NATO Crisis Deepens As Meeting Is Abandoned (20 Minutes)

Ananova ^ | 2-12-2003

[blam]

Nato crisis deepens as meeting is abandoned

Nato remains in crisis after a meeting of ambassadors aimed at sorting out differences over Iraq was abandoned after 20 minutes.

A second day of consultations at alliance HQ in Brussels failed to end one of the worst crises in Nato's 53 year history.

France, Germany and Belgium refused to lift their veto of US backed plans to bolster Turkish defences against a possible Iraqi missile attack.

After two postponements during the day, ambassadors from the 19 Nato countries met for only 20 minutes before ending the session.

Talks were to resume Wednesday, said a diplomat.

"Right now we do not have a conclusion," said Nato spokesman Yves Brodeur. The division in the alliance could undermine the America's attempts to muster support in the UN Security Council for military action against Iraq.

France, Russia and Germany sought more time for increased UN inspections in a proposal opposed by Washington.

Nato's infighting also casts doubt on the future of an alliance, which has spent the past years seeking to reinvent itself as a force to confront terrorism and rogue states.

Story filed: 17:59 Tuesday 11th February 2003

[stumpy]

Let us align ourselves with the "other" European nations, and pull our troops out of the Balkans. Let France, Germany, and Belgium handle the Balkans with their hard earned "Euro" currency. Then the newly alligned nations can take on the terrorists of the world.

[Elenya]

They gonna get their people to give up all the socialistic goodies to pay for it

Absolutely. It is gonna cost lots of money and the goodies will have to go. It's anybody's guess how the people will react. On the other hand, it could be the fatal blow to the socialist system. Nostradamus anybody?

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Can you just imagine how mad Russia will get? Imagine bases in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey (more bases) and the Baltic States all because they sided with France. Yup, this is going to be an interesting decade....

On the other hand, Russia may be making a cold calculated decision that France and Germany can do more for Russia economically than anything they will ever get from E. Europe, or even from the US. And there may be some truth to that.

As for military implications, E. Europe is between the rock of Russian neo-imperial revanchism and the hard place of an ambitious new Franco-German pan-europeanism. There is thus a community of interests between Russia and the Franco-German axis on the one hand, and between the US and E. Europe on the other. This goes far toward explaining why it has been the E. European countries that have been so eager to get out front and center in their support for the US.

Just looking at the map, and without reference to force structures, it would look like having E. Europe as our mainland Europe allies, sandwiched in between Russia and the Franco-German axis would not be a very favorable position from a geopolitical and logistical perspective. But stranger things have happened. It is definitely to our long term advantage to not have the Franco-German axis and Russia consolidate into one unified confederation occupying the whole of the European continent (plus Siberia). It is unlikely that such an Orwellian "Eurasia" would remain friendly to us for very long under any circumstances.

[Centurion2000]

NATO - UN - OPEC
Bush scores the trifecta!!

HAT TRICK !!

[Stefan Stackhouse]

I believe the deal is that France is still a POLITICAL member, and gets to meet with the other heads of state, but it does not participate in the integrated military force. Unfortunately, this puts it in the position of being able to tell other people's armies what they can and cannot and must do, without being under any obligation whatsoever to put a single French soldier's life at risk.

Even if we had to accept this unacceptable arrangement when the big, bad Soviets were on our doorstep, they are now gone, and there is no reason to accept it any longer.

[Antoninus]

As far as NATO's concerned, from what I understand, that's exactly what the French are after so they can build a separate European military force.

With what? With all their francs tied up in social spending, the idea of building a grande armee in Europe seems a little far-fetched at this point.

[Elenya]

See #62

[Antoninus]

See #62

You do know what happens in these socialist rat-holes when they try to renege on the entitlements, right? It ain't pretty...

[I'm ALL Right!]

Absolutely. They are not FOR us so they must be AGAINST us, right?....and they have our equipment.

[Edmund Burke]

You got it! You hit the nail on the head. That's what its all about.

[Elenya]

Like I said, these are very interesting times indeed. But you know what, I'd never thought Germany and France would want to revive the Holy Roman Empire either. And yet...

It seems we're witnessing a new instalment of the world's geopolitics. Nothing can surprise me now.

[Edmund Burke]

If the Germans really wanted to get rid of them they could. They know how. They got rid of the Jews and Gypsies didn't they.

[Brytani]

The families of our military members who died saving the French from Germany, should demand our government return their bodies to American soil. It's a slap in the face to have them buried in a country who doesn't care, nor remember the sacrifice our country and those men gave.

[Elenya]

The families of our military members who died saving the French from Germany, should demand our government return their bodies to American soil.

I'm not sure what the soldiers families would think of it, and I hope I'm not offending anyone, but I always thought it should've been done years ago.

[Brytani]

The French might as well have taken a huge dump on their graves. I don't know how the families would feel about my suggestion, the families member I had in WWII either came home or died in the Pacific (two Uncles) so there isn't anyone I can really ask for first hand knowledge.

I just know, if my father/brother etc was buried in France, after giving up his life to free that ungrateful nation, I'd want them home.

[Elenya]

Agreed.

[The Toad]

Remove our troops from Germany and France and send them to help the Turks.

Afterwards, forge a new "NATO" but subtract France, Germany and Belgium.

[timestax]

I hate those NATO NAZIS !

[Soul Citizen]

France did the Eschelon investigation to expose it, not in stride of a NATO intelligence gathering goal of monitoring all communications.

Not that anyone loves big brother, but we all ought to have a mutual shared security interest in gathering capabilities.

France is running scared, pure and simple doesn't want to be subject to Sadams Euro range weapons.

This sends a message to Turkey NATO is wishy washy on support.

However, US resolve strong!

The French have lost all saving face now and are traitors to the spirit of the NATO alliance.



Germans still probably aren't ready to get involved, as too many people still fear Germany, does Europe really want Germany involved?

Germany has an oportunity to be a world player again, France is out.