Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

3 March 2004

NATO

• AP reports Italian Foreign Minister Frattini urged NATO allies Wednesday to match the modernization of the Alliance’s military power with a strengthening of its political role, particularly in the Middle East. On a visit to NATO, Frattini reportedly said the Alliance should build on trans-Atlantic unity shown during the Cold War to face new challenges, such as promoting stability and cooperation in a “greater Middle East” stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan. “We must fully commit ourselves to promoting stability, democracy and prosperity in this vast region,” he reportedly told NATO ambassadors. Earlier, the Financial Times claimed that “NATO is making a push to become more involved in North Africa and the Middle East with a new strategy aimed at encouraging defense reforms and improving security in the region.” The article added that the plans, tentatively known as “The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,” would be unveiled at NATO’s June summit in Istanbul. It quoted unnamed diplomats saying Tuesday that NATO’s plans for greater cooperation in the region would complement the EU’s Barcelona process, which focuses on economic and social issues in north African and Middle eastern countries—as well as U.S. proposals for democratization that will be presented at the next G-8 summit. “NATO will look at security and stability issues,” an Alliance official reportedly said, adding: “In the ideal world, the EU’s Barcelona process, a U.S. reform program that sought to engage and not impose on the region, and NATO could be part of the same triangle.” The article added that so far, the NATO strategy involves examining ways of combating international terrorism, stemming the flow of weapons of mass destruction and curbing the trafficking of people, drugs and weapons. “Diplomats said these issues could be tackled by encouraging governments in the region to introduce defense reforms, including some civilian control over military spending. The Alliance could also propose professional training and cooperation between NATO and the region in civil emergency planning, as well as search-and-rescue operations. It is also keen to involve the countries of the region in Alliance-led peacekeeping missions. However, NATO insisted it had no intention of imposing a blueprint for defense reform on those countries that make up the Mediterranean Dialogue,” the newspaper said. It quoted a diplomat saying: “We are looking at specific, practical activities where countries can cooperate on a bilateral level or together with NATO and with full consultation.”
  
  
• According to AP, Foreign Minister Frattini said during a visit to NATO Wednesday that the Alliance has invited Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov to attend a meeting of foreign ministers next month to mark the entry of seven new members into the Alliance. The dispatch notes that NATO issued a formal invitation to the seven nations Tuesday after all the allies completed ratification of the membership protocols. It adds that it was not immediately clear whether Ivanov would attend the meeting, where the flags of the new member countries are due to be raised alongside the current allies outside Alliance headquarters.

UNITED STATES-TROOP BASING

• Reuters reports Gen. Wald, deputy EUCOM commander, said in Berlin Wednesday Washington will maintain a substantial military presence in Germany and has no plans to build permanent bases elsewhere in Europe despite new post-Cold War requirements. According to the dispatch, Gen. Wald said he could only envisage temporary bases in newer NATO members in eastern Europe. “We don’t see any new permanent bases being built in Europe,” he reportedly said. Although America was set to reduce its numbers in Europe, there would be no grand pullout from Germany, he added, stressing: “We belong in Germany with our forces. We will still have forces in Germany.” He stressed that Washington was firmly committed to its air base at Ramstein, noting: “Ramstein is the most strategically important base in the world today, bar none.”