Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

12 December 2003

NATO

• Finland’s top politicians are stepping up to the microphone to address the country’s hottest political topic - should the Nordic nation abandon decades of non-alignment and join NATO? In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen declined to give his personal view on NATO membership, saying he did not want to influence a 2004 defence review. President Tarja Halonen told the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti there was no rush for Finland to change its line on NATO and the European Union could offer better security. A 2002 poll showed that while a majority opposed joining NATO, 70 percent felt Finland would apply for membership anyway in coming years. With the outcome of EU defence talks still unclear, Finnish politicians seem to be keeping a low profile for the near term on whether to keep or jettison non-alignment. But this is expected to change in January, when background information that will provide the basis for next year's defence review is expected to be released to the public. While an endorsement of NATO is not expected in January, commentators said the report could give a nod towards eventual participation in a European defence structure. (Reuters 120202 GMT Dec 03)
  
  
• Britain unveiled a major overhaul of its armed forces on Thursday, opting for more high-tech arms to tackle terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in 21st century conflicts. “Technology will be a key driver for change,” said Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon who may now scrap cumbersome old warships, switch to lighter armoured vehicles and review combat aircraft levels. He denied there were any plans for cuts and insisted no specific decisions on military contracts had been made. The changes had already been signalled by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Michael Walker who said they had the backing of military chiefs. (Reuters 111415 GMT Dec 03)

ESDP

• Britain, France and Germany presented their European Union partners with an agreement on EU defence plans on Thursday aiming to resolve a seven-month dispute with the United States. European leaders were expected to adopt the plan at a summit on Friday, which is also due to write defence commitments into a new EU constitution. NATO immediately welcomed the proposal, signalling an end to an argument that erupted when Washington rejected a France-German plan announced in April for a EU headquarters to operate independently of the Atlantic Alliance. Lord Robertson said implementation of the plan “will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO.” He made clear he was speaking for all NATO allies, including the United States, when he welcomed the new arrangements. The agreement will set up an EU defence planning cell based at NATO’s military headquarters in southern Belgium to run European missions with help from the alliance. The EU will boost its existing military staff in Brussels with more planning officers to coordinate military missions run by French, British or German national headquarters when NATO is not involved. NATO liaison officers will be based at the EU. (AP 112043 Dec 03)

BALKANS

• Kosovo’s parliament voted on Thursday to make all laws passed during the rule of former Yugoslav President Milosevic inapplicable and invalid in the province, saying they were discriminatory and lacked legitimacy here. But the top UN official, Harri Holkeri, who holds the ultimate authority in the disputed province, quickly declared parliament’s move invalid. The decision is “beyond the competence of the assembly ... and is without validity and effect,” Holkeri said in a written statement. Serbs in Kosovo and in Belgrade immediately condemned the parliament’s vote, in what was mainly a protest against the local ethnic Albanian leadership. “Belgrade cannot sit idly and watch all this,” Nebojsa Covic, Serbia’s deputy prime minister, said. (AP 111722 Dec 03)

IRAQ

• The Dutch parliament agreed on Thursday to prolong the mission of about 1,100 Dutch marines as part of an international stabilisation force in Iraq by another six months. The troops, who are based in the British-controlled Al Muthanna province, will now stay until July 2004, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. (Reuters 111900 GMT Dec 03)
  
  
• Japan will send an advance team of military personnel to countries neighbouring Iraq around Christmas, domestic media said on Friday, as a new poll showed over half of the public opposes sending the military to Iraq. Media reports said around 10 air force personnel will travel to Kuwait and Qatar to prepare for the dispatch of a larger unit to the region expected in January. Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters that the ministry had not made a decision on sending the advance team. (Reuters 120306 GMT Dec 03)

AFGHANISTAN

• U.S. troops on Thursday launched a rebuilding operation in Kandahar, the Taliban’s former southern stronghold, as part of a drive to bring stability to Afghanistan before elections next year. The 80-strong U.S. team also aims to extend the influence of the central government across several southern provinces plagued by violence and drug production. The joint military-civilian Provincial Reconstruction Team is the eighth of its kind. (AP 111900 Dec 03)