|
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- NATO's top policy-making body stopped far
short of endorsing the Bush administration's plan for a national missile
defense Tuesday, preparing to offer only to "continue substantive
consultations" with Washington.
A draft statement to be issued later in the day by the North Atlantic
Council does not portray the possibility of missile attack as a common
threat faced by allies, as the Bush administration had hoped. The
statement was obtained by The Associated Press.
Secretary of State Colin Powell had hoped to persuade skeptical NATO
allies to be more supportive of U.S. missile defense plans. But,
according to sources close to the process who spoke on the condition of
anonymity, France and Germany resisted stronger language sought by
Powell.
The draft statement said NATO allies "welcome the consultations
initiated by President Bush on the U.S. strategic review, including
missile defense."
"We intend to pursue these consultations vigorously, and welcome
the United States' assurance that the views of allies will be taken into
account as it considers its plans further." In a minor victory,
Powell was able to persuade NATO foreign ministers to omit from the
joint statement any mention of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Last year's joint statement called the treaty "the cornerstone of
strategic stability."
The Bush administration wants to scrap or heavily modify the treaty,
which prohibits development of national missile defense systems.
The statement was prepared for the North Atlantic Council, the
alliance's top policy-making board, which is made up of foreign
ministers of the 19 NATO nations. In addition to presenting U.S. views
on missile defense, Powell also sought to assure allies that the United
States would not pull its peacekeeping forces out of the Balkans,
despite comments by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggesting the
U.S. role in Bosnia was near an end.
U.S. officials had worked behind the scenes to win approval of proposed
language for a joint statement that would cite a "common
threat" of missile attack in a section referring to the U.S.
missile defense plan.
That would be stronger than the phrase "potential threat" that
was in a year-earlier statement.
But the United States failed to get the stronger language included.
Instead, according to the draft obtained by the AP, NATO allies promise
to consider "appropriate assessment of threats and address the full
range of strategic issues affecting our common security, and the means
to address them."
In the statement, the allies pledge to "continue substantive
consultations in the alliance on these issues."
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said it was important that no
decisions be made on the missile defense issue until further
consultations have occurred.
A U.S. missile defense plan "must add to our security and
stability. It must not lead to another arms race," Fischer said.
At an opening session, NATO foreign ministers voiced concern about
violence in Macedonia and indicated support for only modest cuts in the
peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, said a NATO official who attended. The
official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance is
ready to support only "trimming and minor adjustment" in the
Bosnian force.
Other NATO sources have said they expect announcement of a cut of 10
percent to 15 percent in the peacekeeping force of 21,000, of which
3,300 are Americans.
"I'll try to reassure them that there isn't a big split in the
administration" on whether to stay the course in the Balkans,
Powell said in advance of the 19-nation NATO meetings in Budapest - the
first NATO meeting ever held in a city once part of the Soviet bloc.
Powell's comments followed suggestions in Washington by Rumsfeld that
the United States was ready to pull out of Bosnia.
Powell said Rumsfeld's comments may have been misinterpreted. The United
States and its allies went into the Balkans together "and we'll
come out together," Powell said. And he indicated that could be
years from now.
NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson opened the two-day session Tuesday
by pledging to work toward "a more balanced trans-Atlantic
relationship."
"This means above all that the European allies must shoulder a
greater share of the burden of maintaining the security and
stability," Robertson said. Robertson said the U.S. missile defense
plan, the situation in the Balkans and ways to curb the proliferation of
weapons would receive "intensive dialogue."
Participants expressed concern over political instability and ethnic
violence in Macedonia, and were drafting a statement denouncing use of
violence by extremists and urging the government to use
"proportionate force" in maintaining order.
On missile defense, U.S. officials had sought approval of proposed
language for a joint statement that would cite a "common
threat" of missile attack.
That would be stronger than the phrase "potential threat" that
was in a year-earlier statement. U.S. officials also had hoped to drop
an earlier NATO declaration that the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty
was "the cornerstone of strategic stability."
The Bush administration wants to scrap or heavily modify the treaty,
which prohibits development of national missile defense systems.
Powell will meet separately on Wednesday morning with Russian Foreign
Minister Igor Ivanov, Powell aides said.
The latest wrinkle is a proposed U.S. offer to, in effect, compensate
Russia for agreeing to modify the ABM treaty and allow development of
such a missile defense.
|
Quote - Any missile defense plan ``must
add to our security and stability. It must not lead to another arms
race,'' said German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, urging more study.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - NATO refused to endorse the Bush
administration's missile defense plans Tuesday despite efforts by
Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) to convince U.S.
allies that they face a common threat of attack.
NATO leaders, meeting for the first time in a country once part of the
Soviet bloc, also indicated support for modestly trimming peacekeeping
forces in Bosnia, which include 3,300 Americans.
Powell said he assured NATO allies that ``there is unanimity'' within
the Bush administration against acting alone in pulling U.S.
peacekeepers out of the Balkans, despite comments by Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld that questioned continued U.S. presence in Bosnia.
France and Germany led resistance among NATO leaders to strong language
on missile defense. NATO leaders promised only to maintain consultations
with Washington as President Bush moves forward on his proposed missile
shield.
Any missile defense plan ``must add to our security and stability. It
must not lead to another arms race,'' said German Foreign Minister
Joschka Fischer, urging more study.
Powell said he hoped to win more converts later and would follow though
on a promise to consult closely with allies. Meanwhile, he said the
administration would press ahead with planning.
``If you want to have systems that can deal with such a threat, you
don't wait until they're pointed at your heart,'' he said.
Powell did win a minor victory: NATO ministers omitted from their joint
statement any reference to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Last year's joint statement called the treaty ``the cornerstone of
strategic stability.'' The Bush administration wants to scrap or heavily
modify the treaty, which prohibits development of national missile
defense systems by either Moscow or Washington.
On other issues, the alliance's North Atlantic Council, NATO's top
policy-making unit, asserted that it was ``not advisable at this time''
to consider major reductions or reorganization of peacekeeping
operations in Bosnia.
NATO officials said they expect to cut about 10 percent to 15 percent in
the peacekeeping force of 21,000 - of which 3,300 are Americans.
``The job is not yet completed,'' NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson
told a news conference.
NATO leaders also expressed alarm at rising violence and political
instability in Macedonia. They urged the government to use
``proportionate force'' in maintaining order and said rebels who use
violence should be excluded from the negotiating table.
On missile defense, the final statement said NATO allies ``welcome the
consultations initiated by President Bush on the U.S. strategic review,
including missile defense.'' In the statement, the allies pledged to
``continue substantive consultations in the alliance on these issues.''
``We intend to pursue these consultations vigorously,'' it added.
U.S. officials had worked behind the scenes for a joint statement that
would cite a ``common threat'' of missile attack. That would be stronger
than the phrase ``potential threat'' that was in a year-earlier
statement.
Powell later told a news conference, ``I didn't take a poll around the
room of everybody's views, but I think I can safely say that there is a
recognition there's a threat out there.'' ``Some people see it as more
immediate than others. Some people see it as greater than perhaps
others. But I don't think there's any question that there's some sort of
threat out there.'' Tuesday's vote doesn't make the job any easier for
Bush administration officials to sell the plan. Rumsfeld will try again
next week when he meets with NATO defense ministers.
And the subject is certain to top the agenda at the June 13
heads-of-state NATO summit in Brussels, which Bush will attend.
Powell said he was pleased that the NATO statement excluded any
reference to the ABM treaty On the same omission, however, Stephen Young
of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an arms-control advocacy group,
said: ``The failure of NATO to even mention the ABM treaty indicates a
major split remains in the alliance over missile defense.'' ``The United
States pushed hard to get the allies to agree they face a common threat
from missile attack. The allies refused, undermining the Bush call for
missile defenses,'' he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters, ``There is no
change as far as our position is concerned.'' Russian opposes the
missile-defense plan, although it has indicated willingness to talk with
the Bush administration about it.
|
