Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

17 July 2003

SACEUR

• Based on a July 11 SACEUR interview with Nicholas Fiorenza, Defense News, July 14, quotes Gen. Jones describing the NRF as “the military transformation vehicle for the future” of NATO and saying the initial force will be ready by mid-October. Gen. Jones reportedly denied reports that the U.S. will not participate in the initial force and said: “We’re an important part of the Alliance, and it wouldn’t seem very logical to me that they would not do that. At least through the military channels, up through the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I believe that they’re intending on supporting that.” Gen. Jones is also quoted saying that NATO is working on the “basic blueprint” for the NRF first made public by his predecessor last October. In the interview, Gen. Jones allegedly stated: “The NATO Response Force is also much more of an integrated combined arms force of air, land and sea forces under one operational commander. That is very new for the Alliance. Normally, we know how to do armies and navies and air forces, but they have generally been operating independently of one other. This is the first time that we are going to take an integrated force – at least for the immediate response, the very high readiness force – that we’re going to integrate these three capabilities under one expeditionary and deployable command. There are a lot of growing pains associated with that.” Describing the NRF as a “work in progress,” Gen. Jones reportedly added: “How you get there is a whole different ball game. My personal opinion is that the level of ambition is way ahead of the level of capability right now. Before we can get to this high tech force, we have to do some major transformation to find the resources to pay for that.”

IRAQ

• Lord Robertson said Wednesday the Alliance has no plans for a greater role in post-war Iraq, where mounting U.S. casualties has prompted calls for the deployment of a NATO force, reports an AFP dispatch. “NATO is already committed in helping in Iraq. We are not at a stage yet of looking at any broader involvement to Iraq, largely because we’re trying to make a success of the work that we are doing.”
  
  
• The New York Times writes, July 16, that the commander of allied forces in Iraq, Gen. John Abizaid, pledged that the U.S. and its allies would not be driven from Iraq by the guerrilla attacks, but he cautioned that pacifying Iraq might require fresh American troops to spend year-long tours there, double the normal duration of Army forces on peacekeeping duty. “I believe there’s mid-level Baathist, Iraqi intelligence service people, Special Security Organization people, Special Republican Guard people that have organized at the regional level in cellular structure and are conducting what I would describe as a classical guerrilla-type campaign against us,” he is quoted stating. The assessment by Gen. Abizaid of Iraqi resistance, observes the newspaper, was a significant change from previous comments by senior Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who has said the insurgents’ raids were too haphazard to qualify as a guerrilla war or organized resistance. Pentagon planners, continues the daily, disclosed today that a number of new or unusual options are under consideration to replace the present American ground forces in Iraq like the Army’s Third Infantry Division and the First Marine Expeditionary Force. Among the various options, the Army’s first Striker Brigade Combat Team might be ordered to Iraq this fall or some of the National Guard’s enhanced brigades could be activated early next year. Other options reportedly include assigning the Marine Corps a major piece of the long-term peacekeeping operation or turning to individual Army battalions or brigades if they have not yet seen duty in Iraq.

BALKANS

• Albanian press agency ATA, July 16, reports that NATO Secretary General Robertson said after his arrival in the country yesterday: “I am here to tell Albanians that NATO’s doors are still open to Albania’s membership.” He reportedly praised the progress made by the Albanian Armed Forces, especially “with their participation in the peacekeeping missions,” and the achievements made regarding agreements on securing national borders. “Borders should become barriers against trafficking of human beings and contraband,” he added. Koha Jone, an Albanian newspaper, carries a question-and-answer interview with Lord Robertson, who is reported saying that relations between the Alliance and Albania are exceptionally good, praising the fact that the country takes part in most all of the various initiatives and programs of the Alliance. He stressed the importance of the role Albania is playing in the global war on terrorism also because of its key role in the region. Asked about when the present stage of NATO expansion to include new members will take place, Lord Robertson answered the appropriate decisions will be made in a summit that will take place in May next year, although it is early for this summit to make a decision on the date for the admission of new members. Nevertheless, he is quoted saying, the expansion is not over and he expressed his hope that by the end of his term of office, that is by the end of this year, Albania will have taken important steps toward its integration.

LIBERIA

• The Washington Times reports that the Bush administration, according to some officials, has drafted a UN resolution that authorizes deployment of a multinational force to Liberia and prepares the ground for U.S. participation. The officials are quoted saying that from the draft resolution it emerges clearly that any American contribution in terms of personnel will be limited in scope. The newspaper speculates that the draft was held up for several days because the Pentagon wanted to ensure that American peacekeepers would have immunity from the new International Criminal Court. However, concludes the daily, the administration appeared yesterday not to have persuaded Congress that American troops, already serving in a number of places around the world, should now go to Liberia.

NORTH KOREA

• The Times writes that the dispute over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is entering a decisive phase, which will lead either to diplomatic talks or to a new and dangerous escalation of the dispute, according to Asian diplomats. After two months of stalemate, comments the paper, there has been a burst of diplomatic activity this week among the governments concerned about North Korea. Intensive consultation took place among government officials from North and South Korea, China, Japan and the U.S. in an effort to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table and both British Prime Minister Blair and Australian Prime Minister Howard are touring northeast Asia to discuss the problem with regional leaders. North Korean officials acknowledged recently that they have nuclear warheads and reportedly told their American counterparts last week they have started to reprocess spent nuclear fuel into a form that could provide the raw material for new nuclear weapons. Allegedly, North Korea says it is willing to negotiate, but only directly with the U.S. The newspaper argues that the impasse may have been solved by a Chinese plan by which multilateral talks would be convened and bilateral discussion between North Korea and the U.S. would take place on the sidelines. William Perry, the former U.S. Defense Secretary, was quoted saying this week: “The nuclear programme now under way in North Korea poses an imminent danger of nuclear weapons being detonated in American cities.”