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NATO
US Agrees to Limit Future NATO Interventions
to the 'Periphery of NATO Territory'
21 April 1999
NATO has agreed "in principle" to limit out of area missions,
such as the current bombardment of Yugoslavia, to the "periphery
of Europe", according to a letter released to the Dutch Parliament
by Foreign Minister van Aartsen on 19 April.
The letter from Minister van Aartsen says that "Regarding
the geographical reach of possible peace operations : these
will in principle cover crisis management operations in the
periphery of NATO territory. Not a single NATO ally, including
the US, is arguing for a NATO role as 'worldwide policeman'.
There is a basic agreement on the formulation that crisis
management operations can in principle take place wherever
'the security of the Euro-Atlantic area ' is at issue."*
The debate within NATO on the NATO's reach has been one of
the most controversial in the process of agreeing the new
Strategic Concept. The US has been pressing for the Alliance
to become, as US Secretary of State Madeleine Allbright said
last year "a force for peace from the Middle East to Central
Africa". Most European NATO nations have been opposed to extending
the Alliance's remit out of Europe.
Unofficial translation of
excerpts from Minister van Aartsen's letter on all aspects
of the NATO Strategic Concept
Dutch Parliament Resolution,
proposed 21 April 1999
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