Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

23 June 2004

NATO-SUMMIT

• Media generally focused on the topics likely to be discussed at the forthcoming NATO summit. The Washington Times, in particular, writes that according to a senior Alliance official a package of programs to fight terrorism with a plan for new defense aimed at protecting ports from attack, stopping home-made bombs and creating new methods of sending commandos into hot spots will be presented by the Alliance at the imminent Istanbul summit, and heads of state and defense ministers of the 26 NATO members are likely to approve it. Noting that it will be the first time, if approved, NATO has agreed to carry out a collaborative arms and defense development program, the official reportedly lists the eight-point defense package developed by NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors: reducing the vulnerability of large aircraft to portable missiles; developing countermeasures to improvised explosive devices; creating precision air-drop technology that will help NATO commandos conduct pinpoint drops on terrorist targets; stepping up defenses at ports and harbors; developing new aircraft defenses for helicopters; making better detectors, protective gear and equipment, and weapons that can combat chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear bombs; developing new technology for intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and apprehension of terrorists; creating new methods of explosive-ordnance disposal and post-attack planning. Alliance leaders, adds the daily, also are expected to discuss plans for the NATO mission in Afghanistan, and a NATO role in Iraq could also be on the agenda. Other key issues, continues the paper, will be NATO’s development of a joint missile-defense command structure, a new allied ground surveillance program. Recalling that NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer said on Friday the Alliance needs to improve its ability to dispatch forces, the daily concludes quoting him as: “Missions such as Afghanistan present wholly new challenges in terms of generating forces. We have never done anything quite like this before, and it should not be a surprise that there are challenges.” An AFP dispatch comments that the Greater Middle East Initiative is likely to come under the spotlight again during the Istanbul summit. However, argues the news agency, Turkey has made it clear that a U.S. plan to promote reforms in the Middle East will not succeed if imposed from outside, as Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan warned at the beginning of the month at the G8 meeting in the U.S. But Turkey, observes the report, does favor change in the Middle East while underscoring the need for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

IRAQ

• The International Herald Tribune, AFP news agency as well as other widely-distributed newspapers report that U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz said Tuesday at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee the U.S. may have to keep their troops in Iraq for years to come despite “enormous progress” in bringing peace to that country. He also reportedly said the Iraqis themselves must eventually impose security on their country, not just to stabilize the government but to allow ordinary Iraqis to go about their lives. Asked if the U.S. troops might stay in Iraq for “a good number of years”, he allegedly answered: “I think it’s entirely possible, but I think is also nearly certain the more they (the Iraqis) step up, and they will be doing so more and more each month, the less and less we will have to do,” adding: “As they take over more responsibility, we will be able to let them be in the front lines and us be in a supporting position.” Vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, reportedly said about 226,000 Iraqis were being trained for security positions, as against the 250,000 that will probably be required. He is also quoted as saying: “What I really wanted to say most was that we should expect more violence, not less, in the immediate weeks ahead, as our enemies understand that the Iraqi people are about to do what our enemies most fear, which is to take control of their own government.”

NATO-OLYMPICS

• According to Israeli military officials, Israel will play a major role in securing the upcoming Athens Olympics, with its navy patrolling the Greek coast and military and intelligence officers working closely with the Greek armed forces, the U.S. Army and NATO, says an AP report. Israel has volunteered its expertise on securing mass public events from terror attacks and is advising Greece on how to seal off its airspace and coastal waters in the event of a terror attempt, the officials allegedly said Tuesday. Israel, continues the news agency, expects one of its senior officers to sit in NATO's southern command in Naples, Italy, during the games, but NATO itself is still undecided on such close Israeli involvement. Israel's Shin Bet security agency will protect the Israeli team guarding Israeli quarters in the Olympic village, sites Israeli athletes may visit and sailing events off the Greek coast, concludes the dispatch.