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US Outlines Initiatives for NATO Summit
Still No Consensus Among NATO States
16 March 1999
General Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the U.S. Joint
Chiefs of Staff. Addressing the "NATO at 50 Conference" sponsored
by the Royal United Services Institute in London March 8,
outlined four US initiatives for the NATO Summit.
"The United States is working in close concert with our allies
in the Alliance to improve NATO's flexibility through four
major initiatives. While the Alliance has not yet reached
complete consensus on these initiatives, it is my hope that
we will come to closure on these important issues over the
next month.
Now, I know that there are many ways to approach the politically
sensitive subject of transforming NATO depending on each of
our points of view. And perspective is very important. I learned
this a few years ago. With that in mind, let me briefly discuss
the American view of these initiatives:
First, all of us here are in agreement that a new Strategic
Concept must be developed. The U.S. believes that this concept
must reaffirm NATO's core mission of collective defense, but
must also place new emphasis on the unpredictable and multi-directional
nature of threats such as regional conflict, weapons of mass
destruction, and terrorism. This new Strategic Concept --
the first revision since 1990 -- must, therefore, reflect
the evolving strategic environment.
Second, to complement changes in the Strategic Concept, the
Alliance must explore innovative ways to improve our ability
to operate together and deal with the new threats. As many
of you are aware, NATO's Executive Working Group is beginning
to construct a "Defense Capabilities Initiative" -- a major
effort to adapt the Alliance's conventional forces for new
missions. I am hopeful that this initiative will produce a
"Common Operational Vision" to spur development of the capabilities
needed to ensure both self defense and the ability to respond
quickly and effectively to crises, either within NATO territory
or in areas of fundamental interest to the Alliance. This
initiative will emphasize mobile, sustainable, survivable,
and -- most importantly -- interoperable forces able to engage
effectively across the full spectrum of NATO missions. It
should draw from and build on national initiatives to develop
and test forces for the future.
Third, NATO must be prepared to cope with the very real threat
to our people, our territory, and our military forces posed
by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery.
This is arguably the most significant Article 5 threat we
collectively face, and one we must address seriously, together,
and soon. We must do more than just acknowledge WMD as a priority
challenge; we must turn rhetoric into reality. The Alliance's
"WMD Initiative" has much promise. It should help enormously
to improve overall Alliance efforts to stem proliferation
and to deter, prevent, and protect against such threats. Importantly,
this initiative will complement, not supplant, the existing
international regimes designed to control proliferation and
the national programs being pursued in this area.
Finally, the U.S. fully supports recent European efforts
to strengthen European defense capabilities through a "European
Security and Defense Identity" initiative. I am hopeful that,
over the course of the next few months, the Alliance will
complete initiatives agreed upon at Berlin on "separable but
not separate" forces and NATO asset sharing with the WEU (Western
European Union). A separate European defense identity within
the framework of the Alliance would enhance the security of
Europe, and complement NATO's ability to effectively meet
tomorrow's challenges."
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