Military

SACEUR

¨         Moscow's Agentstvo Voyennykh Novostey reports Gen. Ralston arrived in Yerevan Monday and told reporters he would discuss with Armenian officials the NATO exercises Cooperative Best Effort 2003 which will take place on Armenian territory in June 2003.  According to the report, he noted that the exercises are part of NATO's PFP program. 

ESDP

Media focus on the announcement that NATO on Friday approved a deal guaranteeing the EU access to its planning resources for EU military operations.   They generally consider that the deal clears the way for the EU to start peacekeeping missions in the Balkans. 

The EU will for the first time deploy its own soldiers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, possibly by February, following a landmark agreement at the weekend between NATO and the EU, reports the Financial Times.  The newspaper quotes diplomats saying ESDP gained a big political and psychological boost with the weekend's accord, to be signed in Brussels by NATO and the EU's political and security committee. 

Media also highlight that the agreement clears the way for the start of military cooperation between NATO and the EU's Rapid Reaction Force.

"Now the nascent European multinational force can get help from NATO in planning and mounting its own military operations, mainly expected to be peacekeeping," writes the International Herald Tribune.  The newspaper speculates that with an accord in place, key NATO allies will no longer fear that an EU force might start challenging NATO's role as the prime guarantor of Europe's security or drain off defense spending on items such as a big Europe-only planning staff.  Specifically, the newspaper continues, NATO's military staff will provide the overall operational planning, and the EU can count on borrowing Alliance assets such as AWACS or U.S. satellite data to help European commanders confront a crisis.  Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, is quoted saying:  "This is a real breakthrough in NATO relations with the EU.  Now, NATO and the EU defense staff can have a more mature relationship, and it will allow us to work more closely together on Europe's real security."  The article considers that for the United States, it is a welcome prospect to see European troops take over peacekeeping in parts of the former Yugoslavia and thus free American forces for combat duty in other parts of the world.  And, it adds, for EU commanders, it is crucial to be able to count on NATO support.  The article adds that in practical terms, Washington has insisted that the EU force leave its main operational planning to the staff at SHAPE headquarters.  Arrangements for pulling together European units for an operation outside NATO will be made by DSACEUR, who traditionally has been a European.  When this system is functioning, Washington has pledged to respond favorably to European requests for help such as electronic intelligence and long-range transport, says the newspaper.  This week, writes Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, EU and NATO representatives will begin talks on the development of a basic agreement on "strategic cooperation" between both organizations.  A meeting of the NATO Council and the EU Political and Security Committee will adopt a first joint declaration, says the newspaper, adding that the basic agreement between the EU and NATO will, among other things, determine the guaranteed access to NATO planning capacities, the use of other joint Alliance means, and the role of the DSACEUR as commander in a EU-led operation.  Additionally, a security agreement has to be concluded which enables the forwarding of secret NATO documents to EU facilities. Observing that the deal between the EU and NATO gives the embryonic European Rapid Reaction Force guaranteed access to the planning resources of the Alliance, The Independent quotes a NATO spokesman stressing that "EU access to NATO planning capabilities able to contribute to military planning for EU-led operations is now assured, effective immediately."  The article adds, however, that while the deal is good news for architects of the EU's planned Rapid Reaction Force, skeptics say that the hard work is only just starting.  Under pressure to control their budgets European capitals have been unwilling to invest in the cash needed to bring the EU's military plans up to scratch, notes the newspaper. 

AFP quotes NATO Secretary General Robertson saying the detailed arrangements of the partnership accord still have to be worked out but that the allies are determined to complete the task by March 1, 2003. 

"NATO and the EU are now partners; their assets will be put in common," stresses Belgian daily Le Soir. 

IRAQ

¨         According to Reuters, a senior military official said Monday that Turkey has deployed troops and engineers near its border with Iraq to prepare for any U.S.-led war on Baghdad.  The official, in the border province of Sirnak, reportedly gave no figure for the size of the deployment, but local sources put it at 10,000 to 15,000 troops.  The dispatch adds that in a telephonic interview, the official, who requested anonymity, confirmed widespread local reports of Turkish units moving close to border crossings and deploying along the mountainous borders with northern Iraq.   "In the last few days there have been some troops deployments. The reason for the deployment is ensuring that the Turkish military is ready in all ways for the possibility of an Iraq operation,  he reportedly said.  He added that the recent deployments were heavy with engineering units ready to build bridges and ensure Turkish access into the mountains of northern Iraq if needed.   He reportedly refused to comment on reports that a convoy of U.S. military vehicles crossed into northern Iraq over the weekend.  The dispatch adds that the Turkish General Staff was not immediately available for comment. 

OTHER NEWS

¨         According to Het Belang van Limburg, Dec. 14, parties in Belgium's ruling coalition have agreed to urge NATO for a debate on the nuclear weapons at Kleine Brogel.  The government parties reportedly support a resolution on this, submitted by Liberal parliamentarian Stef Goris.  The House will reportedly vote on the resolution early January.  The newspaper quoted Goris saying:  "The ruling parties agree with my proposal.  Also Prime Minister Verhofstadt and Foreign Minister Michel agree. That means that the resolution has all chances of becoming a success..  I  do not ask Belgium to refuse unilaterally the nuclear tasks to which we have committed ourselves inside NATO.  I ask that we start a debate within NATO about the nuclear tasks-that means Kleine Brogel."   According to the newspaper, Goris does not claim that there are nuclear weapons in Kleine Brogel. His proposal urges not to deploy new nuclear weapons in Europe and calls for a further reduction of the nuclear weapons "The B61 nuclear bombs at bases in Europe have no military usefulness whatsoever anymore. They are needed only to demonstrate loyalty to NATO and the United States.  The nuclear bombs of the type that is destined for Kleine Brogel are totally obsolete.  During the Cold War, they were designed to be sued against the Russian army in Eastern Europe," Goris was further quoted saying.

¨         French daily Le Figaro quotes the commander of the 2^nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, Col. Morin, indicating that French troops in the Ivory Coast have been given the order to "open fire" on "any person clearly preventing the realization" of their mission.  The newspaper notes that almost three months after the start of the Ivorian crisis, the French army is switching from an observation to an active phase.  Earlier, French media reported that France has decided to reinforce its military contingent in the Ivory Coast.