visit as extremely important and timely in the run up to the Reykjavik summit. It added that President Purvanov informed Gen. Ralston about the country’s efforts in the field of military reforms, the changes connected with increasing the army budget, and the laws being passed in connection with Bulgaria’s NATO membership. "I admit that I am reassured by Gen. Ralston’s assessment. His words encourage me to further work in the serious talks with which we are faced in the run up to the Prague summit," the report quoted President Purvanov saying. Related articles were published in national newspapers under the respective titles, "NATO’s First in command lavishes praises" (Sega), "Gen. Ralston: ‘Having big army is no use to you’" (Dnevnik), "NATO inspects our army" (Standart News).

BALKANS

• According to AP, NATO protested Wednesday the brief detention by Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia police of two of its officials, an American and an Italian who have diplomatic immunity. "The NATO ambassador wishes to express his dissatisfaction over the detainment of two individuals from the NATO civilian liaison office in Ohrid during the past weekend," the dispatch quotes a NATO spokesman saying in Skopje. "Diplomatic immunity of those persons was ignored and not respected," the spokesman reportedly noted. The dispatch adds another NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two NATO diplomats were detained for half an hour in the western lakeside resort of Ohrid while taking pictures of the town’s main square. Their names were not released.

• According to AP, NATO-led helicopters dropped leaflets over eastern Bosnian towns before dawn Tuesday, informing residents about a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic. The dispatch notes it is the second time NATO-troops in Bosnia dropped leaflets offering the reward as part of a U.S. government program called "Rewards for Justice." It adds that to attract attention to the leaflets, the U.S. government has cut them to match the size of a 50 Convertible Mark note ($25) and printed a fake note on one side of the paper. The other side features Karadzic’s photo, details of the $5 million offer and a phone number. "The idea is that people get curious and pick them up and once they turn it over they see the information," the dispatch quotes an SFOR spokesman saying and adding that "between 50 and 80 calls are being received per day ever since the first leaflet drop on March 13." The dispatch stresses that the U.S. government asked NATO to help spread information after the Bosnian Serb TV stations refused to broadcast a commercial about it and after posters about the offer were torn down shortly after they were displayed.

• The Council of Europe on Wednesday approved the membership application of Bosnia-Herzegovina to join Europe’s top human rights organization, reports AP. The 43-member nations decided to accept Bosnia’s application after the organization’s parliamentary assembly recommended its membership in January, says the dispatch, adding that a ceremony marking Bosnia’s accession will take place in late April. The dispatch remarks that as a condition for membership, the Council wants Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue its democratic reforms. It calls for Bosnia’s full cooperation in the implementation of the Dayton peace accords and insists on full cooperation with the ICTY.

ISAF

• Reuters reports U.S. Vice President Cheney said in Ankara Wednesday the United States and Turkey were close to agreement over plans for Turkey to take over command of ISAF. He told reporters in Ankara, where he is winding up a tour of the Middle East, that the force would be limited to the Kabul area. Other arrangements would have to be made for ensuring stability in other areas of Afghanistan. According to the dispatch, he added that outstanding issues include financial support, how forces would be transported, communications and intelligence support. He also indicated that of $228 million in new aid that the United States is proposing for Turkey, $28 million would go directly to help pay for Turkish leadership of the force. The remaining $200 million would be economic assistance.

• ZDF television, March 19, reported that in a low-key and deliberately unspectacular ceremony, Germany assumed the tactical leadership of the Kabul brigades from the British Tuesday. As of today, the Bundeswehr will lead the International Security Assistance Force at an operational level—a leading role just below the overall leadership," said the broadcast.

AFGHANISTAN

British media continue to focus on the deployment of 1,700 British marines to supplement U.S. forces fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The Guardian reports that advance parties of commandos will start flying into Bagram airbase, north of Kabul, over the next few days and the full force will be ready to start offensive operations in mid-April.

Under the title, "NATO’s nimblest take on mountain mission," the Financial Times asserts that the deployment to Afghanistan will be one of the toughest assignments handed to 45 Commando, the mountain warfare Marines set to leave Scotland to hunt for Al Qaeda and Taliban guerrillas. "The unit, created in 1943, feels it is the most efficient mountain-fighting unit in NATO. It specializes in dispatching units of 60-100 men to hostile mountain terrain without the need for vehicles or backup…. It will deploy in the mountains in southeast Afghanistan, largely on foot," stresses the newspaper.

• AP reports Polish lawmakers Wednesday gave the air force an additional two years to purchase 48 fighter jets to upgrade the country’s military to NATO requirements. Parliament’s lower house reportedly voted to extend the delivery period to 2008 instead of 2006, as planned earlier. Amending previous earlier defense modernization plans, lawmakers also endorsed raising the number of planes to be ordered by four to 48, and stipulated that all of them be brand-new, not used. The dispatch recalls that U.S. and European companies are vying for the contract, which Defense Minister Szmajdzinski says the government expects to award in August or September.

A400M MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE

• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that key members of the German government’s junior coalition partners are now prepared to support the two-step plan for purchasing 73 new A400M military transport planes. Oswald Metzger, the member of Alliance 90/The Greens who had criticized the plan, is quoted saying Tuesday he had changed his mind after Germany’s seven partners in the new Airbus A400M project granted the German government an exemption from a penalty clause. According to the newspaper, the decision means the three Greens on Parliament’s Budget Committee will provide the necessary votes to approve the plan. A related Financial Times article quotes members of Germany’s ruling coalition saying Germany had received backing from its European partners for Berlin’s proposed two-stage payment procedure to pay 73 aircraft.

 FINAL ITEM