DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42181
TITLE=YEARENDER: NATO '98
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=BRUSSELS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  THE NATO ALLIANCE CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A 
SUMMIT MEETING NEXT APRIL IN WASHINGTON. WEST EUROPE 
CORRESPONDENT RON PEMSTEIN REPORTS FROM BRUSSELS, NATO'S 
EXPERIENCE IN THE BALKANS SHOWS ITS STRENGTHS AND ITS WEAKNESSES.

TEXT:  "THE ECONOMIST" MAGAZINE PUT HELICOPTERS ON ITS COVER WITH
THE HEADLINE, "NATO'S MID-LIFE CRISIS." NATO TURNS 50 IN APRIL 
AND GROWS FROM 16 MEMBERS TO 19 MEMBERS.  POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE
CZECH REPUBLIC LESS THAN A DECADE AGO WERE MEMBERS OF THE 
SOVIET-LED ALLIANCE THAT NATO WAS FOUNDED TO DEFEND ITS MEMBERS 
AGAINST.

AS ALLIANCE LEADERS MEET IN WASHINGTON IN A FEW MONTHS, THEY MUST
CONSIDER WHERE THE WESTERN ALLIANCE IS GOING IN THE NEXT CENTURY.
WHO IS THE ENEMY AND WHAT IS THE THREAT?

AS THE HOST FOR THE WASHINGTON SUMMIT MEETING, THE UNITED STATES 
IS PUSHING NATO TO BECOME, IN THE WORDS OF SECRETARY OF STATE 
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, A LARGER, MORE FLEXIBLE ALLIANCE CAPABLE OF 
MEETING A WIDE RANGE OF THREATS TO COMMON ALLIANCE INTERESTS.

THE UNITED STATES POINTS TO BOSNIA AND KOSOVO AS TWO AREAS WHERE 
NATO ALREADY WORKS OUTSIDE THE BORDERS OF ITS MEMBERS TO RESOLVE 
CONFLICTS.  NATO STARTS 1999 WITH 30 THOUSAND PEACEKEEPING TROOPS
IN BOSNIA, AN AIR VERIFICATION MISSION OVER KOSOVO AND AN 
EXTRACTION FORCE IN MACEDONIA READY TO RESCUE CIVILIAN MONITORS 
ACROSS THE BORDER IN SERBIA'S KOSOVO PROVINCE.

KOSOVO HAS BEEN A DEPARTURE FOR NATO.  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 
HISTORY, THE ALLIANCE THREATENED TO USE AIR POWER OUTSIDE ITS 
BORDERS, IN YUGOSLAVIA, A COUNTRY THAT REJECTS NATO'S  
INTERVENTION.

WHEN THE SERB OFFENSIVE IN KOSOVO BEGAN IN FEBRUARY, SECRETARY OF
STATE ALBRIGHT PLEDGED THAT YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
WOULD  NOT  BE ABLE TO DO IN KOSOVO WHAT HIS FORCES DID IN BOSNIA
EARLIER IN THE DECADE.  DESPITE THE AMERICAN PUSH, FRANCE AND 
ITALY RESISTED NATO MILITARY INTERVENTION.  BRITISH PRIME 
MINISTER TONY BLAIR ACCUSED HIS ALLIES OF DITHERING AND BEING 
DISUNITED IN KOSOVO AS THE SERB TROOPS DID WHAT THEY DID BEFORE 
IN BOSNIA, FORCING THOUSANDS INTO EXILE AS THEIR VILLAGES WERE 
BURNED. 

AS WINTER APPROACHED AND A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS LOOMED IN KOSOVO, 
SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT CAME TO BRUSSELS TO URGE HER NATO 
COLLEAGUES TO USE FORCE AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA  EVEN WITHOUT A 
SPECIFIC UNITED NATIONS AUTHORIZATION.

                       ///ALBRIGHT ACT///

         WE ARE NOT GOING TO STOP THIS CONFLICT BY CONSTANTLY 
         EVALUATING THE SITUATION AND SIMPLY WAITING TO SEE WHAT 
         HAPPENS . WE NEED TO ACT NOW TO COMPEL A REALISTIC AND 
         DURABLE SETTLEMENT AND THEN SEE THAT IT IS IMPLEMENTED. 
         FINALLY, LET ME SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT  WE ARE AT A 
         CROSSROADS IN THE HISTORY OF THE BALKANS AS WELL AS 
         NATO. THE DECISIONS WE TAKE IN THE DAYS AHEAD WILL BE 
         CRUCIAL FOR US ALL.  NATO IS OUR INSTRUMENT OF CHOICE 
         WHEN IT COMES TO PRESERVING PEACE AND DEFENDING WESTERN 
         VALUES ON THE CONTINENT. IT MUST BE PREPARED TO ACT WHEN
         A THREAT OF THIS NATURE EXISTS ON EUROPE'S DOORSTEP.

                          ///END ACT///

THE ALLIANCE DID FINALLY APPROVE AN ORDER ACTIVATING ITS FIGHTER 
PLANES BUT ONLY AFTER AMERICAN MEDIATOR RICHARD HOLBROOKE 
REPORTED TO NATO THAT HE HAD REACHED A DEAL WITH YUGOSLAV 
PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC.  THE DEAL PROVIDED FOR NATO'S AIR 
VERIFICATION OF KOSOVO TO MAKE SURE YUGOSLAV ARMY TROOPS AOD 
SERBIAN POLICE WITHDREW TO PRE CONFLICT LEVELS.

GENERAL KLAUS NAUMANN OF GERMANY HEADS NATO'S MILITARY COMMITTEE 
AND, ALONG WITH NATO'S SUPREME COMMANDER GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, 
ARRANGED DETAILS OF THE AIR VERIFICATION WITH PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC
IN BELGRADE. 

                        ///NAUMANN ACT///

         WHAT PERSUADED MR. MILOSEVIC WHEN I WAS WITH GENERAL 
         (WESLEY) CLARK AND HE WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF US. NOT 
         THAT WE BOTH WE WERE WEARING UNIFORMS AND LOOKED 
         THREATENING AT HIM OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, NO IT WAS THE
         COHESION AND THE RESOLVE OF 16 NATIONS TO STRIKE HIM.  
         AND WHEN WE TOLD HIM , MR. PRESIDENT THE CLOCK IS 
         TICKING, THE HAMMER IS COCKED AND WE ARE ABOUT TO 
         DELIVER, THEN HE STARTED TO UNDERSTAND. 

                          ///END ACT///

THE CLOCK IS  NO  LONGER TICKING ALTHOUGH NATO KEEPS ITS 
ACTIVATION ORDER READY FOR THE TIME THAT NATO OFFICIALS FEAR, 
WHEN WINTER ENDS AND OPEN WARFARE BETWEEN SERBS AND ALBANIANS 
RESUMES IN THE SPRING. 

THE APRIL SUMMIT MEETING IN WASHINGTON WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION 
OF WHAT NATO THINKS ITS MISSION WILL BE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, 
RESPONDING TO CRISIS IN THE BALKANS OR PERHAPS AMONG NATO'S 
PARTNERS IN THE CAUCASUS OR CENTRAL ASIA? SHOULD NATO EXPAND ITS 
MISSION TO COMBATING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OUTSIDE THE 
EUROPEAN CONTINENT? 

ANOTHER QUESTION NATO WILL CONFRONT IN 1999 IS A FURTHER ROUND OF
EXPANSION.  SLOVENIA AND ROMANIA BELIEVE THEY JUST MISSED ON THE 
FIRST ROUND OF ENLARGEMENT AND HOPE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT 
ROUND.  BUT THE WASHINGTON SUMMIT MAY NOT BE THE PLACE. 

SEVERAL NATO MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED A PREFERENCE FOR FIRST  
CONSOLIDATING POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC WITHIN THE 
ALLIANCE.  NATO'S PROMISE OF AN OPEN DOOR TO NEW MEMBERS MAY 
REMAIN CLOSED IN PRACTICE.  IT IS EXPECTED TO BE  REPLACED BY AN 
EXPANDED PROGRAM OF COOPERATION TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE ASPIRANTS 
WHAT THEY STILL  MUST DO IF THEY  WANT NATO'S SECURITY GUARANTEE.
(SIGNED) 

NEB/RP/KL

18-Dec-98 12:17 PM EST (1717 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.