Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

5 June 2003

NATO

• NATO opened a center in Kaliningrad Wednesday to retrain Russian soldiers cut from the army amid Russian efforts to reform its over-staffed and under-funded armed forces, reports AFP. The center, adds the dispatch, is the sixth opened by NATO in Russia this year, and will have an initial budget of 400 million euros, according to German NATO delegation chief Gaul. Germany initiated the retraining project within the recently formed Russia-NATO commission basing it on the principle that a reformed Russian army is a safer partner for European states, comments the report.
  Another AFP dispatch says that the German parliament ratified next year’s planned expansion of NATO to take in seven eastern countries. Foreign Minister Fischer reportedly described the defense Alliance’s eastward expansion as a “historic necessity” in parallel with the EU’s own enlargement process, when it admits 10 new members also next year.

IRAQ

• The New York Times, June 4, writes that Iraq’s main political groups appear to be edging toward a confrontation with the American administrator Paul Bremer over his decision not to allow Iraqis the right to form their own government during the American-British occupation. The newspaper observes that although Iraqi political leaders say they remain allies of Washington and London, over the past week they have become more vocal and political active in seeking to circumvent the occupation model imposed by Mr. Bremer. They have reportedly questioned the legality of Mr. Bremer’s actions by citing the language of the UN resolution on Iraq that says the Security Council supports “the formation by the Iraqi people with the help” of the occupation authority “of an Iraqi interim administration as a transitional administration run by Iraqis.” Mr. Bremer, however, has made clear he does not support a provisional Iraqi government, instead he has been seeking to put more of an Iraqi face on the occupation authority in the next four to six weeks to blunt criticism that the U.S. and Britain do not trust the Iraqi groups that helped to overthrow Saddam. Anyway, the Iraqis have until Friday to say whether they will comply or with Mr. Bremer request that they tender the names of prominent Iraqis to sit on the political council, says the newspaper.
  
  
• Reuters reports that Ukrainian parliament voted to send 1,800 troops to southern Iraq for a year as part of a multinational peacekeeping force under Polish command in what the agency sees as a bid to further soothe relations between Kiev and the West. Ukraine, reminds the dispatch, came under fire last year amid accusations President Kuchma approved the sale of a radar system to Iraq. The contingent should be ready to go by the middle of July.

EU

• According to AFP, the Greek EU presidency said EU Foreign Policy chief Solana will present a draft paper outlining the bloc’s strategic dogma on joint foreign and security policy at the June 20-21 summit in Greece. Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou reportedly announced that the text would set out what “the threats, the dilemmas and the challenges” were that the EU is facing on the international scene, as well as what the EU’s “position and voice on the great problems of mankind” should be.

ESDP

• Reminding that EU defense ministers declared last month that their rapid reaction force of 60,000 troops was operational for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, The Independent writes that the EU announced yesterday its first mission outside the European continent. Codenamed “Artemis”, the EU mission to Congo will be given robust rules of engagement to allow it to protect itself and civilians as it secures the city of Bunia and its airport, adds the daily. France will contribute to the 1,400-strong French-led force with 700 troops; Belgium, Sweden and Ireland may also participate with non-EU nations such as South Africa , Brazil, Canada, and Ethiopia, while the UK contingent is not expected to consist of more than 80 soldiers with logistical tasks, says the newspaper. The force will not call on NATO assets and will not use the Alliance’s military headquarters in Belgium, specifies the daily. France will direct activities from the Centre de Planification et de Conduit des Operations in Paris.