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10-12-2005, 05:40 AM
Ex-Nato generals accuse Europe of military failure
By Peter Spiegel, Defence Correspondent
Two of Nato's most respected retired generals will issue today a stinging indictment of European military capabilities, arguing that unless the continent pools its defence resources it may be unable to meet mounting security risks, which includeinternational terrorism.
Retired General Joseph Ralston, the American officer who headed Nato until 2003, and retired General Klaus Naumann, Germany's former chief of defence and head of Nato's military committee, argue that European leaders have "lacked the political will" to improve military capabilities.
"Failure to meaningfully improve Europe's collective defence capabilities in the coming years would have profoundly negative impacts on the ability of European countries to protect their interests, the viability of Nato as an alliance, and the ability of European countries to partner in any meaningful way with the US," according to the report, a copy of which was obtained by the Financial Times.
The 97-page study, which is due to be presented today at a gathering of European Union and Nato leaders in Brussels, was a year in the making, involving consultation with former defence chiefs of almost all European powers, including the UK and France.
The two generals and their staffs plan to brief European defence officials over the next two weeks and present their findings in Washington next month, in an effort to provoke action by Europe's politicians, who have failed to deliver on past promises to Nato.
The call for greater integration in European military research and procurement is likely to be controversial, since France and Britain in particular have been at odds over the extent to which a pan-European defence agency should have a say over national budget priorities. Britain has resisted French calls for more centralised procurement.
But the report argues that without a more co-ordinated approach, flat or declining defence spending by most European countries will make it impossible for their militaries to execute their stated security strategies, which include combating terrorism and the proliferation of unconventional weapons, and dealing with failing states. "Some question whether further defence integration can occur among European nations which value their sovereignty and see the world from diverse perspectives," the report finds.
Financial Times (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/1d9e0030-3abc-11da-b0d3-00000e2511c8.html)
By Peter Spiegel, Defence Correspondent
Two of Nato's most respected retired generals will issue today a stinging indictment of European military capabilities, arguing that unless the continent pools its defence resources it may be unable to meet mounting security risks, which includeinternational terrorism.
Retired General Joseph Ralston, the American officer who headed Nato until 2003, and retired General Klaus Naumann, Germany's former chief of defence and head of Nato's military committee, argue that European leaders have "lacked the political will" to improve military capabilities.
"Failure to meaningfully improve Europe's collective defence capabilities in the coming years would have profoundly negative impacts on the ability of European countries to protect their interests, the viability of Nato as an alliance, and the ability of European countries to partner in any meaningful way with the US," according to the report, a copy of which was obtained by the Financial Times.
The 97-page study, which is due to be presented today at a gathering of European Union and Nato leaders in Brussels, was a year in the making, involving consultation with former defence chiefs of almost all European powers, including the UK and France.
The two generals and their staffs plan to brief European defence officials over the next two weeks and present their findings in Washington next month, in an effort to provoke action by Europe's politicians, who have failed to deliver on past promises to Nato.
The call for greater integration in European military research and procurement is likely to be controversial, since France and Britain in particular have been at odds over the extent to which a pan-European defence agency should have a say over national budget priorities. Britain has resisted French calls for more centralised procurement.
But the report argues that without a more co-ordinated approach, flat or declining defence spending by most European countries will make it impossible for their militaries to execute their stated security strategies, which include combating terrorism and the proliferation of unconventional weapons, and dealing with failing states. "Some question whether further defence integration can occur among European nations which value their sovereignty and see the world from diverse perspectives," the report finds.
Financial Times (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/1d9e0030-3abc-11da-b0d3-00000e2511c8.html)