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NATO
US Congress Members Offer Vision for
NATO's Strategy
24 February 1999
By Tasos Kokkinides
On 11 February 1999, four members of the US House of Representatives
introduced a resolution that would reinforce the US commitment
to NATO. Mr. BEREUTER (for himself, Mr.BLILEY, Mr. BOEHLERT,
and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the resolution, which was referred
to the House Committee on International Relations.
The Resolution resolves that
"It is the sense of the House of Representatives that -
(1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (hereafter in
this resolution referred to as " <<NATO>> ") is
to be commended for its pivotal role in preserving trans-Atlantic
peace and stability
(2) the <<NATO>> allies, at the Summit meeting
to be held in Washington, D.C. in April of 1999, should articulate
a concrete vision For the Alliance in the 21st century, clearly
setting out the continued importance of <<NATO>>
for the citizens of the Allied nations
(3) the Alliance should adopt a strategic concept clearly
establishing that <<defense>> of shared interests
and values are as important for peace and stability as maintaining
a vigorous capability to carry out collective <<defense>>
(4) the Alliance, while maintaining collective <<defense>>
as its core function, should, as a fundamental Alliance task,
identify crisis management operations outside the <<NATO>>
treaty area, based on case-by-case consensual Alliance decision
(5) the Alliance should make clear commitments to remedy
shortfalls in areas such as logistics, command, control, communications,
intelligence, ground surveillance, readiness, deployability,
mobility, sustainability, survivability, armaments cooperation,
and effective engagement, including early progress in the
<<NATO>> force structure review
(6) the Alliance must ensure equitable sharing of contributions
to the <<NATO>> common budgets and overall <<defense>>
expenditure and capability-building
(7) the Alliance must recognize and act upon the threat posed
by the <<proliferation>> of <<weapons>>
of mass destruction and terrorism by intensifying consultations
among political and military leaders, and deploying comprehensive
capabilities to counter these threats to the international
community at the earliest possible date
(8) the Alliance should pace, not pause, the process of <<NATO>>
enlargement and remain prepared to extend invitations for
accession negotiations to any appropriate European democracy
meeting the criteria for <<NATO>> membership as
established in the Alliance's 1995 Study on <<NATO>>
Enlargement, regardless of geographic location and on the
same conditions applied to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and
Poland
(9) while maintaining its unchallenged right to make its
own decisions, <<NATO>> should seek to strengthen
its relations with Russia and Ukraine as essential partners
in building long-term peace in the Euro-Atlantic area and
(10) the Alliance should fully support the NAA's activities
in enhancing and stabilizing parliamentary democracy in the
nations of Central and Eastern Europe, ensuring ratification
of appropriate new <<NATO>> members, continuing
to deepen cooperation within the Alliance, and forging democratic
links with the new European democracies.
Source: Government Printing Office From CQ Bill Text Service
Providing government documents on demand, in context. (c)1999
Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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