Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

26 March 2003

GENERAL JONES

• Gen. Jones’ visit to Poland Tuesday continues to be noted. Gen. Piatas, the Chief of Poland’s armed forces, and Gen. Jones discussed the Alliance’s transformation at a time it is planning to expand to seven new members, reports AFP, quoting Gen. Jones saying at a news conference: “What we are working on now is to define the military capabilities of this force in the 21st century. This will be an exciting period…. I’m full of optimism in terms of the contribution that NATO can make in the 21st century…. We are all in the business of transformation.” In a related dispatch, Warsaw’s PAP, March 25, quoted Gen. Jones saying: “I am convinced both personally and in my professional capacity that NATO is a strong and effective alliance. We all know how important NATO was in the 20th century, now we must define tasks for the 21st century. We are in a transformation phase with new technologies, operational concepts and management methods introduced, we are also switching to a new command system to be better able to cope with our tasks.” Gen. Piatas said he and Gen. Jones had not discussed plans to move several NATO and U.S. Army bases from western Europe to Poland, observed the dispatch.

NATO

• At a NAC meeting Monday, France proposed to provide Turkey with defense against NBC attacks, reports French daily Le Monde. Stressing that the significance of the initiative must be seen in the light of the crisis at NATO last February regarding Turkey’s defense in case of a war in Iraq, the newspaper adds: “Turkey has been given Patriot air defense missiles, AWACS radars and a pledge of NBC equipment. But the latter is scarce within NATO, except in France. France, which has four units for defense against NBC attacks is proposing to put one of them to the disposal of Ankara. About 30 military specialists would be involved, with four transport vehicles and four armored vehicles. The scope for the intervention of the unit would be limited to Turkish territory…. France has used the opportunity to reiterate its position on the intervention in Iraq and on the preventive attack scenario, while insisting on its solidarity with Turkey.” According to the newspaper, French sources said the decision demonstrates that France remains faithful to its commitment and is not “a part-time ally” within NATO.

In an article titled, “NATO: Out of Area and Into Iraq?”, the Wall Street Journal ponders whether there is a role for NATO in post-war Iraq.
Claiming that formally involving NATO is “a good idea that some Europeans and Americans would like to see realized,” the article adds: “A question mark on this issue is French President Chirac…. Some of his partners in the EU would like him to actually affirm any proposal to involve NATO in the military administration of Iraq. A European official (from neither Spain nor Britain …) says that discussions are starting on how to present such a solution to Chirac.” According to the newspaper, the official said involving NATO could be presented as part of a UN resolution that would divide the administration of Iraq into two spheres. A civil administration would make sure that the water taps are running and the lights are on. This would not be a protectorate but a true “condominium” that would involve Iraqis with an international partner and pave the way for the total devolution of power. The second sphere would be military, involving NATO in some form. The article continues: Nothing formal has been presented. A senior official at the Alliance said about “four to five” European members have approached the U.S. to see how NATO can “go into Iraq after the fighting stops.” The key question for the U.S., said this NATO official, is to make sure that the Alliance retains autonomy under any UN resolution, and is not subordinate to the UN. The newspaper considers that a NATO military involvement in Iraq would meet Chirac’s demands that an administration not be solely Anglo-American. It also speculates that a refusal could also be one too many for members of Chirac’s UMP Party disturbed by the way he has single-handedly damaged relations with the U.S. Furthermore, the article, stresses, France recognizes economic reality. In this respect, the newspaper notes that it emerged Tuesday that the French government and the largest business federation have set up a working group to figure out how to win reconstruction contracts in post-Saddam Iraq. The article concludes: “Involving NATO would be ideal because it is an association of 19 democracies which share values we would like to bring to Iraqis. NATO has done this kind of job before…. It would establish the idea that NATO must go ‘out of area’ if it doesn’t want to be out of business. The missions of the future for this military alliance lie outside the geographic limits of Europe. It is important that NATO not die, as it is the only organization that binds the two halves of western civilization.”

BELGIUM-“UNIVERSAL COMPETENCE” LAW

• According to AFP, the Belgian government Tuesday amended a controversial law allowing Belgian courts to try suspects for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, regardless of whether the alleged acts took place or the nationality of the accused. Under the amendment—which the Senate must approve before it takes effect—a federal prosecutor will reportedly decide in certain cases whether to accept a suit filed under the so-called “universal competence” law. The dispatch remarks that this was one of the “filters” that lawmakers inserted into the law to prevent plaintiffs from bringing “harebrained” lawsuits, such as the prosecution of President Bush for war crimes over the conflict in Iraq. The dispatch recalls that critics of the law, including the United States, have warned Belgium that its role as host to international institutions like NATO and the EU would be threatened if a war crimes suit were filed against President Bush. The dispatch adds that the changes to the law came only a week before Belgium’s Parliament was due to be dissolved ahead of a general election scheduled for May 18.

In a contribution to Le Soir, former Belgian EU Commission Vice President Etienne Davignon and foreign relations expert Franklin Dehousse urge the Belgian government to show restraint on the U.S. Army transports issue so as not to get isolated within international bodies.
In the last few days, we have learned very clear declarations regarding the legality of the war in Iraq, the UN’s loss of credibility, and the need to stop military transports on Belgian territory…. We must avoid spur of the moment reactions and keep a long-term prospect, they write, adding: “Belgium must be prudent in its relationship with NATO…. Belgium’s objective interests within NATO remain too high…. The American presence on our soil constitutes a security guarantee from which we have benefited in the past…. Only a prudent approach will preserve our capability to influence in the future”

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM

Among developments reported by electronic media:

• According to AP, U.S. and British officials said Tuesday that an American F-16 fired on a U.S. Patriot missile battery in Iraq Monday after the battery’s radar locked on the jet. No casualties were reported in the incident. The dispatch quotes a U.S. Central Command spokesman saying the F-16 fired an AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile at the battery and damaged its radar. He reportedly added that the incident was under investigation “to identify procedural changes to ensure the safety of our air crews and Patriot crews in combat operations.” He acknowledged the similarity with an incident Sunday in which a U.S. Patriot missile battery shot down a RAF Tornado near the Kuwaiti border, killing the two crew members but denied that it indicated a failure on the part of the Patriot system or its ability to tell friend from foe.
  
  
• The first shipments of humanitarian aid to reach Iraq since war began last week are due to arrive later on Wednesday, according to the BBC World Service.
  
  
• The BBC World Service quoted Prime Minister Blair saying British forces are ready to support Iraqis who rise to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
  
  
• In a news conference carried live by CNN, Brig. Gen. Brooks said he did not have any information about Wednesday’s explosions in Baghdad’s shopping area, adding he was not even certain they were caused by the U.S.-led forces. Earlier, Euronews quoted Iraqi authorities saying 14 civilians died and another 30 were injured in Baghdad when a shopping area was hit during an air-raid by U.S.-led coalition forces.
  

OTHER NEWS

• AP quotes authorities saying two cars belonging to U.S. personnel from the U.S. military base in Vicenza were set on fire in separate arson attacks Tuesday night. One car was destroyed, while the other was damaged. Local police and U.S. officials reportedly indicated that the vehicles carried the license plates used by U.S. forces in Italy. They were parked about 1 kilometer from the base, by the homes of the owners.