Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

28 October 2003

ESDP

• A top U.S. diplomat told French officials on Monday that Europe should not waste scant defense resources or undermine NATO by setting up a separate military headquarters. Robert Bradtke, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, was in Paris for talks about the European Union’s plan for a stronger defense role. Bradtke said Europe’s military planning and operations should stay in the framework of the Atlantic alliance. A separate structure would “put more strain on the very limited money that is available to spend on defense.” Robert Bradtke also said the plan would be a “diversion of resources - not just the buildings but the people.” The U.S. diplomat said officials were talking about other ways to end the divisions. One idea would be to promote more transparency between NATO and EU military staff, he added. (AP 271823 Oct 03)
  
  
• The British government said Monday that the European Union must strengthen its military capability, but insisted greater cooperation between member states should not undermine NATO. “Effective links to NATO are vital to any development of the European security and defense policy,” Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told the House of Commons. “Any forms of new cooperation must not undermine this.” (AP 271757 Oct 03)

BALKANS

• An EU organization promoting development in the Balkans on Monday opened a regional anti-corruption office in Sarajevo to help fight corruption in southeastern Europe. Erhard Busek, the coordinator for the EU Stability Pact for the Balkans, said the opening “emphasizes that the fight against corruption is a regional imperative.” The office is to train police, prosecutors and judges, organize forums for political discussion and help develop and strengthen anti-corruption legislation, he said. The pact’s anti-corruption initiative aims to promote the prevention and control of corruption as a means to strengthen democracy, rule of law, human rights, social and economic progress. (AP 271604 Oct 03)

RUSSIA

• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that Moscow and Washington are neither foes nor allies, and warned that the Kremlin would keep its real military doctrine out of the public eye, according to an interview published on Monday. Asked whether the U.S. was a friend or foe of Russia, Ivanov gave a blunt answer: “No one fully understands it.” “Just as well, the Americans don’t know exactly who the Russians are,” he said in an interview with the daily Moskovsky Komsomolets. “It has been stated they aren’t an enemy, but they aren’t allies either, that’s for sure.” He reaffirmed that Moscow continues to consider nuclear weapons a political deterrent. However, he added, Moscow will keep details of its military plans under wraps. Ivanov, who has recently said that he wouldn’t rule out sending Russian peacekeepers to Iraq, sharply changed course, saying in the interview that Russia’s military involvement in Iraq “is 100 percent out of the question.” He added that Russia could play a role in rebuilding Iraq, but added that “it depends on the Americans.” “If they want to share power with the UN, our political and economic participation is possible,” he added. (AP 271544 Oct 03)

IRAQ

• Two-thirds of EU citizens think the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was unjustified and the United States should pay to rebuild the country, an opinion poll taken for the European Commission showed on Monday. The survey, taken in all 15 EU member states in the run-up to last week’s Iraq donors’ conference in Madrid, found that most Europeans want the UN and Iraq’s provisional government to manage the reconstruction effort, not Washington. And most oppose sending their own country’s troops to keep peace in Iraq, although opinion on that is more evenly divided. 54 percent opposed sending peacekeepers from their own country while 44 percent were in favour. However, the detailed breakdown showed majorities for sending troops in Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Britain. The strongest opposition to sending peacekeepers was in Germany, Greece, Austria and France. The Euro-barometer poll was conducted by the EOS Gallup Europe institutes between October 8 and 16. (Reuters 271432 GMT Oct 03)