Military

SACEUR

¨         Under the title, "James Jones:  A Marine officer to lead NATO into the counter-terrorism war,"  Die Welt observes:  "The mission determines the alliance, and it is not the alliance that determines the mission, as Defense Secretary Rumsfeld once put it.  The mission also determines the Supreme Commander in the Alliance, and each of them has his own time.  The time will soon be ripe for Gen. Jones, the present commander of the U.S. Marine Corps, to assume the office of Supreme Allied Commander Europe."  The German daily speculates that the assignment of Gen. Jones to the office of SACEUR is a signal of the new strategic orientation of the Alliance.  "He is a man for the new NATO which will soon enlarge far to the east under the primacy of counter-terrorism," stresses the article.  It suggests that "behind the office doors along the long linoleum covered floors in the military headquarters of the Alliance, the staff from 19 NATO nations may have a presentiment that things will change with Gen. Jones' arrival."

NATO

¨         According to AFP,  NATO Secretary General Robertson told a news conference in Berlin Thursday he was confident that the Prague summit would result in an "ambitious enlargement" of the Alliance.  He also said a planned EU rapid reaction force would not be affected by a U.S. proposal for a standing NATO response force. He reportedly added, however, that he was disappointed at the lack of EU-NATO military cooperation.  Lord Robertson is quoted saying he was "very worried, very concerned, about the lack of movement in linking the EU to NATO in the permanent arrangements that were foreseen as part of this great project."  He reportedly said he hoped to see "some breakthrough" before an EU summit in Copenhagen in December "in establishing the historic connection between the EU's aspirations to have a security role, and NATO's historic offer to provide the capability that would allow the EU to act." 

Interest in the Prague summit appears to be growing.  Media continue to express their conviction that at the summit, seven candidate members will be invited  to join the Alliance.

"NATO's big push east will take up to seven states," writes The Daily Telegraph, stressing  that the move is seen by observers as a key step toward reuniting the European continent and strengthening democracy in the old Soviet bloc.  The newspaper expects, however, that there will be renewed questions about NATO's future as a military organization. Decision-making by consensus could become unwieldy.  NATO is unlikely to change its rules in the same way as the EU has adopted majority voting on many issues. The admission of new members will probably add little to NATO's military capacity, but will commit the Alliance to go the defense of a growing list of small nations, notes the article and concludes:  "Rich countries have long struggled to meet NATO targets for increasing defense spending and developing military capability. The road to integration is likely to be that much harder for the eastern members."

A related article in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung highlights that there is apparently a consensus within NATO that seven new members will be admitted.  NATO diplomats in Brussels say it is unlikely that this could still be changed, adds the daily.

BRITAIN-DEFENSE

¨         According to AP, the British government said Friday it would not scrap the army's problem-plagued main assault rifle, which misfired and jammed during operations in Afghanistan.  Gen. Sir Mike Jackson, who is commander in chief of the land forces, reportedly said he was satisfied that the modified SA90-A2 rifle is "highly reliable."  He also said problems encountered by Royal Marines in Afghanistan had been largely due to the troops not being properly instructed on cleaning.  The dispatch adds that defense officials launched a new education and training program for troops Friday to build confidence in the rifle.

OTHER NEWS

¨         AFP reports Slovakian President Schuster asked outgoing Prime Minister Dzurinda Friday to form a new government that is expected to lead the formerly communist nation into the EU and NATO.  According to the dispatch, Dzurinda told journalists he had been named after meeting with Schuster.  He said he had 30 days to form a government but added that he would be delighted if it took place more quickly. The dispatch recalls that Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) and three other moderate center-right parties won a six-seat majority in the 150-seat parliament in general elections last week. It notes that Dzurinda, a politician known for his ability to reach compromises, called the election results "a victory of citizens who want to enter into the EU and NATO."