THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 24, 1995 TAG: 9506240334
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
If the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia is eventually withdrawn, the operation must be led by NATO forces only, NATO Secretary General Willy Claes of Belgium said Friday.
``No two captains on the ship,'' Claes said, referring to past differences between NATO and U.N. commanders in the region.
Claes' remarks were made at a news conference at the conclusion of a two-day seminar sponsored by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Marine Corps Gen. John J. Sheehan.
The civilian leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said NATO has plans to withdraw the ground forces in the former Yugoslavia, plans that Sheehan said would involve 25,000 U.S. troops.
But Claes also was emphatic that a troop withdrawal was not a desired solution. ``We are not in favor of a withdrawal,'' he said.
``Let it be very clear, from a political point of view of NATO, a withdrawal is not a good solution,'' he said. ``We think that would be an historical mistake . . . because of what will happen afterward, not only in Bosnia and Croatia, but elsewhere. ``Who will assure us there is not an extension of the military confrontation in the Baltic region? What will be the attitude of the international community at that moment?'' U.N. commanders and NATO military leaders in Bosnia have learned important lessons from the peacekeeping operation, Claes said.
``The first lesson for NATO is that it is not wise to try to put two captains on the same ship,'' he said.
``Another lesson is, it is very difficult at certain moments to combine peacekeeping missions on the ground with missions in the air.''
He applauded missions such as Operation Sharp Guard in the Adriatic and Operation Deny Flight, which he said appear to have worked well in keeping track of unauthorized flights and shipping.
Claes and about 60 other NATO military and civilian leaders have been meeting since Thursday at the SACLANT headquarters - NATO's only command on U.S. soil.
He acknowledged that the end of the Cold War has brought NATO significant problems and challenges, and said the need for the alliance to remain strong is vital.
``NATO has been the most successful military alliance in human history,'' he said. ``It became clear after the fall of Berlin that we still need this alliance based on the strong trans-Atlantic link . . . to help consolidate young democracies trying to perform in a much better way in the field of economics.''
The problems the alliance faces can endanger the fundamental values of Americans, Canadians and Western Europeans, he said.
``So the most important lesson we have learned after the end of communism is that NATO is a necessity. We are not speaking about the same NATO as in the Cold War. . . . We need to develop more and more our political roles. This is the fundamental reason why it is so important to maintain the trans-Atlantic link.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Willy Claes, NATO Secretary General
by CNB