Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

23 February 2004

WAR ON TERRORISM

• President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday confirmed that he had met with U.S. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, head of the U.S. European Command, and discussed the issue of international terrorism. A presidential spokesman said President Mbeki had met Friday with Gen. Jones, also the NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, the South African Press Association reported Sunday. In a television interview broadcast on Friday by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Gen. Jones said that with the United States flushing terrorists out across the world, it was “logical” that Africa could become a hiding place for them. He said this was a matter of concern for stability on the continent. (AP 221851 Feb 04)

IRAQ

• A top NATO general was quoted on Saturday saying it would take time to plan any mission in Iraq even if NATO leaders gave the go ahead for an operation in June. And addressing Berlin’s concerns about military involvement in Iraq, General Harald Kujat told the Berliner Zeitung Germany would not have to contribute officers to any NATO headquarters there. Germany has ruled out sending peacekeeping troops. (Reuters 211100 GMT Feb 04)
  
  
• The Pentagon is planning to overhaul its military structure in Iraq to prepare for the return of self-governance. Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the region, said he expects a revamped military command structure to be in place in Iraq by April or May. He said a task ahead for the U.S. military will be to create an Iraqi Defense Ministry and train high-ranking Iraqi military officers. (Reuters 221241 GMT Feb 04)

AFGHANISTAN

• Greece rejected a new request by NATO on Friday to boost its troop contribution in Afghanistan, saying it needs military personnel at home to provide security at the Aug. 13-29 Olympics. “Due to the Olympic Games ... we do not have the ability to further boost our forces,” Premier Costas Simitis told reporters after meeting NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. It was the second time in four months that Greece turned down such a request by NATO. Mr. De Hoop Scheffer said he understood Greece’s response, but added that NATO should do more in Afghanistan and that Greece’s contribution could again be discussed after the games. (AP 201510 Feb 04)

BALKANS

• Kosovo’s top UN official and the government condemned Sunday an attack in which a minister of the province and four others were injured. Harri Holkeri, the top UN administrator, said he was appalled by the car bomb attack which “undermines the rule of law and is against the democratic process in Kosovo.” In a separate statement, Kosovo’s government called it a criminal act and an “attack against Kosovo’s institutions.” Ethem Ceku, the environment and spatial planning minister, and four others were in a car that blew up late Saturday in the city of Pec. The five sustained injuries that were not life-threatening and were treated at the local hospital. (AP 221310 Feb 04)
  
  
• Serbian premier-designate Vojislav Kostunica said on Saturday a planned government dependent on Milosevic’s party did not mean any power for the former Yugoslav leader, who is on trial for war crimes. “He is not making a political comeback here,” Kostunica told the Reuters news agency in an interview, adding Milosevic did not control the once-mighty Socialist Party any more and that it had reformed itself. He also said Serbian authorities did not know where Mladic was and outlined both legal and political obstacles to handing over the four indicted generals, who include a police chief. “But I’m not against cooperation and efforts made by our government and officials in Washington and The Hague about the possibility of giving our domestic judiciary a chance to deal with these cases,” Kostunica added. (Reuters 211817 GMT Feb 04)