Military

SHAPE News Summary & Analysis

18 August 2004

AFGHANISTAN

• Belgian press agency Belga, Aug. 12, reported that Gen. James Jones, SACEUR, said at a news conference during his recent visit to the U.S. camp “Salerno” in the province of Khost he was favorable to a rapprochement between ISAF and Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan. “We must make ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom closer. Both operations are essentially carried out by NATO countries… it makes no sense to keep both structures,” the dispatch quoted him as saying. Talking about the security situation in the country, Gen. Jones reportedly said: “The Taliban and Al-Qaeda, it’s over in this country,” while not excluding that supporters might launch more attacks before the October 9 presidential elections, the first democratic elections in Afghanistan’s history, recalls the news agency. According to Gen. Jones, the dispatch added, the rapprochement between ISAF and Enduring Freedom will probably require unity of command, an idea to which several European countries are still opposed. NATO has an ambitious four-phase expansion plan, the first of which is under way since July 1 and comprises the incorporation of five PRTs in order to “cover” nine provinces north of Afghanistan, commented the report. But it argued that no calendar has however been fixed for phases two, three and four, in view of the difficulty in finding countries prepared to send contingents. “In the period from now to the elections, we should launch phase two and start generating forces (for ISAF’s extension),” Gen. Jones was also quoted saying. The General also reportedly asked NATO members to renounce restrictions they impose on the use of forces sent for operations, “caveats” in diplomatic-military jargon: “In 21st century NATO, caveats must be reduced to make troops more usable. Our forces must become more expeditionary (i.e., capable to operate at a long distance, for a long duration and in demanding situations.) NATO must be flexible, pertinent and useful… we are trying to get rid of 20th century limitations.” Gen. Jones noted, however, that some decisions can be made quickly, citing the example of the dispatch of reinforcements to Kosovo during the incidents last March, which was approved “within one day” by the NAC, concluded the report. Meantime, an AFP dispatch, Aug. 17, reports that a 70-strong Spanish advance party was set to leave for Afghanistan Tuesday to prepare the arrival of more troops to reinforce NATO-led international peacekeepers there during the forthcoming presidential elections. Although the number of the full additional force to be deployed has not been disclosed yet, the government said earlier it planned temporarily to increase the Spanish troops in the country to between 940 and 1,040 during the elections, reported the news agency. The news was echoed by Spanish Radio1, Aug. 17, which noted that the advance team was the first contingent sent to Afghanistan to reinforce the NATO mission.

BALKANS

• According to an AFP dispatch, the new chief of the UN Mission in Kosovo on Tuesday earmarked security, Serb-Albanian dialogue and democratic standards as the priorities for his mandate. “Security evidently must be the basis of what we do in Kosovo,” Danish diplomat Soeren Jessen-Petersen reportedly told reporters at the first press conference since he took over the post earlier this week. The diplomat, observes the report, is the fifth head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since its beginning in 1999 and replaced Harri Holkeri from Finland, who had resigned for health reasons in May. The new chief, continued the news agency, confirmed that among his most important tasks would be re-establishing a dialogue between the Serb minority and ethnic Albanian majority: “We need international dialogue between Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo Serbs and other minorities.” About the democratic standards to be reached, he was reported as saying: “Standards are a road map for a better Kosovo, there is no detour on that road toward status. Standards are a step on the way to EU integration.” He also reportedly declined to comment on the intention of some Kosovo Serbs to boycott the forthcoming general elections on October 23, saying however that “whoever decides to stay outside does so at their own risk,” and referring to the Serbian government which advised Kosovo Serbs not to take part in the vote, ha also added: “It’s a great disservice for those whose interests they are supposed to serve.”