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Updated: 22-Feb-2002 NATO Speeches

Warsaw,
Poland
22 Feb. 2002

Opening remarks

by NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard
at the Seminar on the Role of EAPC in Combating Terrorism

Deputy Minister Rotfeld,
Ladies and Gentlemen

Last year we celebrated ten years of partnership -- ten years of NATO and its Partner countries working together, and growing together -- overcoming the legacy of the Cold War, and eradicating the artificial division of this continent. We had every reason to be proud of our common achievement during this decade. And the future seemed bright.

Then came 11 September, and it was a shock not just to my own country, the United States, but to us all. The brutal terrorist attacks against New York and Washington were a stark reminder that things were perhaps not as rosy as we all thought they were -- that several dark clouds still hang over our common future -- and that we still have a lot of work to do to disperse them.

Fortunately, rather than to sink us all into a deep depression, 11 September has had the opposite effect. The brutal attacks against the United States have actually energised us. They have concentrated our minds. And at one fell swoop they have removed the complacency about post-Cold War peace and stability that had started to take root in some quarters -- both within and outside NATO.

The 19 NATO Allies, by declaring the attacks against the US an attack against them all, triggered the same collective defence arrangements for the US that Europeans had counted on during the Cold War. NATO's members became an instant coalition of democracies -- united in their outrage and their determination to act against this threat.

And the Allies have acted. NATO aircraft have been patrolling US airspace. NATO ships have been patrolling the Eastern Mediterranean. NATO countries have been sharing crucial intelligence. NATO forces have broken up Al-Qaida cells in the Balkans. And NATO countries have made their airspace, their ports and their airfields available to coalition forces.

But, of course, NATO countries have not been the only ones to act. Soon after 11 September, all the Alliance's 27 EAPC Partner countries were quick to express their solidarity. NATO's Partners have also offered political and practical support for the US-led military operations in Afghanistan. And all the Partners have undertaken to exploit, together with the Allies, the full potential of the EAPC and the Partnership for Peace to increase cooperation and capabilities in the common struggle against terrorism.

The December Ministerial meetings and the adoption of the EAPC Action Plan for 2002 through 2004 were an important step in that process. This seminar, I am sure, will be another significant step forward. It will be an ideal opportunity to build upon the considerable conceptual work already undertaken by several countries, in particular Finland and Sweden but also Poland, our generous host, as well as the work by the International Staff.

Today and tomorrow, we should draw inspiration from these efforts, put our thinking caps on, use our imagination, and try to come up with concrete suggestions for an enhanced role of the EAPC in combating terrorism. Follow-up is ensured. All those suggestions that appear to enjoy a measure of support will be compiled by the International Staff into a report that we will submit for EAPC discussion and endorsement back in Brussels.

I personally have high hopes of this exercise, because I think there is considerable scope for the EAPC to play a larger role in the fight against terrorism -- notably as a forum which promotes political discussion, facilitates the exchange of information and experiences, and encourages the coordination of efforts to counter terrorism or to mitigate its consequences.

These are and will be, to all intents and purposes, preventive efforts, aimed at reducing the chances of terrorism occurring in the first place. As such, however, they usefully complement the efforts that have been underway for some time under Partnership for Peace to enhance our joint capabilities to respond to and manage actual crises, notably in the context of the Political-Military Framework for NATO-led PfP operations.

But also in the context of EAPC, important work has already been set in train, notably in the three areas to which Working Tables will be devoted later today.

First, information is key. It is crucial for all of us to be as well informed as possible, so that we can assess potential terrorist threats together, and coordinate our actions in light of this assessment. Therefore, Allies have stepped up not just their own ongoing consultations and exchange of information on terrorism, but now also hold regular consultations with the Partners on the issue.

Efforts are also underway to optimise the availability -- to Allies and Partners alike -- of NATO's Centre for Weapons of Mass Destruction as a clearinghouse for information about these weapons. As devastating as the attacks of 11 September were, we have to prepare for much more gruesome scenarios involving the use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. We have to pool our resources, find gaps in our capabilities, and to fill them, so that we are ready to deal with this threat.

And Allies and Partners are working on a catalogue of capabilities that they could make available if one or more of them were to be attacked by such weapons. These capabilities are quite significant, both in NATO and in Partner countries. They include transport, medical and other scientific assets, as well as specific military capabilities that may be brought to bear. It obviously makes eminent sense for each of us to know what the other has available, so that assets can be deployed swiftly and effectively in case disaster strikes.

As noted, the Working Tables later on today will be a useful opportunity to discuss ways to broaden and deepen cooperation in these and other areas, and I would encourage you all to use this opportunity.

As you know, several papers have been distributed to stimulate debate in the Working Tables. One of those papers, entitled "Developing the EAPC: Framework for the Strengthened Role of the Operational Partnership in Combating Terrorism", was prepared by my staff. As a first input to the debate, let me briefly set out a few thoughts in relation to this paper.

I see, first of all, an image problem that we need to fix -- together. It is the perception of the EAPC as a forum for discussion, as a talking shop, rather than as a framework for action. All of us work with the EAPC, almost on a daily basis, and we know full well what a great operational potential it has. We, collectively, need to recognise the extraordinary political framework that is in place, and, subsequently, find ways to put this understanding to work in the public domain.

Second, the campaign against terrorism requires constant vigilance and preparedness -- not merely by our military. This puts a premium on coordination between different national agencies and ministries -- civilian and military. It is my sense that, precisely because it stretches beyond the realm of the military alone, the EAPC can play a significant role in achieving a sense of unity of effort in this complex environment.

Third, if and when the Alliance should consider to mount an actual counter-terrorist operation, it will want to involve Partners in such an undertaking, for political and operational reasons. As our experience in the Balkans shows, the EAPC plays a unique role in this regard, as a forum for consultation, the exchange of information, and to exercise a political sanity check on ideas that are being contemplated.

Deputy Minister Rotfeld,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have had ten years of partnership and cooperation -- and what a great ten years they have been! The North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, and of course the Partnership for Peace have all been hugely successful. They offer an inclusive, flexible and practical framework for cooperation on security-related matters -- a framework which still has considerable untapped potential. And they have helped to foster a truly common Euro-Atlantic security culture, a genuine pre-disposition across Europe and America to tackle common security challenges together. The Alliance, for its part, is keen to build on this success -- to further develop political consultation and practical cooperation as we take on, together, the critical challenge of terrorism.

Let me finish by thanking the Polish authorities for their kind hospitality and hard work in organising this seminar. It brings together, under EAPC auspices, representatives from nations and international organisations that are crucial to the campaign against terrorism. There is no doubt in my mind that not only this seminar will be a success -- but ultimately also our common fight against terrorism.

Thank you.

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