Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

23 May 2003

IRAQ

• The United States began deploying its most experienced peacekeeping unit in Baghdad as the UN Security Council overwhelmingly approved a resolution Thursday allowing America to administer and rebuild Iraq. In a victory for the United States, the Security Council voted 14-0 to lift economic sanctions against Iraq and use its oil wealth to rebuild the country. France, Russia, Germany and China, key anti-war nations, backed the resolution. The resolution allows America and its allies to remain firmly in control of Iraq and its oil “until an internationally recognized, representative government is established.” With the immediate lifting of sanctions, council diplomats said they expect Iraqi oil exports to resume quickly. On the ground, U.S forces scored a success of their own by capturing Aziz Saleh al-Numan, a former senior Baath Party leader who is No. 8 on the U.S. Central Command’s list of he 55 most-wanted Iraqis. Central Command said coalition forces captured him Wednesday near Baghdad but provided no other details.(AP 221828 May 03 GMT)
  
  
• The government on Thursday approved a plan that would send 500 Bulgarian soldiers to Iraq as peacekeepers. The soldiers would be deployed next month under the proposal, which needs parliamentary approval. Lawmakers are expected to accept the measure next week. According to preliminary agreements, the soldiers would likely be deployed under the command of a Polish force, which is set to be in charge of a part of central-southern Iraq.(AP 221454 May 03 GMT)
  
  
• Gen. Tommy Franks, who ran the recent U.S.-led war against Iraq and the bombing of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, plans to retire this year, but not immediately, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday. “He will retire, probably in a month or two,” a senior defense official said. “He is going to retire, but it is not imminent,” another defense source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “It’s going to be months, it’s not days.” The St. Petersburg Times, based in Florida where
  
  
• Central Command has its headquarters, earlier this week reported that Franks was expected to leave his position as head of Central Command this fall.(Reuters 2034 220503 GMT)

BALKANS

• Balkan countries must improve border controls if the area is to avoid being overtaken by criminals, NATO's top official said Thursday as he opened a meeting aiming to create an international strategy to battle regional cross-border organized crime. NATO, EU and UN representatives, along with government officials from Balkan countries, are taking part in a two-day meeting expected to result in an agreement on joint efforts to improve border controls to fight the smuggling of drugs, weapons and humans. “Organized crime can too easily cross borders, creating ideal conditions for drug smuggling, gunrunning, human trafficking, terrorism and political violence,” in the western Balkans and beyond, said NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson. Delegations from NATO, the EU and the United Nations convened with government leaders from Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Bulgaria, and with Michael Steiner, Kosovo’s UN administrator. Western organizations will help the countries set up specialized police forces for border control, NATO said in a statement.(AP 221610 May 03 GMT)

OTHER NEWS

• Canada will make a small contribution to a UN intervention force in Congo, but details were still being worked out, Prime Minister Chretien said Thursday. After meeting with visiting French Prime Minister Raffarin, Chretien said the two discussed the “sad situation” in the central African nation where lingering war has claimed thousands of lives. “We are prepared to participate,” Chretien said. “We want to do this under the aegis of the United Nations.” He said technical aspects still needed to be worked out. While conceding that the situation in Congo was urgent, he added, “We haven't made our minds up” on what the contribution will involve. “The contribution (for Congo) will not be a big one. The demand is not for a big number,” Chretien said. Raffarin said France was prepared to set up an intervention force for Congo, but called technical aspects “difficult.”(AP 221704May 03 GMT)