Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

7 February 2003

NATO

• Stepping up pressure to end three weeks of stalling, NATO Secretary-General Robertson gave France, Germany and Belgium until Monday to decide whether to stop blocking alliance plans to protect Turkey in case of war with Iraq. Under a so-called “silence procedure” launched by the allies Thursday, military planning would begin automatically to deploy early warning planes, missile-interceptor batteries and anti-germ to Turkey unless any of the allies raises an objection by 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) Monday. “There is continuing disagreement on the timing issue ... but I am confident that we will reach a decision early next week,” Robertson told reporters after a heated meeting of ambassadors from the 19 nations. Robertson stressed there “is complete agreement on the substance” of the measures to defend Turkey, and differences only concerned the timing of a decision to order military experts to begin planning. “NATO’s solidarity with Turkey is not in doubt,” Robertson insisted. On the table for agreement on Monday are plans to send to Turkey AWACS surveillance planes based in Germany, Patriot anti-missile defense systems from the Netherlands and military units specialized in responding to chemical, biological or nuclear attacks. The proposals also call for other NATO allies to defend U.S. bases in Europe and replace troops sent to the Gulf from NATO’s peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Robertson called the options “prudent, deterrent and defensive.”(AP 061844 Feb 03 GMT)
  
  
• Turkey granted the United States permission on Thursday to upgrade Turkish military bases as a first step to inviting thousands of U.S. troops for a possible war on Iraq, amid fears it could cause chaos in the region. Iraq’s ambassador said opening bases for U.S. troops would be tantamount to joining a war. But Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said measures approved by parliament in a closed-door session did not constitute any lurch by Turkey into war. “Rather, we are taking measures to preserve the security of our country against the rising prospect of war,” he said. “In the next two weeks we will do all we can to turn a state of war into a state of peace,” Erdogan told reporters.(Reuters 1757 060203 GMT)
  

IRAQ

• Defense Secretary Rumsfeld heads for Europe on Thursday to press the case for the possible use of force against Iraq, but could face a skeptical reception in meetings slated with the German and Russian defense ministers. Rumsfeld arrives on Friday in Italy, a strong, for meetings with Prime Minister Silvio and Defense Minister Martino. On Saturday, he heads to Germany for a security conference in Munich with European dignitaries at which he has a major speech scheduled as well as bilateral meetings with Russian Defense Minister Ivanov and Germany Defense Minister Struck, according to a senior U.S. defense official. The official, briefing reporters on condition on anonymity, said Rumsfeld has “no formal meeting” scheduled with French defense chief Alliot-Marie, also due to attend. Rumsfeld faces continued resistance to military action soon against Iraq from Russia and France, which both possess veto power on the UN Security Council, as well as Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council. “I wouldn’t characterize it as a hard sell,” said the U.S. official. “I think there’s an enormous amount of support already within Europe for keeping the pressure up on Saddam Hussein. I think that support is building. And certainly this is an opportunity to continue to build that support.”(Reuters 2130 060203 GMT)
  
  
• Belgium asked the EU on Thursday to call an emergency meeting of the 15 EU governments, the 13 EU candidates, including Turkey, and Iraq’s neighbors to discuss the Iraq crisis. “A common approach is to be preferred in a dossier in which Europe can make the difference,” Belgian Foreign Minister Michel said in a statement. “It is desirable that the European Union takes an initiative in its own name” to resolve the Iraq crisis without going to war, he added. Michel said also Belgium opposed plans for the NATO alliance to start planning for its role in any war against, if any. “It is premature to take a decision now already about the possible involvement of NATO in the Iraq crisis.” Michel did not say in his statement if Belgium would formally object to NATO going ahead with its military planning..(AP 061624 Feb 03 GMT)
  

BALKANS

• Serbia’s prime minister demanded on Thursday that an international conference on Kosovo’s future be held in June. Zoran Djindjic said Kosovo was inching toward independence, adding that “an independent Kosovo is a huge problem.” The UN mission in Kosovo has said talks on the province’s future would be held once the province is politically and economically stable. Michael Steiner, Kosovo’s UN. administrator, recently said that “the time for solving Kosovo's status will come, but not in 2003.” But Djindjic argued a conference ought to be held in June. “The argument that the time is not right is unclear to me. It’s never early for strategic solutions,” Djindjic said. Djindjic recently urged NATO to allow some Serbian troops back into Kosovo.(AP 061838 Feb 03 GMT)