|
SHAPE
News Summary & Analysis
19
December 2003
ISAF
- NATO
on Friday gave the green light to extending ISAF beyond Kabul
for the first time, writes AFP. The dispatch quotes
NATO saying in a statement that from Dec. 31, a German-led
PRT in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz will fall under
the command of ISAF. The move agreed by NATO ambassadors
is a “first step of a progressive process” to
move ISAF beyond Kabul into the Afghan provinces, in line
with a UN decision to extend the force’s mandate, the
statement reportedly said and added: “The PRT
in Kunduz is a pilot project for the further ISAF expansion.”
In
a contribution to the International Herald Tribune, Nicholas
Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, views NATO’s accomplishments
in 2003. Most notable, he writes, is the
mission in Afghanistan, NATO’s first ever operation beyond
the treaty area. Assuming command of ISAF put the Alliance on
the frontlines of the war on terrorism. Recalling that
the United States has also suggested a similarly decisive NATO
effort in Iraq, he stresses that closer to
Europe, NATO is justifiably proud of ending two Balkan wars,
stopping ethnic cleansing, sending war criminals to The Hague
and bringing peace to the region. He insists, however,
that “we ought to accelerate efforts to apprehend the
two worst war criminals in Europe since 1945—Radovan Karadzic
and Ratko Mladic.” He also remarks that a remaining challenge
is to nurture stable and democratic societies by integrating
the Balkans into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Burns continues:
“NATO in 2003 added vital new military capabilities
that will revolutionize our strategic reach. On Dec. 1, NATO
inaugurated the new Czech-led chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear battalion designed to safeguard our civilian populations
from a weapons of mass destruction attack. On Oct. 15, the Alliance
launched the new NATO Response Force, which will give NATO for
the first time in its history a quick-reaction force for hostage
rescue, peace interventions and combat operations far from Europe.
In its new missions, structure and advanced military might,
NATO personifies the ‘effective multilateralism’
President George W. Bush has championed to meet the challenges
of our time. At the conclusion of a momentous and often difficult
year in trans-Atlantic relations, that is good news for Europeans
and North Americans alike.”
GERMANY-BUNDESWEHR
- “Drastic
changes in the Bundeswehr are imminent. In the light of ever-growing
financial problems, Bundeswehr Chief of Staff Gen. Schneiderhan
is working on a totally new structure,” wrote
Die Welt, Dec. 18. A first draft made available to the newspaper
reportedly shows that Gen. Schneiderhan aims to put an end
to the existing rigid division between the armed forces’
services. According to the newspaper, Gen. Schneiderhan plans
to replace this with a joint armed forces organization for
the Bundeswehr with three categories of forces, each of which
is to be trained, equipped, and deployed on a task-oriented
basis. Under the plan, three categories of forces
are to form the future backbone of the Bundeswehr. The most
important component will be the 35,000-strong “intervention
forces,” primarily envisaged for highly intensive networked
operations by the joint armed forces, in all dimensions (land,
air, sea, space, and information sectors). Their
intended purpose is to achieve rapid success against a predominantly
military organized adversary fighting by conventional means.
They will also provide contingents pledged for international
missions, such as the 15,000 troops for the NRF, and the 18,000
for the EU intervention force. Even requests emanating
from the UN will be met by troops from the operational forces.
In addition, 1,000 soldiers are to be maintained in readiness
for evacuation operations carried out on a national basis.
The 70,000-strong “stabilization forces”
form the second component. Gen. Schneiderhan reportedly envisages
these forces “for military operations of low and medium
intensity and long duration, with the broad spectrum of peace-stabilizing
measures.” They must have the capability to
prevail both against a partially military organized adversary,
and against asymmetrically fighting forces. They should have
the capability to separate conflicting parties, supervise
ceasefire agreements, and protect the local population. The
“support forces” forming the third component and
comprising 145,000 soldiers backed up by the bulk of the civilian
employees, are to be responsible for command support, medical
services, logistics, and for the basic inland operation of
the Bundeswehr.
UNITED STATES-TROOP
BASING
- According
to Sofia’s BTA, the National Assembly Friday
passed a special declaration expressing support in principle
for the stationing of U.S. military bases in Bulgaria. The
declaration reportedly expresses support for “the ongoing
consultations with Bulgaria and the governments of other allies
and partners on concrete parameters of the process, undertaken
by the United States, of reconsidering the location of U.S.
military forces abroad and bringing it on a par with the new
security realities as part of the consolidation and overall
transformation and adaptation of NATO.”
|
