- Tensions between Europe and America burst into the open
again yesterday when the US threatened to boycott Nato meetings and froze
spending on the organisation's new headquarters in Brussels in protest
against Belgian war crimes cases against Americans.
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- At a Nato meeting in Brussels, Donald Rumsfeld, the US
Defence Secretary, launched a ferocious attack on Belgium, whose controversial
human rights laws give its courts power to try foreigners for war crimes
even if they were committed abroad.
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- With those indicted including General Tommy Franks, the
commander of US forces in Iraq, Mr Rumsfeld accused Belgium, which opposed
the American-led war, of turning its legal system into "a platform
for divisive, politicised lawsuits against its Nato allies". He added:
"It would obviously not be easy for US officials or potentially coalition
officials, civilian or military, to come to Belgium for meetings. Certainly
until this matter is resolved we will have to oppose any further spending
for construction for a new Nato headquarters here in Brussels."
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- Nato, which recently decided to admit seven more member
states, has agreed to construct a new home and has selected a site opposite
its current base. The project is expected to cost ?200m to ?400m (£140m
to £280m).
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- Mr Rumsfeld declined to say whether Washington would
ultimately want to see the headquarters moved away from Belgium, but added
that "it is perfectly possible to meet elsewhere". He said the
law "calls into serious question whether Nato can continue to hold
meetings in Belgium".
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- Belgium, which is a founder member of Nato, was one of
three nations that provoked a crisis in February when a decision to help
Turkey defend itself against potential retaliation by Iraq was blocked.
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- The lawsuits listed by Mr Rumsfeld include cases against
the former president George Bush Snr, the Secretary of State, Colin Powell,
the 1991 Gulf War commander General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Franks.
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- Ironically, the US intervention came after the Belgian
government moved to soften the impact of the legislation, and follows recent
judgments that suggest none of the cases is likely to succeed.
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- But with memories of the heated transatlantic row over
Iraq still fresh, Mr Rumsfeld showed little inclination to let bygones
by bygones at the first meeting of Nato defence ministers since the Iraq
crisis.
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- Mr Rumsfeld's intervention wrecked a carefully choreographed
meeting in which defence ministers agreed to reform the alliance's Cold
War command structures and revamp its organisation as the alliance seeks
to reshape itself in line with American ambitions to combat terrorism,
weapons of mass destruction and rogue governments.
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- The transatlantic alliance, which at the height of the
Cold War had 78 command centres, will now have just 11, while one of its
two supreme commanders will have specific responsibility for Nato's transformation,
and will be based in Norfolk, Virginia.
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- Ministers also declared that their Nato Response Force
would be brought forward to readiness by the autumn. "This will mark
a step change in Nato's ability to act quickly," said Geoff Hoon,
the British Secretary of State for Defence.
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- Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Nato's secretary general,
said: "What we have to do is constantly to modernise the structure.
We are proud of how quickly we can make decisions and act on them. As the
world changes, Nato has to change. The command structure needed to be revamped
to deal with these new threats."
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- Meanwhile, Spain and a group of Latin American countries
said yesterday that they would send 1,200 soldiers to help keep the peace
in the zone of central Iraq that is to be controlled by Poland. Some 1,500
to 1,800 Ukrainians and 500 Bulgarians will also form part of the 8,000-strong
force.
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- © 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=414968
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