Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

6 March 2003

GENERAL JONES

• AP reports French Foreign Minister Alliot-Marie is scheduled to meet Gen. Jones Thursday. The dispatch adds that the French Defense Ministry declined to give any details of the visit and said there would be no statement released afterwards.
  
  
• Moscow’s Vedomosti, March 5 asserted that it had been told by Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry sources that the Ministry continues to believe that a redeployment of U.S. forces to Eastern Europe, under plans unveiled Monday by Gen. Jones, would contravene the CFE Treaty. Stressing, however, that “the Americans believe that there is no violation,” the article continued: “’We are at this time,’ Gen. Jones said, ‘explaining to the Russians that we intend to act in the spirit’ of the treaty. Gen. Jones’ statement points out that the CFE treaty permits the temporary deployment in East Europe of additional mechanized forces ‘in the event of a threat.’” The report also quoted Tomas Valasek, director of the Brussels’s office of Washington’s Center for Defense Information, explaining that Gen. Jones’ remarks reflect plans for a reduction of the armed forces with a simultaneous increase in their mobility that the U.S. leadership has been working up for several years now. “Instead of the deployment of troops on a long-term basis, as in Germany currently, the new doctrine provides for the frequent rotation of troops coming from the United States for several months. This system of basing would spare the Pentagon the need to maintain large contingents overseas, but would make it possible, if necessary, to rapidly build up its forces in the vicinity of trouble spots,” Vasalek reportedly noted.

Plans to overhaul U.S. basing in Europe continue to generate interest in Eastern European countries.
Bucharest’s Romania Libera stresses that NATO’s eastward enlargement and Romania’s accession to the Alliance, together with other countries in the area, are beginning to contour their military dimension in the new strategic context based on statements made by Gen. Jones.
Prague’s Lidove Novinym, March 5, stressed that if the plan is fully carried out within NATO, President Bush will be able to rely on “Warsaw Pact 2,” whose members are known for their commitment of the transatlantic dimension of the Alliance. However, added the daily, this will mainly be true if Bush emerges as a moral winner from the Iraq war, and if the governments of existing close allies are not under pressure from their frustrated publics.
If America were to decide to put one of its military bases in Latvia, the country would benefit in economic and security terms, said Riga’s Lauku Avize, March 5, noting: First of all, it would strengthen Latvia’s security even further. Second, Latvia’s economy would benefit. “Political and military security usually brings along economic achievements. Foreign investors feel more secure, as do local residents,” added the report.
Sofia’s Sega, March 5, insisted that Bulgaria must calculate how much money this strategic partnership should cost the United States. “It would not be serious on our part to accept the argument that the United States wants to move its troops here because their maintenance would be cheaper. We should, in fact, explain to the Americans that prices here will soon match those in the West. We regret that some representatives of the executive branch are doing everything possible to give the U.S. military bases in Bulgaria free of charge. They are also trying to arrange for the decision to be adopted at the very last moment when there would be no time for an analysis and a debate. We need to draw comparisons with the manner in which Turkey is protecting its interests,” said the report.

NATO

• In a contribution to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns, stresses that in the midst of the vigorous international debate on Iraq, NATO proved against last month why it continues to be the indispensable bridge across the Atlantic linking North America and Europe. “NATO is currently delivering to Turkey sophisticated AWACS aircraft and Patriot missile systems to deter and to defend against any attack from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. NATO chemical and biological defense teams will soon be positioned across Turkey as added protection for its people. In making all of this happen, NATO passed through one of the most difficult challenges in its 54-year history as the world’s most successful military alliance and the ultimate guarantor of trans-Atlantic security,” writes Ambassador Burns. Drawing the lessons from the difficult experience of the last few weeks, he continues: “First and foremost, friends help friends, even in the worst of circumstances. NATO proved once again that it was able to do what is necessary and, more importantly, what is right…. Alliance solidarity prevailed even during a time of profound disagreement among some of its key members…. Second, future members of NATO can rest assured that they’ll have upon entry a rock solid commitment to their security…. Ironically, the soon-to-be allies also should find some measure of comfort in the length of time it took to reach an agreement. All decisions are made by consensus, meaning every ally has a right to have its concerns satisfied…. The new members can be certain that their voices will be welcome and respected at NATO. Finally, the events of recent weeks should also remind us of the unique role of NATO among international institutions. NATO’s strength is its ability to take action. While other organizations have the luxury of just talking about problems, NATO’s credibility hinges on its effectiveness in acting to protect its members. NATO has never subordinated itself to any other organization—even the UN—and it never will.” Ambassador Burns concludes that “NATO has emerged from this difficult period bruised but resolute.”

IRAQ

• Britain is working behind the scenes for a compromise UN resolution in the face of unbending opposition from France, Russia and Germany over war against Iraq, reports The Guardian. According to the newspaper, the British government, which expects to secure the backing of the United States for the change, is to offer a reworked resolution that would give Iraq “a little more time” and set a deadline on which most of the UN Security Council could agree. An extra few weeks would push war back to the end of the month. The newspaper considers that such a delay may be acceptable to the United States because its military timetable has been “thrown into disarray” by the rejection by the Turkish Parliament of a motion allowing the transit of U.S. troops through the country on their way to Iraq. The compromise resolution is expected to be floated when foreign ministers representing the 15 Security Council members meet in private in New York Friday after a report by UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, adds the newspaper.
  
  
• CNN quoted unidentified military officials saying Wednesday that U.S. and coalition warplanes have dramatically increased the number of missions they fly over southern Iraq focusing on mobile missile systems being moved into the area. Officials reportedly said as many as 750 missions a day are now being flown by all types of aircraft, including fighters, refueling and reconnaissance aircraft. Military sources said the change was in response to the Iraqis moving mobile surface-to-surface missiles, mobile surface-to-air missiles, early warning radars and anti-ship missiles into the southern no-fly zone. Those systems are being struck by coalition aircraft as soon as they are located through reconnaissance efforts, the officials reportedly said, because of concerns the systems could be within range of U.S. troops in Kuwait.