Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

23 April 2004

KOSOVO

• The top NATO official criticized Kosovo’s leaders on Thursday for failing to take responsibility in the aftermath of the worst outbreak of ethnic violence since the end of province’s war nearly five years ago. Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO secretary-general, and other top alliance officials visited the UN-run province briefly Thursday. Mr. de Hoop Scheffer said Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership ought to have used stronger language in its condemnation of the violence and displayed stronger leadership to prevent that the violence is repeated. “I’m afraid that the leadership has failed Kosovo, failed the international community,” he added. (AP 221754 Apr 04)
  
  
• The United States and NATO have “identified as priorities the need to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the reprehensible violence,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kathleen Stephens and NATO Ambassador Robert Serry said in a statement Thursday after meeting with officials in Pristina and Belgrade. Vuk Draskovic, Serbia-Montenegro’s foreign minister, told reporters he had told the two officials that he hoped the U.S. and NATO would help Kosovo’s beleaguered Serbs “just as they helped Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians in 1999.” Mrs. Stephens and Mr. Serry also called on Belgrade and Pristina to resume talks on technical issues relating to Kosovo. (AP 221644 Apr 04)

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

• Some candidates proposed by the defense minister to command Bosnia’s yet to be established united army failed to meet criteria set by the NATO-led peacekeeping force, an alliance spokesman said Thursday. The peacekeeping force “will not endorse any candidate who is under investigation by the UN war crimes tribunal, is suspected or charged with criminal activities or affiliated in any way or form with disreputable political activities,” NATO spokesman Capt. Sullivan told a news conference. He refused to specify whether any of the 12 candidates suggested by Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic was being investigated for war crimes. “Essentially the list of proposed candidates contained too many unsuitable nominations and lacked alternatives,” he said, adding that the peacekeeping force will ask Mr. Radovanovic for a new list. (AP 221427 Apr 04)

FRANCE

• French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy declared war on defence spending on Thursday. Defence cuts promoted by Mr. Sarkozy were part of an effort to bring France’s public deficit within EU limits. But they upset the Defence Ministry and were seen as a salvo in Mr. Sarkozy’s campaign to assert his authority in the cabinet before launching a bid for the presidency in 2007 elections. Defence Ministry officials said they were “headlong opposed” to his call for one billion euros to be held back from this year’s 32.4 billion euro defence budget. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin’s office said there would be “extensive consultations between the finance, industry and defence ministries before any government decision is taken.” But within hours, Mr. Raffarin’s deputy chief of staff told reporters that the defence spending freeze had been approved. (Reuters 221732 GMT Apr 04)

IRAQ

• Bulgaria will consider pulling some troops out of Iraq at the end of June if the UN passes a new resolution and power is handed over to Iraqi authorities, Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov said in Sofia. Bulgaria, a new NATO member and staunch supporter of the U.S.-led military operations, has promised to keep its 450-man light infantry battalion in Kerbala despite Spain and other countries withdrawing their forces. But it has demanded the UN take over, and Mr. Svinarov indicated the Balkan state may withdraw some of troops once that happens on private television station BTV. Army Chief of Staff Nikola Kolev also said 23 soldiers will head home from Kerbala next week, potentially undermining the activities of their unit there. (Reuters 221219 GMT Apr 04)

UNITED STATES

• The Bush administration has no intention of reinstating a U.S. military draft despite increased troop deployments sparked by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said on Thursday in Washington. His comments came just days after a leading Republican senator, Chuck Hagel, said the U.S. should consider reinstating conscription to replace the all-volunteer military. (Reuters 221930 GMT Apr 04)