Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

19 March 2003

IRAQ

• In an address to the Bundestag, covered live by Phoenix television, Chancellor Schroeder stressed Germany’s obligations as a NATO ally amid questions about the constitutionality of allowing the United States to use its bases for a war against Iraq without UN backing. Reiterating the Federal Government’s position, Schroeder stressed that German soldiers will not participate in combat actions. He continued: “This applies both to the German soldiers aboard the AWACS planes and German NBC forces in Kuwait…. NATO’s AWACS are carrying out routine flights over Turkish territory. This is done on the basis of the decision by NATO’s Defense Planning Committee of Feb. 19. Their exclusive task is the strictly defensive monitoring of Turkish air space. It can be seen from the rules of engagement that they do not provide any support for operations in or against Iraq. By putting the AWACS under the command of the SACEUR, a strict line has been drawn between them and the tasks of the commander of the U.S. Central command, Gen. Franks…. Gen. Franks has almost 100 U.S. AWACS for military operations against Iraq. Thus, the NATO planes, under the command of SACEUR, are in a different area than the U.S. planes and have a completely different assignment, namely monitoring and securing air space over Turkey. This is the reason why we are convinced that this does not require a decision by the Bundestag.” Stressing Germany’s determination to fulfill its duties within NATO, Schroeder continued: “Against the background of our Alliance duties, we will continue to permit the use of the bases, will not refuse overflight rights, and naturally, we will protect and secure the facilities of our friends, and if necessary, also of their families.”
  
  
• In parliamentary questions at a French Assembly session, carried live by France-3 television, Prime Minister Raffarin said France will make every effort to ensure that European integration is not weakened by the Iraq crisis. “Let me tell you that we will fight to make sure that if war is started, … peace will be constructed in the UN Security Council, that we will use all our energy to make sure that both NATO and European integration will not be weakened by this global crisis,” Raffarin insisted.
  
  
• In an interview with La Libre Belgique centering on a recent Belgian economic mission to the United States, opposition CDH parliamentarian Graffe claims that “during discussions, we have been made aware that if no building permit has yet been delivered for the construction of the second NATO building at Zaventem, the United States will veto the work.” This, he adds, implies a risk of a move of the NATO buildings to another country. Graffe asserts that talks with U.S. officials showed dissatisfaction with Belgium revolve around three issues: the country’s opposition to the military intervention in Iraq, its position during the NATO debate regarding military aid to Turkey, and a legislation that allows suits against foreign leaders.
  
  
• Local daily La Province devotes a full-page to an evaluation of the feelings of the population around SHAPE amid expectations that war against Iraq is imminent. Based on interviews with people living in the vicinity of the headquarters, the newspaper highlights that no special concerns are detected. Instead, notes the article, most people see SHAPE as an important source of income. In what it sees as a sign that the Mayor of Mons, Elio di Rupo, is well aware of this, the newspaper recalls that when he received Gen. Jones last January, the Mayor insisted that while Belgium was opposed to war, it remained a partner within NATO. “Regarding a possible move of U.S. interests from Belgium … nobody in Casteau really believes in that,” the newspaper further says.

In a contribution to La Libre Belgique, Under Secretary of Defense Feith explains America’s goals regarding Iraq, insisting that “we will not leave occupation armies behind us. We will leave constitutions and parliaments. Our aim is to quickly give maximum authority to the Iraqis.”
The United States is determined to preserve Iraq’s territorial integrity. We intend to guarantee that Iraqi oil resources remain under Iraqi national control, with available income to support the Iraqis and all parties in Iraq, Feith writes in the Belgian daily, adding: “No ethnic or religious group will be allowed to claim exclusive rights on any part of the infrastructure. In other words, Iraqi oil belongs to the Iraqi people…. This intervention is not and cannot be a source of profit for the United States. Post-war responsibilities will not be easy to assume for the coalition and the United States has no intention to do that alone. We are encouraging contributions and participation from our coalition partners, non-governmental organizations, the UN, and others.”
The Times writes meanwhile that the final touches are being made to a plan which envisages deploying an entire civil administration to take over the running of Iraq, from healthcare to education and security. The dispatch quotes British and U.S. officials saying Tuesday that allied forces were bound by international law to take responsibility for running Iraq once the Baath regime is overthrown. The official reportedly insisted, however, that they would gladly hand over responsibility for civilian administration to the UN and ultimately to an elected Iraqi government once the situation had stabilized. They stressed that they wanted to involve the UN as soon as possible.

ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR

• Under the title “Guardian of the Strait of Gibraltar,” the Stars and Stripes remarks that in the framework of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO is now protecting military and civilian ships as they pass the 8-mile passage dividing Morocco and Spain. The campaign is part of Operation Active Endeavour, NATO’s biggest and longest maritime operation in history. The patrol and surveillance mission in the eastern Mediterranean began 18 months ago to hunt terrorists, writes the newspaper, noting that the Strait of Gibraltar is considered a prime location for a terrorist attack because of its geography. The newspaper quotes Spanish Rear Adm. Manuel Otero Panueles, who is commanding the NATO task force in the Strait, saying guiding a convoy of ships while at the same time monitoring other vessels in the harbor is a daily challenge. “The high-speed boats with explosives can show up very close to you very quickly,” he reportedly said, noting: “The short distance requires a quick reaction. For us, it is very demanding.” The newspaper adds that although they have not found any Al Qaeda terrorists, commanders insist the broad operation in the Mediterranean is making it safer for allied civilian vessels. NATO officials suggest that those who aid terrorist groups are going elsewhere, allowing ships to pass freely. Commanders point to a drop in insurance premiums for merchant ships transiting the sea. Plus illegal immigration is down 50 percent in the Mediterranean since the main operation started, says the article. Italian Vice Adm. Sanfelice di Monteforte, commander Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe, is quoted saying: “The simple fact that you are present in an area shows you that we exert a deterrent effect….. And we expect by this escort in the Strait of Gibraltar to continue to have a preventive effect.”

BALKANS-ESDP

• The EU has put aside its bitter differences over Iraq to approve arrangements for its maiden military mission—keeping the peace in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The operation will be the EU’s debut in crisis management and a modest first test of its ambition to add some military muscle to its economic weight, writes The Guardian. The newspaper notes that diplomats are stressing that the launch of the force shows that the EU-U.S. relationship is still working, despite transatlantic strains, since Washington had to approve NATO’s agreement to help the EU’s defense ambitions. “If the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia mission goes well, the hope is that the EU will replace NATO in Bosnia next year. Both operations are expected to boost the slow-moving drive to create a 60,000-strong EU rapid reaction force for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions where NATO is not involved. Institutional arrangements are in place but little progress has been made so far in closing ‘capability gaps,’ such as large aircraft and high-tech weapons, because of dwindling EU defense budgets,” the article stresses.