21 January 2003
Jones Says NATO Is Discussing Its Potential Role in Iraq
(All 19 members will be heard on any military involvement, he says) (2340) Any decision by NATO regarding potential military operations in Iraq will be determined by the North Atlantic Council, and through discussions now going on it is certain that the opinions of all 19-member nations will be heard, says Marine Corps General James Jones, the new NATO military commander. Jones became the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the military head of NATO forces, in a change of command ceremony January 17. He also becomes the commander of the U.S. European Command, the first U.S. Marine to hold those positions. "I think whatever the role is for NATO in Iraq will be determined by NATO. Those discussions are properly ongoing and we'll have to see what the future holds," Jones said during a news media briefing. "But I think NATO's opinions will certainly be heard by all sides who are discussing this important issue." NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said at the briefing that NATO's role in Iraq will be decided in accordance with the policy statement made in Prague at the NATO Summit in November by the 19 heads of state and government. "It will relate very much to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441. The heads of state and government made it clear that they were committing themselves to take effective action to assist and support the efforts of the U.N. to ensure full and immediate compliance by Iraq with the terms of the resolution itself. But that is as far as we have gone because that U.N. process is still ongoing," Robertson said. Jones also told the media that these "are exciting times and difficult times for NATO, and I look forward to being a part of the continuing evolution and the transformation of this remarkable Alliance. The new force structure and capabilities, the accession and integration of seven new members, and the strategic aspects of future cooperation between NATO and the European Union are just a few of the important issues that we will address during the coming months." Jones also said he wanted to emphasize the importance of the link between Europe and North America, and its contribution to the stability and security of the Euro-Atlantic area. Following is a transcript of Jones' and Robertson's remarks: (begin transcript) Allied Command Europe Change of Command January 17 Press Conference with NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, and incoming Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General James L. Jones Lord Robertson: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's a real pleasure to greet you here at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. The occasion is significant, because of course today we say farewell to General Joseph Ralston and we welcome to the NATO community a new Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General James Jones. The General's experience makes him well suited for the job. This is a man who genuinely has one foot in Europe and one in America. He spans the Atlantic literally. Educated in Europe and the United States, he speaks fluent French and has a profound knowledge of European as well as American history. In many ways General Jones is a living symbol of what NATO is all about -- a political and military organisation, yes, certainly, but even more a bridge across the Atlantic which brings together European and North American allies in the defence of common values. General Jones is inaugurating his mandate at a critical time. This is a time of uncertainty, characterised by a rapid emergence of threats. At the same time, NATO is transforming radically in order to tackle these new threats and maintain its primacy as the guardian of Euro-Atlantic security. The challenges that we face together are many. But I've got no doubt that General Jones will tackle them with the superb efficiency which has been his hallmark through a brilliant and exceptional career. General, you are very welcome, and I speak on behalf of everyone at NATO in saying that you can count on us to assist you in your job, and we count on you to share your wisdom and leadership with us. I'd like to say a few words about the man who is leaving today, General Joe Ralston, and the extraordinary performance that he has put up during his time here. I want to thank him publicly for his professionalism and dedication in serving the Alliance. General Ralston led NATO through some pretty rough waters, guided us through crises with determination, with vision, and with huge professionalism. He was a great leader and I am grateful to have had the privilege of working with him and to call him a friend. Joe Ralston, of course, will be missed, but now we count on General James Jones to perpetuate the long and well-established tradition of extraordinary commanders who have served this Alliance so well since its creation. General Jones, I offer you the floor. General Jones: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. I'd like to start by saying how extraordinarily proud I am to be back in Europe. As the Secretary General mentioned, Europe is the continent on which I was educated as a young person and formed many of my values and my thought process, and I returned after 15 consecutive years living in France. So it is a personal moment of great pride to be here and I deeply appreciate the confidence that the Secretary General has shown in me and in NATO by confirming me to this position, and also my own government. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to work in this very, very important capacity. I look forward to the opportunity to work with the professional staffs both at SHAPE and throughout the NATO Alliance. These are exciting times and difficult times for NATO, and I look forward to being a part of the continuing evolution and the transformation of this remarkable Alliance. The new force structure and capabilities, the accession and integration of seven new members, and the strategic aspects of future cooperation between NATO and the European Union are just a few of the important issues that we will address during the coming months. I also recognise and underscore the importance of the link between Europe and North America and its significant contribution to the stability and security of the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward, ladies and gentlemen, to working with you in a productive and positive relationship, talking about what we do here at SHAPE to accomplish the tasks assigned by the political leaders of the Alliance. Since this is my first day on the job, I will be in a better position to address some of the issues in more detail at a later date. I am told there is typically a 100-day grace period before you start asking me difficult questions, so I'll start that clock right now. Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you, and it's a great honour to be here. Question: Given the evolving situation in Iraq, do you see a role for NATO in Iraq? General Jones: I think whatever the role is for NATO in Iraq will be determined by NATO. Those discussions are properly ongoing and we'll have to see what the future holds. But I think NATO's opinions will certainly be heard by all sides who are discussing this important issue. Lord Robertson: NATO's role in Iraq will be determined by the policy statement made in Prague by the 19 heads of state and government, and it will relate very much to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441. The heads of state and government made it clear that they were committing themselves to take effective action to assist and support the efforts of the U.N. to ensure full and immediate compliance by Iraq with the terms of the resolution itself. But that is as far as we have gone because that U.N. process is still ongoing. Q: General Jones, what importance does NATO support have for the American side of your chain of command....? And Lord Robertson, where is the biggest problem with Germany ... with NATO support for the Iraq crisis and the war....? General Jones: It's not clear that it's going to come to that. Q: The war, or the assistance....? General Jones: Either one. But what we are looking for obviously, in any military coalition, is a question of compatibility, integration, common training, common tactics, techniques and procedures -- things that the Alliance has been working on for many, many years. So on that score I'm confident that whatever NATO and whatever the U.S. forces are tasked to do, they'll be able to do it successfully and in the great partnership going back through the many years of the Alliance. Lord Robertson: If you're asking on the political side, I expect that Germany will deliver on the commitment it made with the other 18 governments in Prague, to commit themselves to effective action in support of the U.N. Security Council and its resolution, and in the process of inspection that is ongoing. That is the matter that is before us at the present moment, and that process of inspection appears to be producing results. But we remain ready to help and assist the United Nations in what it is doing and I would expect Germany and the other 18 allies to do precisely that. Q: When will the NATO Council decide about the American demand concerning military support for Turkey? Lord Robertson: You're talking about a number of proposals that have been put forward in the NATO Council, and it's part of our ongoing consideration of the commitment that was established in Prague. There is a necessity for normal, prudent deterrent and defensive planning to be done. But we are not constrained by any particular timelines on the consideration of particular proposals. Q: General Jones, I was interested in hearing how you think the fact that you're the first U.S. Marine to occupy the post will affect the way you approach it, and also how your European upbringing will affect your work. General Jones: I hope that I'm the first U.S. Marine won't be held against me! I think it's a measure of how far jointness as a concept in the United States has come along, that someone wearing a Marine uniform could be selected to come to this important position. With regard to my background, I only hope that that will bring good things. I'm very familiar with Europe and its people. I have great affection for the continent. My brother and sister were born here. My father retired from Brussels as a businessman in 1973. So for me it's really the unexpected good fortune of culminating a military career on the continent where I grew up, and it's a fairly emotional time for me and my family to be able to do this. I approach my job having been trained by the American military and being formed by the joint process; I'm a former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Marines are full players along with the Army, Navy and Air Force back home. So I hope that this wonderful opportunity will bring good things for all of us and I'm looking forward to doing my part in that. Q: ... some people argue about the capacities in Europe which are not enough. The Chairman of the Military Committee, General Kujat, does not hesitate to say that when capacities are less in Europe, thinking gets divided between Europe and the U.S. Have you got the feeling already that there is a difference between the European possibilities -- not only in capacities but also in thinking -- and the American ones? General Jones: I think you can always encourage people to do more. I think the United States has been clear in terms of recognising that we will deal with the realities that we have. I'm particularly impressed by some of the capabilities that exist in Europe. For example, we live in a time where there's a premium on special operations forces. All of our European allies in the NATO countries have some degree of capability with special operations forces, so you see right there a great deal of commonality between the requirement on a global basis in support of the global war on terrorism and the existing capabilities. I'm impressed by the fact that five NATO members have embarked on a construction process of five amphibious LPD-class ships that are in various stages of completion. That's a serious contribution to expeditionary, out-of-area capabilities, and I look forward to having increasing dialogue with the true intent of what "out-of-area" means - is it regional, is it global, and what are the capabilities that are needed to do that? So while we can always ask people to do more, I think we should also celebrate on what we have, which is considerable. Lord Robertson: Can I just say that I firmly believe that if we allow a gap to develop between the thinking, the methodology, of using military power on the two sides of the Atlantic, then that will be fatal for the transatlantic relationship and for the effectiveness of NATO. But we are addressing that at the moment with the concept of a Supreme Command for transformation which could possibly be linked to Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. I met Admiral Bastiani, Commander of Joint Forces Command, whose job is transformation in the United States military. And if we ally the capacities and the thinking processes of the European side of things to what is going on there, then we will stop the possibility of the thinking drifting apart. NATO is a force multiplier, and it's only a force multiplier if the capabilities, the interoperability and the thinking are fully in synch. But we are addressing that challenge and I believe that we are succeeding. (end transcript) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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