|
Mon, 19 Jan 04
|
NE-@latvia-usa.org
|
Jan 18, 2004 23:14 PST
|
NATO ENLARGEMENT DAILY BRIEF (NEDB)
Monday, 19 January 2004, 01:29 EDT
----------------------------------------------
* GERMANY TO INCREASE TROOPS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN - AFP
* TURKEY, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY TO CONTRIBUTE HELICOPTERS TO
ISAF ? AFP
* ISAF PEACEKEEPERS RAID AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLERS ? AP
* AZNAR URGES U.S. TO LET NATO TAKE ON A GREATER ROLE IN
IRAQ ? WSJE / Gerald F. Seib
* JAPANESE TROOPS DUE IN IRAQ, OPINION SPLIT AT HOME ?
Reuters
* BALTS TO TALK TO NATO ON AIR POLICING: KRISTOVSKIS ? LETA
/ Aija Rutka
* PAPANDREOU URGES REDUCED GREEK-TURKISH MILITARY SPEND ?
Reuters / Philip Pangalos
* GERMANY UNVEILS DRASTIC CUTS IN MILITARY SPENDING ? AFP /
Deborah Cole
* GEORGIAN, LATVIAN FORMINS DISCUSS EUROPEAN INTEGRATION -
Georgian Imedi TV / BBC Monitoring
* SPAIN'S PM SAYS BUSH ACTS LIKE AN EMPEROR ? AP / Harry
Dunphy
* DEADLOCKED DEMOCRATS SCRAMBLE FOR VOTES AHEAD OF U.S.
PRESIDENTIAL TEST ? AFP / Louise Daly
* U.S., EU SEE DEAL SOON ON SATELLITE NAVIGATION ? Reuters
* HUNGARIAN MINISTER INAUGURATES RAPID REACTION UNIT
OFFERED TO NATO - Hungarian Kossuth Radio / BBC Monitoring
----------------------------------------------
To subscribe to NEDB, send a blank email to:
nato-su-@topica.com
Browse/Search NATO Enlargement Daily Brief:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nedb
Send your contributions & comments to NE-@latvia-usa.org
----------------------------------------------
GERMANY TO INCREASE TROOPS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN
AFP, 17 Jan 04
Germany is to increase the number of soldiers it has
deployed in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, as part of a
civilian-military reconstruction team, a spokesman for the
defence ministry said on Saturday.
The spokesman was reacting to a report by Germany weekly
Der Spiegel, which said the number of Germany soldiers in
Kunduz would be increased to 320 from 171 on the orders of
Defence Minister Peter Struck.
He declined to give the exact number of troop
reinforcements but said they would not exceed the maximum
of 450 soldiers set down by the parliament.
Der Spiegel said the Germans had been facing increasing
threats in the previously quiet Kunduz region since British
soldiers started tackling the production of opium poppies,
which are used to make heroin.
German soldiers operating with the NATO-led International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan took over
the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in Kunduz from
United States troops on December 31, 2003.
The Kunduz operation is the first that permanently
establishes ISAF troops outside Kabul. It is a pilot
project for the further expansion of ISAF beyond the
capital, a move designed to help the Kabul government
spread its influence and foster stability in the
war-ravaged country.
There are six other reconstruction teams around Afghanistan
but they are all under US military command. They are in
Herat in the west, Kandahar in the south, Gardez in the
east, Parvan and Bamyan in the centre and Mazar-i-Sharif in
the north. The US civil-military teams in Bamyan and Mazar
also involve New Zealand and British soldiers respectively.
The US army plans to launch six more PRTs in the coming
weeks, in a bid to rein in increasing unrest and
insecurity. They will operate in Ghazni, Jalalabad, Khost
and Asadabad in the east, Qalat in the southeast and Tirin
Kot in the south.
TURKEY, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY TO CONTRIBUTE HELICOPTERS TO
ISAF
AFP, 16 Jan 04
Turkey has decided to contribute three helicopters to the
NATO-led international stabilization force in Afghanistan,
the Turkish army said Jan. 16.
Deputy chief of staff Ilker Basbug told reporters that the
helicopters would be sent to Kabul once technical talks on
the issue were completed.
The Netherlands has promised five helicopters, while
Germany has pledged another three, he added.
During a visit to Ankara in October, former NATO chief
George Robertson asked Turkey to also contribute troops and
civilian professionals for reconstruction operations in
Afghanistan.
Turkey led the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan between July 2002 and February 2003.
A small unit of Turkish soldiers remain in the country.
NATO, in its first mission outside Europe, took command
last August of ISAF, which was set up in December 2001
following the defeat of the hard-line Taliban regime.
Its members have agreed to expand the force beyond the
capital Kabul.
ISAF PEACEKEEPERS RAID AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLERS
AP, 19 Jan 04
Canadian peacekeepers have detained 16 people in a raid
against suspected drug smugglers in the Afghan capital,
police said Monday.
The men were detained Sunday morning when the soldiers
stormed three houses in southern Kabul, Ali Jan Askaryar,
the district police chief, told The Associated Press.
U.S. Maj. Kevin Arata, a spokesman for the NATO-led
peacekeeping force in the city, confirmed the operation had
taken place but declined to give details.
Askaryar said Canadian troops, who carried out the raid
with Afghan police, took away five of the suspects. The
rest were released after questioning by Afghan police.
"The local people assured us they were innocent, so we let
them go," Askaryar said.
He said he didn't know if the soldiers had found any drugs
during the raid.
About 5,500 peacekeepers, mostly Canadian and German
soldiers, are stationed in Kabul. The troops are a common
sight on patrol around the city, but rarely take offensive
action.
AZNAR URGES U.S. TO LET NATO TAKE ON A GREATER ROLE IN IRAQ
Wall Street Journal Europe, 19 Jan 04, by Gerald F. Seib
WASHINGTON -- As U.S. officials struggle to arrange a
transition to local control in Iraq, a key wartime ally is
urging them to turn to the Atlantic alliance for more help
in stabilizing the country.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who visited U.S.
President George W. Bush here last week, said in an
interview that he hoped the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization would take on a growing role in helping
oversee security in Iraq. Moreover, he said that such a
NATO role shouldn't cause concern for the Bush
administration, which has been reluctant to give up control
over postwar Iraq.
"I'm in favor of NATO taking on a role and taking on
responsibilities," Mr. Aznar said. He added: "I see no
reason why greater responsibility by NATO in the region
should be a matter of concern for the Bush administration."
The suggestion comes at an important juncture in the
development of postwar Iraq. The Bush administration's top
reconstruction official in Baghdad, Paul Bremer, returned
to Washington Friday for talks with top administration
aides on how to carry out an American promise to create a
new Iraqi government by June. That plan has hit turbulence
because of opposition from prominent Shiite Muslim leaders,
who want the new government chosen by direct elections
rather than the caucuses that the U.S. has proposed.
Mr. Aznar's views carry particular impact in Washington,
because he and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were Mr.
Bush's closest European allies in the campaign to oust
Saddam Hussein. Mr. Aznar has overlooked domestic
complaints about the war and sent about 1,300 troops to
Iraq to help the heavily American occupation force there.
After their meeting last week, Mr. Bush acknowledged Mr.
Aznar's position, saying that "we have worked together to
spread freedom, and the world is more peaceful today
because of the decisions we've jointly made."
Mr. Aznar said a key question -- how to construct a
military command structure to oversee NATO forces -- would
have to be worked out before an alliance security role
could proceed. And he acknowledged that some NATO members,
particularly those who opposed the war, might choose not to
participate.
But he said NATO countries should be free to choose to be
part of an Iraq force, or to decline. The immediate need,
he said, is to begin discussions within the alliance to
start addressing such questions. If discussions begin soon,
he said, a plan could be ready by the spring. "I think our
doubts will be clarified shortly," he said. Some NATO
countries, most notably Britain and Spain, have contributed
to the current multinational force in Iraq, but that force
is dominated by the U.S., and there is no formal NATO role
in operations.
Mr. Aznar said he also envisions a larger role for the
United Nations down the line. But for that to happen, he
said, the security situation has to improve in Iraq, making
the terrain safer for the U.N. to operate. A larger U.N.
role, he implied, would be more likely after NATO helped to
stabilize the security situation.
He also called on the U.N. to take a larger role in the
overall fight against terrorism, in particular by reforming
and expanding its counterterrorism committee.
The Bush administration has been leery of a large U.N. role
in Iraq, fearing that the world body's intervention might
interfere with the American vision of building a democratic
Iraq with a free-market economy. At the same time, the
U.N.'s willingness to participate in Iraq's rebuilding has
cooled because of the unstable and dangerous situation on
the ground. But the U.S. view has softened as the
occupation has become more troublesome, and talks this week
at the U.N. could open the door to a greater role.
JAPANESE TROOPS DUE IN IRAQ, OPINION SPLIT AT HOME
Reuters, 19 Jan 04
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese public opinion was divided over
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's decision to send troops
to Iraq, polls showed on Monday, just hours ahead of the
expected arrival of the first Japanese soldiers in the
Iraqi town of Samawa.
Koizumi defended the politically risky dispatch in a speech
prepared for the opening of a new session of parliament.
"We would not be meeting our responsibilities as a member
of the international community if we were to leave the
contribution of personnel to other countries because of the
possible danger," he said.
Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi told parliament that
Iraq's reconstruction was directly linked to the national
interests of Japan, which relies on the Middle East for
around 90 percent of its oil imports.
"If Iraq becomes a 'failed state' and a base for terrorist
activities as Afghanistan once was, it would become a large
threat to not only the Middle East but the international
community as a whole, including our country," Kawaguchi
said.
"Our country must work on reconstruction aid for Iraq
without giving into terrorism," she added.
An advance team is expected to cross the border from Kuwait
into Iraq later on Monday on its way to the southern town,
where it will begin preparations for the arrival of around
600 troops to take part in reconstruction and humanitarian
activities.
About 48 percent of respondents to a weekend poll by
Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said they opposed the
dispatch, down from 55 percent in the previous poll carried
out in December. About 40 percent said they supported it,
up from 34 percent.
A similar poll conducted by Kyodo news agency found 51.6
percent against and 42.8 percent in favor of the dispatch.
Support for Koizumi, a staunch supporter of the U.S.-led
war in Iraq, edged up slightly to 43 percent in the Asahi
poll from 41 percent in December.
But the public is concerned about security, and any
casualties among the Japanese contingent could undermine
his government.
"We cannot necessarily say Iraq is safe, so we are sending
troops who have been thoroughly trained to work effectively
in a harsh environment and know how to avoid danger,"
Koizumi said.
The number of U.S. soldiers who have died in Iraq since the
war began last March rose to 500 over the weekend.
A suicide bomb attack at the main U.S. headquarters in
Baghdad on Sunday killed at least 20 people and injured
over 100.
"Baghdad is part of the Sunni triangle, where there have
been a lot of terrorist attacks... We have not noticed any
particular change in conditions in Samawa, which is where
our troops are being sent," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo
Fukuda told reporters.
Japanese soldiers, constrained by the nation's pacifist
constitution, have not fired a shot in combat since World
War II.
Samawa was picked as a relatively safe base for the troops.
They will take part in activities such as the purification
and distribution of water and rebuilding schools.
Kawaguchi said Japan, which has pledged a total of $5.0
billion in reconstruction aid for Iraq including $1.5
billion in grant aid, would step up its aid efforts.
"Our country has actively worked on humanitarian
reconstruction aid for Iraq...and we will further
strengthen aid from now on," Kawaguchi said.
Almost 90 percent of respondents in the Asahi poll felt the
troops were likely to come under attack in Iraq. A majority
-- 54 percent -- favored pulling the troops out if there
were casualties, while 35 percent said the mission should
continue. (Additional reporting by Masayuki Kitano)
BALTS TO TALK TO NATO ON AIR POLICING - KRISTOVSKIS
LETA, 15 Jan 04, by Aija Rutka.
RIGA, Jan 15 (LETA) - The Baltic countries must launch a
dialog with NATO on air patrol issues to find technical
solutions for ensuring air surveillance, Minister of
Defense Girts Valdis Kristovskis told a press conference
today after a meeting with Czech Defense Minister Miroslav
Kostelka.
Air patrol is one of the most important issues that all
three Baltic countries will have to solve in the near
future, and the Czech Republic's experience might be very
valuable, Kristovskis said. Kostelka confirmed the Czech
Republic was ready to help Latvia on this issue.
Kostelka said he had offered Kristovskis to send a task
force to the Czech Republic, its members could acquaint
themselves with the Czech's passive radar system that could
be of great use in organizing air patrols.
Both officials also discussed international security issues
during their meeting - international peacekeeping forces'
role and Latvia and Czech Republic's contribution to
peacekeeping operations, as well as NATO enlargement.
Both ministers also discussed options for including
Latvia's troops in Kosovo into the Czech unit, Kostelka
said. There are about 500 soldiers from the Czech Republic
and Slovakia currently serving in Kosovo, but the unit will
be downsized to 250-300 soldiers, which is why Latvia has
been offered to participate in performing this unit's
tasks.
Four staff officers and five military police officers could
join this unit, Kristovskis said. The minister believes
that establishing a joint unit will again attest to the
successful Latvian-Czech cooperation.
The visiting Czech minister is yet to hold meetings with
National Armed Forces Commander, Rear Admiral Gaidis
Andrejs Zeibots, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sandra
Kalniete and Saeima Defense and Internal Affairs
Committee's head Eriks Jekabsons. Kostelka will also visit
the "Baltnet" information center.
PAPANDREOU URGES REDUCED GREEK-TURKISH MILITARY SPEND
Reuters, 17 Jan 04, by Philip Pangalos
ATHENS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou asked Turkey to join his government in a pledge
to cut military spending.
Papandreou, who is set to replace Prime Minister Costas
Simitis as head of the ruling socialist Pasok party after a
close-run March 7 election, said a cut to military spending
would become a priority of a new Pasok government.
"My vision is peace for the region... We (Greece and
Turkey) must agree together to have a gradual and balanced
reduction in defence spending after the March 7 elections,"
Papandreou said on Saturday at a rally in the northern city
of Alexandroupolis.
Greece and Turkey are two of Nato's biggest spenders on
defence as a percentage of gross domestic product. The
Greek defence minister has pledged to cut defence spending
to four percent of GDP by 2005 from around five percent.
The two last came to the brink of war in 1996, but have
considerably improved their traditionally tense ties after
deadly earthquakes in both countries in 1999 triggered an
outpouring of sympathy and aid.
The United States spends about 3.5 percent of its GDP on
defence, while France and the United Kingdom spend about
2-2.5 percent, though some EU members spend only 1-1.5
percent of GDP.
GERMANY UNVEILS DRASTIC CUTS IN MILITARY SPENDING
AFP, 13 Jan 04, Deborah Cole
Defense Minister Peter Struck unveiled plans Jan. 13 for a
major overhaul of the German military, including drastic
budget cuts in the coming years and sharp reductions in
troop levels.
Struck said new security concerns since the end of the Cold
War and a government austerity drive had prompted the
changes, which will slash spending by up to 26 billion
euros ($33 billion) in the coming years.
Troop levels will fall to about 250,000 from 285,000 today
with a new focus on anti-terror operations, conflict
prevention and nation building.
?The whole world is a potential area of operations for the
Bundeswehr (armed forces),? Struck told a news conference.
The cutbacks in the military will also see 10,000 civilian
jobs slashed and the likely closure of 100 more bases this
year, following previously announced plans to reduce the
number of military facilities to 505 from 621.
The minister said the fresh savings would allow greater
room for investment in troops and arms from 2012.
Struck rejected media reports that the government intended
to trim its order of 180 Eurofighter aircraft, a
four-nation collaboration designed to boost European
military capabilities, saying the project would go forward
as planned.
Amid a fierce debate within Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder?s
ruling center-left coalition on mandatory military service,
Struck said there would be no changes to the conscription
program before the general election in 2006.
?Those who want to suspend military service must provide a
lot of additional funds to pay the people we would need (to
replace the draftees),? he said.
The Greens party, junior partners in the coalition, has
urged an end or significant shortening of the draft.
Struck said the new focus on international missions would
not come at the expense of national defense, which would
remain a priority of a slimmed-down Bundeswehr.
The military would be divided into three new categories:
?intervention forces? with 35,000 troops for
?high-intensity? multinational operations; ?stabilization
forces? with 70,000 soldiers for ?low to medium intensity?
peacekeeping duties; and ?support forces? for remaining
operations and training.
A further 10,000 soldiers would serve at the disposal of
Germany?s top general.
Hampered by its militaristic past, Germany has only
recently mustered the confidence to deploy troops overseas.
Kosovo in 1999 marked the first time its armed forces had
been used in an offensive role abroad since World War II,
and Berlin is now a major contributor to U.S.-led
peacekeeping missions, notably in Afghanistan and the
Balkans.
Although long anticipated, Struck?s announcements will be a
disappointment to NATO which has long called for its
members to commit to investing a full 2.0 percent of gross
domestic product (GDP) on their military budgets.
Germany currently spends a mere 1.5 percent of GDP on
defense, far below the ratio disbursed by the United States
and its closest European ally Britain.
The conservative opposition also attacked the plans, saying
they left soldiers in the field poorly equipped.
And municipal governments complained the base closures
would jeopardize local communities reliant on the jobs they
provide, particularly at a time when the United States is
considering withdrawing some of its 70,000 troops from the
country.
GEORGIAN, LATVIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION ISSUES
Georgian Imedi TV / BBC Monitoring, 17 Jan 04
[Presenter] Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Sandra
Kalniete arrived in Tbilisi last night on an official
visit.
At the airport the guest was met by the honorary consul of
Latvia and her [Kalniete's] Georgian colleague [Georgian
Foreign Minister Tedo Japaridze]. Tedo Japaridze has said
that the arrival of the Latvian guest is important for
Georgia's integration in Euro-Atlantic structures from the
point of view of taking into account Latvia's experience.
[Kalniete, speaking in English with Georgian translation
superimposed] First of all, we have special relations with
Georgia. In the coming months Latvia will join the EU and,
later, NATO. At the same time, our country should support
Georgia in these processes. I intend to discuss this issue
with both the newly-elected president [Mikheil Saakashvili]
and acting president [Nino Burjanadze], as well as other
officials. Georgia's integration in the EU depends on the
Georgian people. This is a difficult but manageable task.
[Japaridze, interviewed] We have very good relations with
Latvia; one may say we have relations of a strategic nature
[with Latvia]. In general, the model of Latvia's
development, the model of development of the Baltic region
should be of great interest to us if we take into account
our striving towards Europe, European integration and the
fast implementation of reforms, including domestic reforms.
[Presenter] Today Sandra Kalniete met Tedo Japaridze at the
Foreign Affairs ministry. She will meet Mikheil
Saakashvili, Nino Burjanadze and [state minister] Zurab
Zhvania later today.
SPAIN'S PM SAYS BUSH ACTS LIKE AN EMPEROR
AP, 14 Jan 04, by Harry Dunphy
WASHINGTON (AP) - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
was warmly welcomed at the White House Wednesday after
saying in an interview that Europeans' perceptions of the
United States as an empire explain President Bush's
unpopularity there.
"The combination of being a Republican, of being an
emperor, a Texan and outspoken is really a bad mix," Aznar,
one of Bush's staunchest allies on Iraq and other issues,
said in an interview Wednesday in The Washington Post.
"To be politically correct in Europe, people cannot digest
the mix that is George Bush as I have described him. They
are allergic to that," Aznar said.
The prime minister said he had kidded Bush about his image
in Europe, telling him he outdid former President Reagan in
unpopularity. Bush replied, "That's not going to change me
or my policy."
Despite opposition at home, Aznar strongly backed Bush's
decision to invade Iraq. He has sent 1,300 troops as part
of his continuing support for the U.S.-led coalition.
Meeting late Wednesday in the Oval Office, the two leaders
appeared together before reporters to praise each other.
"Our time together has been very productive for the people
of America and, I believe, the people of Spain and the
people of the world," Bush said. "We have worked together
to spread freedom, and the world is more peaceful today
because of the decisions we've jointly made."
Added Aznar, sitting at Bush's side, "At present, the
relationship between Spain and the United States is closer
and tighter than it has ever been."
Aznar has said he will leave office in March after
parliamentary elections are held, ending eight years as
prime minister. Bush pronounced the Spanish leader's last
Oval Office visit in that post "a sad moment" and sent him
off with a hearty two-handed handshake and public thanks
for "your steadfast leadership, for your courage, for your
wisdom and your advice."
After their meeting, the two leaders and their wives headed
to a private social dinner in the White House residence.
In a speech Tuesday before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
Aznar said Iraq is steadily moving toward a return to
sovereignty despite continuing violence.
"Although the situation is difficult, things are improving
in terms of security, in terms of the daily standard of
living for the Iraqis," Aznar said. "Our goal of giving
sovereignty back to the Iraqis is also improving. However,
we have been heavily criticized and insulted. We have been
sorely misunderstood."
At a news conference Wednesday, Aznar suggested a role for
NATO in Iraq's future.
"I agree that the Atlantic alliance assumes
responsibilities in the framework of an Iraqi operation,"
he said. "Without a doubt that will be a positive factor,
and this is something that a great majority of the alliance
members can discuss."
In the newspaper interview, Aznar suggested anti-American
sentiment in Spain and the rest of Europe was the
inevitable result of the United States being a superpower.
Spain was a superpower "and some still harbor resentment,"
he said. "Britain was a superpower. France was a
superpower. It's your turn now. It's been your turn for a
long time."
Seeking to explain Bush's bad reviews in Europe, Aznar
said, "Let's face it, who likes an empire."
He said Europeans are often "swayed by cliches, too
lackadaisical and in too much of a comfort zone or in
denial" about the dangers of global terrorism and crucial
world problems.
"That's why there is a huge learning curve that awaits us
if we are to move into the future," Aznar said.
DEADLOCKED DEMOCRATS SCRAMBLE FOR VOTES AHEAD OF US
PRESIDENTIAL TEST.
AFP, 18 Jan 04, by Louise Daly
Democratic candidates for the presidency raced to get last
minute votes before Iowa on Monday becomes the first state
to give a verdict on who should take on George W. Bush in
this year's presidential election.
The caucus has become a tight four-way battle between John
Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt.
All of the eight registered candidates spread out across
the state on Sunday seeking to sway the large number of
undecided voters who could decide the contest and attacking
Bush's record, particularly the Iraq war which produced
dark new headlines after the latest suicide bomb attack in
Baghdad.
Dean, whose poll rating has fallen in recent days, was
boosted by an appearance with former president Jimmy Carter
at a church service in Carter's hometown of Plains,
Georgia.
Carter did not formally endorse Dean, but praised the
former Vermont governor's "courageous and outspoken"
opposition to the Iraq war.
The former president also spoke of Dean's contentious side,
"his outspoken nature, sometimes saying things that might
have to be retracted, which I had to do as well when I ran
for president."
Dean has put on a brave face despite his falling polls in
Iowa and predicted that the legions of supporters who have
made him the frontrunner for months would not fail him.
"We have an enormous base behind us that really wants to
change the country," he said. "It's energy and excitement,
it's what the Republicans built for a long time. Now, we've
built it on the Democratic side."
Iowa kicks off a series of primary and caucus elections
around the United States, and victory in the midwest state
could provide a crucial advantage heading into the primary
contest in New Hampshire state on January 27.
A poll published Sunday by the Des Moines Register, the
state's largest newspaper, put Kerry in the lead with 26
percent, followed by Edwards (23 percent), Dean (20
percent) and Gephardt (18 percent).
However, according to the latest Zogby poll, Kerry was
leading Dean by just one percentage point - 24-to-23 - with
Gephardt and Edwards trailing the frontrunners with 19
percent and 18 percent respectively.
Nearly all the candidates turned on the president's Iraq
policy during their final speeches.
Kerry said, "I think this administration has run the most
reckless, arrogant, inept, and ideological foreign policy
in modern history.
"I think they've overextended our troops, they've put
America in greater danger."
The senator said the Democratic Party needed a nominee of
our who has the ability "to go toe-to-toe" with Bush on the
issue of national security.
Edwards, whose support polled in the single digits before
the influential Des Moines Register newspaper endorsed him
one week ago, said the United States must "internationalise
the security force in Iraq."
He said "we have a failed policy right now" and called for
greater NATO involvement in Iraq.
Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, and Edwards, who
represents North Carolina in the senate, have come from the
back of the pack to come into contention in Iowa.
Gephardt has gambled nearly all his resources on a victory
in Iowa to boost popularity. He faces almost certain
elimination from the race if it fails. But Gephardt, the
former Democrat leader in the House of Representatives,
said he put little faith in the polls showing rivals edging
ahead.
"These numbers always bounce around, and there's a lot of
people who haven't made up their mind completely, and this
thing is very fluid," he told NBC television.
All of the top candidates have poured huge amounts of money
and campaign volunteers into Iowa in search of an early
victory that could give them momentum going into the New
Hampshire primary and even more importantly "Super Tuesday"
on March 2 when 10 states will be decided.
Only Wesley Clark, the retired four star general, and
Joseph Lieberman, the senator who was Al Gore's running
mate in the 2000 presidential election against Bush, are
not contesting Iowa. They are concentrating on New
Hampshire.
The Republican president spent the weekend at his Camp
David retreat in Maryland preparing his State of the Union
speech on Tuesday - which will include a defence of the
Iraq invasion - his last major annual policy address before
the election.
Though he has a record campaign warchest of more than 130
million dollars and has announced key initiatives in a bid
to tempt the electorate, a key poll released Sunday showed
Bush's approval rating has dipped to 50 percent, and the US
electorate is split.
His 50 percent approval rating was down eight percentage
points from the last New York Times/CBS poll in December.
Given a choice between Bush and an any of the Democratic
candidates, 43 percent would vote for Bush and 45 percent
would vote for the Democrat, according to the poll.
U.S., EU SEE DEAL SOON ON SATELLITE NAVIGATION
Reuters, 16 Jan 04
BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The United States and European
Union could strike a deal within two or three months on
cooperation between their respective satellite navigation
systems, a U.S. official said on Friday.
The European Commission, negotiating for the EU, welcomed
U.S. statements that a deal was near, noting Washington's
initial opposition to the new European Galileo satellite
network, which will work alongside the U.S. Global
Positioning System (GPS).
"If all goes well, two to three months," said Ralph
Braibanti, director of the U.S. State Department's Office
of Space and Advanced Technology, when asked when a deal
could be struck.
"If we run into complications, maybe by the middle of the
year," he added during a video conference from Washington.
A further round of talks will be held in the U.S. capital
on January 29-30.
Galileo is a system of 30 satellites that will provide
radio navigation services for transport as well as helping
police forces locate suspects.
The United States has been pressing the EU to make sure
Galileo and GPS - a dual-use system to support both civil
and military users - mesh as seamlessly as possible for the
benefit of users, manufacturers and service providers.
Washington had been worried about overlaps with GPS that
could have harmed U.S. and NATO military operations.
The European Commission said in a statement that the
remaining issues were the coexistence of Galileo's open
signal and the GPS's military signal in the event of a
crisis and the prospect for further improving the EU
system's signal.
"I hope the remaining obstacles to the signing of an
agreement covering all the subjects under discussion will
be removed during the forthcoming negotiating session,"
European Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio said.
The Commission has received five bids to run Galileo,
including from EADS and France's Thales.
HUNGARIAN MINISTER INAUGURATES RAPID REACTION UNIT OFFERED
TO NATO
Hungarian Kossuth Radio / BBC Monitoring, 16 Jan 04
According to Defence Minister Ferenc Juhasz, our
integration into NATO will be complete only when the
Hungarian Army, with its equipment, training and
cooperative capability, becomes suitable for carrying out
joint tasks with other countries. In Szolnok [in central
Hungary], Ferenc Juhasz inaugurated a special
reconnaissance company offered for NATO's rapid reaction
force. The Szolnok-based elite unit, offered by the
government, will be part of NATO's rapid reaction force for
six months.
|
|
 |
|
