Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

3 June 2003

GENERAL JONES

• The May 31 edition of El Pais carried a question-and-answer interview with Gen. Jones under the title, “What happened to Saddam is a message to those who might want to follow his lead.” Gen. Jones discusses such issues as the NATO Response Force, the EU-NATO relationship, the possible role of NATO in post-war Iraq, and U.S. military forces transformation. In reference to the NATO Response Force which is scheduled to be launched in October, the newspaper quotes him saying: “What will happen now is not the final product, rather a small illustration of what will be (20,000 soldiers with seven to 30 day rapid deployment capability in areas outside NATO). The reason is firstly because we can do it and secondly because this follows the guidance given at the Prague Summit (November 2000). Maybe the NRF will not be fully operational until 2006. I don’t know. The important thing is to get it right. If it’s sooner, so much the better.” SACEUR is further quoted saying there are shortcomings in technology, command and control, communications, but all this will help us to identify them better and to find solutions. When asked whether the proposal by some EU states to set up a European defense structure independent from NATO would endanger the harmony between the two organization, Gen. Jones explains: “We have to be very careful if that means establishing an autonomous military structure, simply because it could happen that the coordination with NATO is broken. So before opting to go our separate ways, I would like to know whether the coordination works. I believe it does.” Regarding whether he thought NATO’s function since September 11 has been rather modest in Afghanistan and now in Iraq, SACEUR is quoted as saying: “Yes and no. We are stepping up to a major contribution in Iraq. Going there later as an organization is another matter. It’s not up to me. What I found a pleasant surprise was the quick consensus reached to go to Afghanistan. When discussing the U.S. military possibility of reducing its military forces in Europe or moving them to the eastern European countries, Gen. Jones says: “The reform is not yet complete and it affects Europe and the rest of the world. We will take account of the fact that seven countries from that area will be joining the Atlantic Alliance. We wish to have more agile forces capable of responding rapidly throughout the European and African spectrum. The United States is concerned about the situation in some of the countries on that continent.” The article carried a photo of Gen. Jones speaking with an aide on 14 May.

NATO

• According to AFP, Polish Foreign Minister Cimoszewicz welcomed a NATO decision to support Warsaw to establish part of a multinational stabilization force in a sector of Iraq. “This is of course a very important decision, very symbolic,” the foreign minister is quoted as saying. “There will be no NATO flag. But if duties require some NATO personnel to fly to Iraq to give some advice for a few days, they will go. We treat it as decision of solidarity. It is another example, after Afghanistan, proving NATO is ready to operate also out of the area, Cimoszewicz added. NATO Secretary General Robertson, addressing the foreign ministers said the Iraq and Afghan decisions showed the Alliances’ strength in overcoming crises.

BALKANS

• AP reports Russia will begin withdrawing its peacekeeping troops from the Balkans on Thursday, with plans to pull out all its forces from Bosnia and Kosovo by August 1, according to a top Russian military commander. “The tasks that the Russian leadership and the army command set for the peacekeepers have been completed on the whole,” the Interfax news agency quoted Lt. Gen. Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander of Russian Land Forces, as saying. Interfax reported that the peacekeeping contingent in Bosnia will begin leaving on Thursday, while Russian forces in Kosovo plan to withdraw starting June 17.

OTHER NEWS

• According to Reuters, the EU is set to send a 1,400-strong peacekeeping force to Congo this month in what would be the bloc’s second military operation and its first in Africa, officials said today. EU foreign policy chief Solana told reporters as he arrived for a NATO meeting in Madrid he was optimistic that a provisional decision to back the French-led mission would be taken by ambassadors of the 15 nations on Wednesday. His spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach, said at least half of the force would be French and the rest would come from a small group of EU nations and others, including Canada. She said a formal decision to go ahead with the mission was likely within a week and troops could be on the ground early this month.