Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

17 January 2000

SHAPE-CHANGE OF COMMAND

The SHAPE change of command is at the center of media attention. Media generally observe that Gen. James L. Jones is taking over as SACEUR as the Alliance prepares for far-reaching changes in the wake of the Prague summit.

Noting that one of Gen. Jones' first tasks may be to plan a role for the Alliance in Iraq, AP quotes Gen. Jones saying at a joint news conference at SHAPE headquarters with NATO Secretary General Robertson: "Whatever NATO and whatever U.S. forces are tasked to do, they will be able to do it successfully." According to the dispatch, Lord Robertson stressed the support of the Alliance for UN efforts to deal with the ongoing crisis in Iraq. "We remain ready to help and assist the UN in what it is doing," he reportedly said. The dispatch, which recalls that Gen. Jones grew up in France and speaks French fluently, further quotes Lord Robertson saying: "In many ways, Gen. Jones is a living symbol of what NATO is about. A bridge across the Atlantic." France's AFP carries related information, quoting Gen. Jones saying: "What the role is for NATO in Iraq will be decided by NATO. Those discussions are properly ongoing. We will have to see what the future holds." Reuters reports Lord Robertson said he expected Germany to back proposed indirect assistance by the Alliance in case of a U.S.-led war on Iraq despite Berlin's opposition to war. "I expect that Germany will deliver on the commitment it made with the other 18 (NATO) governments in Prague to commit themselves to effective action in support of the UN Security Council," he reportedly said. According to the dispatch, he added that a number of proposals had been put forward in the NAC for "normal, prudent, deterrent, defense planning" in case of a war with Iraq. He indicated that NATO was not constrained by any particular timelines in responding to the proposals. UN inspection of Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction "appears to be producing results," he reportedly said. The dispatch notes that Lord Robertson seemed keen to assuage political sensitivity over the timing of the U.S. request for indirect military assistance before the UN has had a full report from its arms inspectors in Iraq or authorized the use of force.

Gen. Jones will be the first SACEUR to come from the Marine Corps, the smallest service of the U.S. military, which is characterized by its awareness of being an elite force. This might be coincidence, but it fits the picture, writes Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. In the wake of the Prague summit, NATO is preparing itself to intervene with its military power "whenever" this will be required, the newspaper recalls, adding: By 2004, a rapidly deployable brigade-size NATO Response Force (NRF) is to be set for worldwide operations. The fact that the new SACEUR, who will command this force, has 35 years experience of service in a typical expeditionary corps such as the Marines may at least be helpful. Stressing, however, that it was hardly the reason for Gen. Jones' appointment, the newspaper continues: "Defense Secretary Rumsfeld … is said to appreciate Gen. Jones' capability to think along new lines." Gen. Jones will be leading the NATO forces in a time of radical changes agreed at the NATO summit in Prague. No one doubts that he will master the challenge. He has had a shining career. His friends describe him as serious-minded, very determined, articulate and well spoken, but also very friendly, polite and a man with a good sense of humor, writes Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
In a similar vein, AFP writes that Gen. Jones is taking over as head of NATO's forces in Europe at a crucial time for the Alliance as it prepared to expand and back a possible war in Iraq. "The command handover comes at a sensitive time for NATO, which is preparing for a possible support role in a threatened UN-led war in Iraq," the dispatch observes.
Italy's Corriere della Sera highlights that Gen. Jones is the first Marine general occupying the post of SACEUR.

Media also focused on Thursday's ceremony at Patch barracks, Stuttgart, in which Gen. Jones took over from Gen. Ralston as EUCOM commander.
Gen. Jones was sworn in Thursday as the new head of the U.S. Military's European Command. Fighter jets, attack helicopters and engineers are being moved out of Germany, a key staging post for U.S. forces deploying to the Persian Gulf region, and Gen. Jones pledged full support under his orders for that effort, writes AP, quoting Gen. Jones saying at the change of command ceremony: "European Command will play whatever role it must … with regard to the situation in Iraq." The dispatch notes that he refused comment after the ceremony on whether he should use his NATO role to press the Alliance for a declaration of solidarity with the United States against Iraq.
A related article in The Stars and Stripes reports that Gen. Jones reiterated the United States' commitment to the war on terrorism, saying the war is complex but will be won. Noting that Gen. Jones' selection as EUCOM commander was heralded as a signal of the change in the U.S. military, the newspaper adds that during a 10-minute session with reporters, he said as a Marine he brings the Corps history of using all elements-air, land and sea-in battle. He also noted the Marines can deploy quickly and do not stay in-country long. But, stresses, the article, Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz said Gen. Jones was not selected because he was a Marine. Wolfowitz is quoted saying: "He was selected because he is Jim Jones and not that he's wearing a particular uniform."
Among factual reports, Stuttgarter Zeitung and Berliner Zeitung write that in a ceremony Thursday, Gen. Jones took over from Gen. Ralston as EUCOM commander.

IRAQ

According to AP, French President Chirac Friday said he supported UN inspectors' requests for more time to determine whether Iraq had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. "Inspectors have asked for more time to go on working," he reportedly said in Paris after meeting with Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, adding: "It is only wise to agree to this request. And to give them more time to work to bring about a more detailed response."

The announcement that the United States formally asked its NATO allies Wednesday for indirect military assistance in case of a war with Iraq continues to generate interest.
The Washington Post reports that in Stuttgart Thursday, where he was attending the EUCOM change of command ceremony, Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz appealed to NATO for military support in the event of war with Iraq, saying the more solidarity Alliance members expressed now, the greater the likelihood that war might not be necessary. The newspaper observes that the Bush administration has been slow to approach NATO about lending its military weight to an operation against Iraq, recognizing the reluctance of some Alliance members to support such an action. But, it adds, the prospect of NATO again being sidelined in an important military operation has renewed concerns on both sides of the Atlantic about the Alliance's relevance in the age of terrorism. According to the article, the U.S. initiative appears intended not only to dispel such concerns but also to send a political signal to Saddam Hussein of greater international unity against him.
Under the headline, "Dilemmas about as U.S. asks for NATO's help," the Financial Times claims that when the deputy U.S. ambassador to NATO this week formally asked for military assistance if Washington attacked Iraq, the manner of the request revealed the sensitivities and worries of the Alliance. "The regular Wednesday meeting (of the NAC) was not the usual gathering of ambassadors supported by at least five people. Ambassadors were allowed just one person," says the newspaper, which quotes one Alliance ambassador saying: "The way we were told sums up our dilemma…. NATO is in a very delicate position. It has to do enough to make clear it is relevant and not do so much that it would upset the domestic applecart in any country." The article comments: When NATO offered the U.S. help after the terrorist attacks in the United States, invoking for the first time Article 5, the U.S. spurned the offer. It did not want to be tied down by committees or an organization that was unable to provide capabilities such as strategic airlift. This time, the U.S. has discovered its own dilemma. It wants maximum political, diplomatic and even military support from its European allies without running the risk of alienating them in the build-up of a military campaign already highly unpopular in most European countries."