| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning |
| Series Title | In Focus |
| Series Details | 10.6.02 |
| Publication Date | 10/06/2002 |
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus |
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Defence ministers from NATO's Member States, meeting in Brussels on 6 June 2002, agreed to launch a wide-ranging review of the organisation's military capabilities and structures following the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001. Recognising the evolving security environment and the threat posed by terrorism, ministers agreed to modernise the Alliance's military capabilities so NATO would 'be able to field forces for its missions that can move quickly to wherever they are needed, sustain operations over distance and time, and achieve their objectives'. A report on the military concept for defence against terrorism had already been commissioned by NATO and ministers are hoping that this will be ready for their next informal meeting in Warsaw in September 2002. However, they have already agreed on the principal areas which must be improved if NATO is to be effective in countering terrorism among them precision-guided weapons; transport aircraft, air-to-air refuelling and logistics to permit rapid deployment. In response to the threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks ministers launched a series of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capability initiatives, including a prototype deployable NBC analytical laboratory; a prototype NBC event response team; a virtual centre of excellence for NBC weapons defence; a NATO biological and chemical defence stockpile; and a disease surveillance system. Ministers also discussed the comprehensive assessment of the command structure of the Alliance which will also be reported on in Warsaw. NATO hopes to make recommendations on the minimum military requirements at the Prague Summit in November 2002 when a timeframe for completing this work should also be drawn up so that decisions on command arrangements can be taken by the Summer of 2003. Another issue on the agenda concerned the financing of any initiative to improve military capabilities. Ministers agreed that there was further scope for reprioritisation of many of the member states' defence budgets, for example in reducing force levels and spending more on equipment modernisation. However, extra funds will still be needed and so NATO urged its member states towards more pooling of military capabilities, increasing role specialisation, co-operative acquisition of equipment and common and multinational funding. Clearly, much progress was made in Brussels towards adapting NATO to face the challenges of terrorism but the real results will be determined at the Prague Summit as NATO's Secretary General, Lord Robertson, emphasised at a press conference following the summit saying,
Prague certainly promises to be the climax of a busy year for NATO since the 19-strong alliance could bring in as many as seven new members - the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, plus Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria at the summit meeting in November 2002. Links: North Atlantic Treaty Council(NATO):
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
BBC News Online: Centre for European Reform: Helen Bower A review of NATO's military capabilities and structures following the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 will be conducted after defence ministers reached agreement on the reveiew at a meeting on 6 June 2002. |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence |
