| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 13.6.03 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 13/06/2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Meeting in Brussels on 12-13 June 2003, NATO Defence Ministers approved an historic reform of NATO's command structure and agreed to launch a NATO Response Force. The meeting followed on from a summit held in Prague in November 2002, at which it was agreed that the Alliance will welcome new members from 2004, increasing its membership from 19 to 26 countries. NATO's new look was promoted largely by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who said - reported the BBC - that 'the new members of Nato are taking the lead in confronting new threats to security and in injecting a fresh vision to the old Atlantic alliance.' His remarks were taken in part to be a reference to disagreements in Europe over America's role in the Iraq conflict. Mr Rumsfeld went on: 'Many nations in Europe, but not all, correctly see the nexus of terror and weapons of mass destruction as the biggest threat and recognise that transatlantic unity is more critical than ever if we are to successfully deal with that threat'. NATO itself described the decisions as a 're-tooling', equipping the Alliance 'with the capabilities it needs to meet today's security threats.' The number of NATO command headquarters will be reduced from 20 to 11, and responsibilities redefined. Operations will be controlled by a new Allied Command Operations, based at SHAPE in Mons. A new Allied Command Transformation will be established in the US to take responsibility for promoting and overseeing the continuing transformation of Alliance forces and capabilities. The Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Robertson, said 'This is a new NATO. A NATO transformed in [the] Prague Summit. A NATO able to meet its commitments when times get tough, from the Straits of Gibraltar through the Balkans to southern Turkey. A NATO now preparing to take on a demanding stabilisation mission in the Afghan capital.' However, NATO continues to be haunted by disagreements between the United States and its European allies. Immediately prior to attending the NATO meeting, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was engaged on a tour of Europe to thank those countries which supported America during the war in Iraq. Belgium's legal system has 'universal jurisdiction' which - says the Financial Times - 'allows a court the right to try any person who has allegedly committed war crimes anywhere in the world', is currently pursuing law suits against senior US officials and military personnel, accusing them of committing war crimes during the Gulf war and in Iraq. Amongst those accused are the former US President George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and General Tommy Franks. Mr Rumsfeld has now threatened to withdraw US funding for a new NATO headquarters in Brussels unless Belgium drops the law suits. 'It would obviously not be easy for US officials ... to come to Belgium for meetings' he told the BBC. 'Therefore our position is that it would not make much sense to build a new headquarters if they can't come here for meetings.' Tensions were further heightened by a recent decision by France and Germany (who both opposed the Iraq war) not to support a UN Security Council Resolution extending for 12 months a deal which exempts US personnel from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Although France and Germany were the only European countries which decided to abstain (Syria also did), there continues to be disquiet in the EU over America's position. The UK's Ambassador to the United Nations, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, was reported by the BBC as saying: 'Whilst we understand US concerns about the International Criminal Court, we do not share them'. The BBC also revealed that 'It emerged recently that the US complained bitterly about an EU effort to prevent prospective EU member states giving Washington blanket immunity for American nationals from prosecution.' Links:
Eric Davies NATO Defence Ministers agreed to reform NATO's command structure and establish a NATO Response Force on 12-13 June 2003. |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
