Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

13 January 2004

BALKANS

• AP reports NATO-led peacekeepers searching for war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic broke down a door at his wartime home, took a caretaker’s cell phone and seized documents Tuesday in the fourth day of raids seeking information on the former Bosnian Serb leader whereabouts. “As a result of information obtained over the weekend, it was determined that a detailed search of this property was necessary,” the dispatch quotes an SFOR spokesman saying. According to the dispatch, he added that troops discovered many documents and items that may have “potential intelligence value” in the search Tuesday in the Pale suburb of Krivace. Brussels’ Le Soir observes that “a sad cat and mouse game continues between NATO and the former Bosnian Serb leader.” NATO has decided to reduce its troop level in Bosnia to 7,000 next June but has still not succeeded in nabbing either Karadzic or his military leader Mladic, the newspaper adds. NATO officials acknowledge that the capture of Karadzic and Mladic is an important prerequisite for the Alliance’s eventual aim of withdrawing its peacekeeping troops from Bosnia, says a related Reuters dispatch. The Times observes that SFOR’s weekend raid was the biggest one in 18 months to arrest Karadzic.

ISAF

• The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Khan, and the acting head of ISAF, Gen. Leslie, Monday signed a protocol on transferring heavy weapons to areas outside Kabul, reported Kabul’s Bakhtar news agency, Jan. 12. The dispatch quoted Gen. Khan saying that in the coming days, the Afghan armed forces would transfer military garrisons from Kabul to the surrounding areas in addition to transferring weapons from the city. Heavy weapons in Panjsher would also be transferred and kept in Kabul, he reportedly added.

IRAQ

• “NATO is being challenged. Admittedly, it still has not been officially decided that the Alliance will take over the mission in Iraq this summer, but the so-called coalition of the willing is imploringly seeking help,” claimed Hamburg’s Financial Times Deutschland, Jan. 12. According to the newspaper, at the latest at the NATO summit in Istanbul, but more likely at the informal meeting of the defense ministers in Munich in February, NATO will have to take a position. “A ‘no’ does not come into question. Already now, most countries of the Alliance are engaged in Iraq. The others at least support the goal of bringing peace to the country. As a result, even the declared war opponents must make a contribution, bridge the gap of the countries that waged the war. There is no compelling reason for refusal, since a NATO resolution does not force any country to send soldiers,” the newspaper commented. It considered, however, that it would be politically inexplicable if Germany were to participate in a mission after all. “In order to avoid isolating itself in the Alliance, Germany must continue to strive for peace somewhere else, with a large troop contingent in Afghanistan,” the newspaper concluded. In a similar vein, Der Spiegel wrote: “NATO will probably take over the military responsibility for parts of Iraq in the second half of this year. An informal meeting of the Alliance’s defense ministers in early February is to pave the way for this…. It is not clear which European countries will contribute troops. The Federal government continues to oppose the deployment of German troops.”

GERMANY-DEFENSE

• Reuters quotes Defense Minister Struck saying at a news conference in Berlin Tuesday he would cut up to 26 billion euros from Germany’s military spending plans, shut 100 bases and slash troop numbers to create a more professional and efficient armed forces. According to the dispatch, Struck added that about 100 bases would probably have to be closed and 26 billion euros cut from future defense procurement plans in the coming years. He reiterated an announcement last year that forces would be cut by 35,000 troops to about 250,000. But he said Germany would stick by its order for 180 Eurofighter combat aircraft. He also said Germany would order 410 Puma armored vehicles. He said the cuts were part of a shake-up aimed at making Germany’s military better prepared to meet mounting international demands for peacekeeping and conflict prevention. AP echoes Struck’s message that the latest plans are part of the German military’s overhaul aimed at cutting costs and completing the switch from a Cold War bulwark against a Soviet attack to duties such as peacekeeping and intervening in crisis spots.