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SHAPE News Morning Update
11
February 2003
AFGHANISTAN
- Rocket
fired as Germans, Dutch take Afghan command
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IRAQ
- NATO,
deeply divided, meets again over Iraq
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BALKANS
- Montenegro
and Serbia must change election laws, monitors warn
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OTHER
NEWS
- U.S.
and EU concerned over Iran’s nuclear plans
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AFGHANISTAN
- Germany
and the Netherlands took joint command of international peacekeepers
in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, as Berlin pushed for
NATO to lead the operation in future. Just hours
after Turkey handed over command of the 22-nation International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at least one rocket landed
near the German headquarters in Kabul. The German Defence
Ministry said there were two missiles, but no casualties or
damage. German Defence Minister Peter Struck said
in Kabul after the handover ceremony that the United States
and several other NATO nations wanted a greater role for the
alliance in Afghanistan. (Reuters 101737 GMT Feb
03)
IRAQ
- NATO
states meet on Tuesday in the hope of healing an angry rift
over preparations for war in Iraq that has rocked the foundations
of the world’s most powerful and durable military alliance.
Three European states argued that to send to Turkey AWACS
surveillance planes, Patriot missiles and anti-chemical and
biological warfare teams would be a premature signal that
war had begun and diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis were
over. (Reuters 110119 GMT Feb 03)
BALKANS
- Foreign
observers urged Montenegro on Monday to change its election
law, a day after a second attempt to elect a president ended
in failure due to low voter turnout. Election monitors
from the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe condemned the law as politically destabilizing.
(AP 101850 Feb 03)
OTHER NEWS
- The
United States expressed grave concern on Monday that Iran,
the third member of its “axis of evil,” was
trying to develop nuclear weapons after reporting ambitious
atomic energy plans. (Reuters 102233 GMT Feb 03)
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