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.
|
