Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

02 January 2004

IRAQ

• British forces will still be in Iraq and combating security threats in a year’s time Britain’s defence secretary said on Thursday. In a BBC radio interview, Geoff Hoon also said the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq had probably encouraged an influx of terrorists into the country intent on destabilizing the post-Saddam Hussein state. But he said he thought the positive effects of Saddam’s ousting would far outweigh the short-term problems that had followed. Hoon added that he thought the current level of British deployment in Iraq was sustainable. He also said that he remained confident that the Iraq Survey Group would uncover convincing evidence about Saddam’s alleged efforts to rebuild weapons of mass destruction programs. (AP 011658 Jan 04)
  
  
• Poland has reached an agreement to hand command of an international military division in central Iraq to Spain in June, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported citing Polish Defence Ministry sources. “In 2004 we will relinquish command in our area of responsibility and it is already agreed that Spain will take it over from June,” one of the Polish sources told the newspaper. The paper cited Spanish Defence Ministry sources saying one of the options for a handover was the deployment of a NATO force under a Spanish commander. Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. (Reuters 311240 GMT Dec 03)
  
  
• France’s defence minister said that the United States has “finally realized the complexity” of the situation in Iraq, including the need to transfer control to Iraqis quickly. Michele Alliot-Marie, speaking on France-Inter radio, reiterated France’s willingness to take part in the rebuilding of Iraq when the United States hands over control to a sovereign Iraqi government. She also said the French military has expertise in training police and soldiers - skills that would be useful in Iraq. (AP 281314 Dec 03)

EU

• Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said in an interview that he was pessimistic about the chances of breaking the deadlock on a new European Union constitution during Ireland’s six-month EU presidency. “I feel that it might not be possible to conclude it next year, it could go into 2005,” Ahern was quoted as saying in an interview with the Dublin-based Sunday Business Post newspaper. (Reuters 281223 GMT Dec 03)

OTHER NEWS

• Secretary of State Powell says the Bush administration will continue to focus on building democratic societies in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2004, but is “resolved as well to turn the president’s goal of a free and democratic Middle East into a reality.” Without going into details, he wrote in an opinion page article for Thursday’s editions of The New York Times that the United States will “stand by the Iranian people, and others living under oppressive regimes, as they strive for freedom.” Colin Powell said in an interview earlier this week that recent actions taken by Iranian leaders, particularly more openness about the country’s nuclear development program, may open a window for more friendly relations with the United States. “The war on terrorism remains our first priority,” he said, “but success in that war depends on constructive ties among the world’s major powers. These we pursue without respite.” He did not refer specifically to France and Germany, but noted in a pointed reference to the growing importance of Eastern European countries that “both NATO and the European Union will expand this year, which is good news for international security.” (AP 010814 Jan 04)
  
  
• Defence Secretary Rumsfeld has named a retired Army major general to supervise U.S. military trials of foreign terrorism suspects, and picked two former presidential Cabinet members and two sitting judges to hear appeals of convictions or sentences. Donald Rumsfeld chose John Altenburg, who served for 28 years as an Army lawyer before retiring in 2002, to oversee the process, including appointing members of the commissions that will hear cases, approving charges against defendants and approving plea agreements, officials said. (Reuters 302126 GMT Dec 03)