Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

27 June 2003

BALKANS

• NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson on Thursday urged Kosovo’s residents to help fight organized crime and extremism. Robertson spent Thursday in Kosovo for a visit meant to underline NATO’s commitment to creating stability and security in the ethnically divided province. “We believe in zero tolerance for thugs and for thieves, and we are not prepared to see Kosovo that was saved because of NATO turned over to organized criminals and those who use brutality in the name of ethnic nationalism,” Robertson said at the end of his visit. The 2 million people who live in Kosovo face a choice between standing up to the criminals or being ruled by them, Robertson said. “The organized criminals, who still practice their trade here, steal the lives of the people of Kosovo,” he said. Robertson was accompanied by NATO’s senior decision-making body of 19 permanent ambassadors and representatives of seven invited countries scheduled to join the alliance next year.(AP 261721 Jun 03 GMT)
  
  
• Macedonia (sic) will sign an agreement with the United States to exempt Americans from extradition to the newly established International Criminal Court, a government spokesman said Thursday. The move came after the United States threatened to withdraw US$10 million in military aid unless this Balkan country of 2 million accepted an exemption. Government spokesman Saso Colakovski did not specify when the agreement would be signed, but said that parliamentary ratification is required before the bill becomes law.(AP 261244 Jun 03GMT)

IRAQ

• The Pentagon has sent an outside team of policy experts to conduct an independent review of post-war operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that Washington failed to prepare for occupation, Britain's Financial Times reported on Friday. It said a small group had left for Baghdad on Thursday at the invitation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The newspaper said the mission came as companies looking to invest in Iraq or win reconstruction contracts were being warned of an “even” chance of the country descending into open revolt.(Reuters 0013 270603 GMT)
  
  
• Romanian lawmakers voted Thursday to pledge an additional 56 troops to participate in operations in Iraq, increasing Romania’s contribution to 734 peacekeepers. Parliament voted unanimously with only one abstention to send the additional troops. They include command and information officers and a mobile team. Two unmanned planes will also be sent. Romania has already pledged to deploy military police, de-mining and engineer units and 24 headquarters officers. Most of the peacekeepers will be placed under Italian and British command, while the engineers and information officers are to be under Polish command. “By making this contribution, Romania shows it is a country which can contribute to international security,” said Eugen Nicolaescu, a lawmaker for the opposition Liberal Party. Before the vote, President Ion Iliescu had urged lawmakers in a letter to approve adding more troops to the country’s initial pledge of 678 peacekeepers. “Romania must contribute to the multinational security effort,” said Iliescu, adding that sending troops to beef up the contingent led by Poland would help strengthen relations with this NATO member.(AP 261732 Jun 03 GMT)

TERRORISM

• The UN terrorism committee has found no evidence linking Iraq to al-Qaida and did not investigate Bush administration claims of such ties, officials said Thursday. The terrorism committee has just completed a draft report charting efforts by countries to track and shut down Osama bin Laden’s operations. The report notes success in the war on terrorism stemming from the arrests of some top al-Qaida figures. But it also notes the group has been able to reconstitute support and benefit from loopholes in order to continue acts of terror worldwide. Nowhere in the 42-page draft is there any mention of Iraq or claims that it served as a safe haven for al-Qaida. “Nothing has come to our notice that would indicate links between Iraq and al-Qaida,” said Michael Chandler, the committee's chief investigator.(AP 262251 Jun 03 GMT)