Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

8 July 2003

GENERAL JONES

• Leading Hungarian dailies cover Gen. Jones’ conference in Budapest Monday on the occasion of an official trip to Hungary. Nepszabadsag reports that “it was known” at a joint news conference by Hungarian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Szenes and Gen. Jones that the Taszar base, which has been vacated by American soldiers some weeks ago, could still be saved. However, Papa air base, which is being renovated with NATO funds, may be closed down. The newspaper observes that Gen. Jones avoided answering a question on how he evaluated Hungary’s role in NATO. “The general said he had only been (in his post) since January and, therefore, he wished to deal not with the past but rather with the future,” notes the daily. Magyar Hirlap, which also focuses on the future of the bases, quotes Gen. Jones saying that although the military reform entails painful measures, it must be implemented because NATO, as well as the armies of member countries, had to be prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. Magyar Nemzet carries similar information, under the title, “Papa air base to be closed after all.” Nepszava quotes Foreign Minister Kovacs saying he had told Gen. Jones that Hungary is ready to discuss the possible forms of the future use of the military bases on its soil and that Hungary was a reliable ally that fulfills its commitments. The article adds: “Gen. Jones exchanged opinions on the transformation going on in NATO and in the armies of member countries, as well as on the most important areas of the changes with President Madl. Regarding the defense review started by the government last year and soon to be concluded, Gen. Jones opined that the reform was in accordance with NATO’s defense policy concept. He spoke appreciatively of the Hungarian reform plan that showed similarities with reform processes going on in the other NATO member countries. The joint goal of the reform process is the establishment of more modern, smaller military forces responding in a flexible way. The president stated that Hungary agreed with the chief trends of NATO’s reform, and assured (Gen. Jones) that the reform of the Hungarian military had similar goals. He emphasized that to reach these goals requires an effective use of the defense budget.” The article further reports that Gen. Jones thanked Foreign Minister Kovacs for the efforts that made possible the Hungarian military's contribution to operations in and outside Europe. State television MTV’s first channel aired a 1.2 minute report on Gen. Jones’ trip in its prime time news program. The broadcast summarized remarks made by Gen. Jones in his news conference and showed footage of his meeting with President Madl. State-owned Duna TV, which also broadcasts for Hungarians living outside the country’s borders, carried a short report on SACEUR’s visit in its main evening news program.
  
  
• AP writes that Gen. Jones rushed to Turkey Tuesday in an apparent effort to defuse tensions between the United States and Turkey, following a tense standoff over the detention of 11 Turkish soldiers by U.S. troops in northern Iraq. According to the dispatch, a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity that Gen. Jones was holding talks with top military officials and would stay in Ankara for less than three hours. The officials would reportedly not provide additional details. The dispatch also quotes Turkey’s military saying in a statement that a joint Turkish and U.S. committee had been scheduled to launch an inquiry into the detentions in northern Iraq Tuesday. But the meeting was delayed upon the request of the United States until after Gen. Jones’ visit. The dispatch recalls that the Turkish soldiers were released late Sunday after being detained for more than two days. A related Reuters dispatch quotes a Turkish official saying that “we expect Gen. Jones to discuss the weekend incident with (the chief of Turkey’s General Staff) Gen. Hilmi Ozkok.” AFP carries related information.

ISAF

• The external service of Mashhad Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, July 3, carried an interview with the head of the Afghan Defense Ministry’s religious and political Department, Mr. Ziae, in which he viewed NATO’s future takeover of ISAF. Ziae explained that NATO’s mission is to ensure security, establish country-wide peace and bring about stability in Afghanistan. Asked whether ISAF would expand its scope of activities beyond Kabul, he replied: “It depends on the security situation in Afghanistan. If a need arises in some parts of Afghanistan, the international peacekeeping force will be sent there…. For the moment, ISAF forces will remain within the limits which have been agreed upon.”

IRAQ

• U.S. media continue to call for an internationalization of post-war occupation in Iraq, and particularly for a NATO role. Supporters of the former regime pose a clear strategic threat to the U.S. mission beyond the painful cost in lives they are exacting. The danger is that they will succeed in triggering a broader guerrilla war against U.S. troops. To head off that threat, the Bush administration needs to act decisively and soon,” writes the Washington Post. According to the newspaper, the first step toward regaining the initiative would be full acceptance by the administration of the fact that more resources are needed—more money, more civilian administrators and more troops. But, the newspaper stresses, the only way to bolster U.S. forces without dispatching still more American soldiers and reservists is for the Bush administration to formally seek assistance from the UN and NATO. That would open the way not only to greater numbers of allied troops but also to more help in such tasks as training Iraqi police forces and restoring power and other vital services in cities. Internationalizing the occupation would also deflect growing Iraqi fears that the United States plans to rule the country indefinitely, adds the newspaper.

OTHER NEWS

• Reuters writes that with guerrilla-style attacks escalating in Iraq and a possible U.S. military role looming in Liberia’s civil war, the Pentagon said Monday it has frozen a plan to close its only entity dedicated to the study of peacekeeping. The dispatch notes that the Pentagon had decided early this year to shut by Oct. 1 the Peacekeeping Institute at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and eliminate its $1 million annual budget, as part of a money-saving initiative. It quotes officials saying, however, that the decision was recently put on hold and the Army will now conduct a review of the institute’s charter that could lead to an expanded mission for the organization.
  
  
• AP reports Prime Minister Verhofstadt clinched a deal Tuesday between Liberals and Socialists to form a new coalition government on a platform of job creation and boosting the economy. According to the dispatch, other than Verhofstadt, who is expected to lead his second government, the allocation of ministerial posts is not yet known.