Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

04 August 2003

AFGHANISTAN

• NATO will take command of foreign peacekeepers in Kabul in a week’s time, but there are no plans to deploy the force outside the capital despite repeated government and UN pleas, a spokesman said on Sunday. However, NATO was prepared to remain in Kabul as long it was wanted if the UN Security Council approved an extension of its mandate beyond elections due to be held in June 2004. A spokesman said NATO’s takeover of the International Security Assistance Force was designed to ensure consistency and continuity in command. (Reuters 030929 GMT Aug 03)
  
  
• Senior members of Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance faction have met to patch up differences and discuss forming a new party, a move seen as an attempt to prevent their possible marginalisation in the U.S.-backed government. The meeting held on Friday in Kabul was the largest gathering of alliance members since it captured Kabul. A alliance spokesman said that the meeting discussed plans to establish a new party ahead of elections due to be held in the middle of next year and to confront any move to restrict the influence of the alliance in favour of Western-educated Afghans. (Reuters 021037 GMT Aug 03)

IRAQ

• Britain’s outgoing envoy to Iraq said in remarks published on Monday that Britain and the United States were exploring whether a new UN resolution was needed for the tasks of stabilising and rebuilding Iraq. “We are exploring amongst ourselves - and we are exploring with the Americans - what the pros and cons might be,” John Sawers said in an interview with London’s Financial Times newspaper. (Reuters 040121 GMT Aug 03)
  
  
• The head of the Arab League is willing to meet with representatives of Iraq’s Governing Council if approached by them, the league’s spokesman said Saturday. This comments showed the Arab League is accepting the 25-member council and willing to work with it. (AP 021651 Aug 03)

UNIVERSAL COMPETENCE LAW

• The Belgian Senate gave final approval to a scaled-down war crimes law that the government hopes will repair relations with Washington and preserve Belgium’s role as host to NATO headquarters. The bill passed Friday by a vote of 39 to 4 with 20 abstentions after easily clearing the lower house on Tuesday. (AP 020009 Aug 03)

LIBERIA

• The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday questioned whether sending troops into Liberia is in the United States’ national security interest, and whether Americans are prepared to face more losses in a potentially dangerous operation. John Warner said there would be “an element of risk” in deploying troops and said “this decision could superimpose” on U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said that he felt U.S. forces already were stretched by operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and were “on the border of being over-deployed, overextended.” He also said international pressure likely will build on President Bush to deploy troops once U.S warships arrived off Liberia this weekend. (Reuters 012025 GMT Aug 03)

MIDDLE EAST

• Syria’s president called for a larger EU role in Middle East peace efforts as he met with the new EU Middle East envoy on Sunday in Damascus. He discussed with President Assad international efforts to promote peace between Arab states and Israel and developments in post-war Iraq, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported. Syria “has no conditions” for peace with Israel beyond those already spelled out in international agreements, SANA quoted President Assad. The EU envoy is on a regional tour that will also take him to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. (AP 031615 Aug 03)