Post by balkannj on Jun 15, 2007 19:04:38 GMT -5
BBC Monitoring European
15 June 2007
Serbian paper says NATO membership means weakening own army
Source: Glas javnosti, Belgrade, in Serbian 11 Jun 07
Text of report by Serbian newspaper Glas javnosti on 11 June
[Report by Budimir Milutinovic: "Destroy Your Army and Then You Can
Join NATO"]
All analyses of the role of the NATO alliance have confirmed that one
of the most significant results of preparing every candidate for NATO,
which automatically "facilitates a dialogue with the alliance," including
activity within the Partnership for Peace, is to weaken the army so that
at the end it is not capable of defending its own territory.
We can see one of the very clear examples of this thesis in several
countries, and the first one we would like to focus on is Bulgaria, whose
defence strategy is completely subjected to the strategy of NATO. Bulgaria
abolished its Operative Forces Command, its Special Operations Command,
its East and West Land Forces Commands, its Tactical Air Force Command,
its Air Defence Command. It also reduced the number of its men and women
in uniform, even though it wanted to preserve it at the level of 45,000
soldiers. All in all, the Bulgarians only plan and only can defend their
state territory on their eastern borders. Turkey as a "constant" invader
of Bulgarian territories could do that without any problems, as many
times in the past. Besides, Bulgaria often buys military technology and
equipment from already recommended suppliers, which is an obligation
it agreed to after joining NATO. Such a position strengthens Bulgaria's
dependency on the leading country of the bloc - the United States.
Bulgaria and Serbia have roughly the same number of inhabitants and
the same military budget, but in addition to the alarming situation
in its armed forces Serbia has half as many soldiers as Bulgaria.
The situation in Montenegro can serve as a real example of a collapse
of defence power. According to the most recent proposals made by the
Defence Ministry, Montenegro would have 2,400 soldiers, in other words,
410 officers, 898 junior officers, 782 professional soldiers, and
310 civilians. Based on these facts military experts assess that this
is a very small military formation, so in this way Montenegro placing its
own security and the security of its citizens into the hands of others,
who are, unfortunately, outside the borders of Europe's youngest country.
However, based on the Macedonian experience, because this newly formed
country also turned over its destiny into the hands of NATO and the United
States and in and probability its future will be determined within NATO,
which in the Balkans is leaning on the Albanian factor, so that all the
countries that have linked their destinies with foreign powers do not have
a certain future.
On the other hand, NATO wants its new members as well as those that
expect to become members soon, to send their elite military formations
to serve in international peacekeeping operations. In anticipation of
joining NATO, which is expected soon, Croatia has agreed to send a
new contingent of 5,600 soldiers to serve in peacekeeping missions. If it
wanted to be in the same situation as Croatia, Serbia would have to give
more than 13,000 soldiers. However, neither Croatia nor Serbia will easily
agree to send its soldiers to Afghanistan, Iraq, or some other hotspot.
Such soldier transfers are already causing major disapproval among the
national democratic forces, while the liberal democratic parties are much
more favourably inclined to fulfil all the conditions required by NATO
and the United States.
Cooperation with NATO is often under a question mark also because of
moral reasons. In the first place, the reasons for not providing open and
unreserved cooperation can be found in the NATO air strikes in Bosnia and
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Then there is the problem caused by
the demands for the Partnership for Peace member countries to sign
bilateral immunity agreements that would exempt US nationals accused of
genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity from the jurisdiction
of the International Criminal Court [ICC], which in the case of Montenegro
was a precondition for US military assistance. Then there is also the
SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement), which in the case of Montenegro
allows US soldiers to stay in Montenegro at the expense of the
Montenegrin Government. Because of agreements such as these the Balkans
have become a real heaven on earth for the Americans, where they can
do whatever they please without being accountable to anyone.
________________________________________________
In anticipation of
joining NATO, which is expected soon, Croatia has agreed to send a
new contingent of 5,600 soldiers to serve in peacekeeping missions.
Can any Croats vouch for this requirement?
15 June 2007
Serbian paper says NATO membership means weakening own army
Source: Glas javnosti, Belgrade, in Serbian 11 Jun 07
Text of report by Serbian newspaper Glas javnosti on 11 June
[Report by Budimir Milutinovic: "Destroy Your Army and Then You Can
Join NATO"]
All analyses of the role of the NATO alliance have confirmed that one
of the most significant results of preparing every candidate for NATO,
which automatically "facilitates a dialogue with the alliance," including
activity within the Partnership for Peace, is to weaken the army so that
at the end it is not capable of defending its own territory.
We can see one of the very clear examples of this thesis in several
countries, and the first one we would like to focus on is Bulgaria, whose
defence strategy is completely subjected to the strategy of NATO. Bulgaria
abolished its Operative Forces Command, its Special Operations Command,
its East and West Land Forces Commands, its Tactical Air Force Command,
its Air Defence Command. It also reduced the number of its men and women
in uniform, even though it wanted to preserve it at the level of 45,000
soldiers. All in all, the Bulgarians only plan and only can defend their
state territory on their eastern borders. Turkey as a "constant" invader
of Bulgarian territories could do that without any problems, as many
times in the past. Besides, Bulgaria often buys military technology and
equipment from already recommended suppliers, which is an obligation
it agreed to after joining NATO. Such a position strengthens Bulgaria's
dependency on the leading country of the bloc - the United States.
Bulgaria and Serbia have roughly the same number of inhabitants and
the same military budget, but in addition to the alarming situation
in its armed forces Serbia has half as many soldiers as Bulgaria.
The situation in Montenegro can serve as a real example of a collapse
of defence power. According to the most recent proposals made by the
Defence Ministry, Montenegro would have 2,400 soldiers, in other words,
410 officers, 898 junior officers, 782 professional soldiers, and
310 civilians. Based on these facts military experts assess that this
is a very small military formation, so in this way Montenegro placing its
own security and the security of its citizens into the hands of others,
who are, unfortunately, outside the borders of Europe's youngest country.
However, based on the Macedonian experience, because this newly formed
country also turned over its destiny into the hands of NATO and the United
States and in and probability its future will be determined within NATO,
which in the Balkans is leaning on the Albanian factor, so that all the
countries that have linked their destinies with foreign powers do not have
a certain future.
On the other hand, NATO wants its new members as well as those that
expect to become members soon, to send their elite military formations
to serve in international peacekeeping operations. In anticipation of
joining NATO, which is expected soon, Croatia has agreed to send a
new contingent of 5,600 soldiers to serve in peacekeeping missions. If it
wanted to be in the same situation as Croatia, Serbia would have to give
more than 13,000 soldiers. However, neither Croatia nor Serbia will easily
agree to send its soldiers to Afghanistan, Iraq, or some other hotspot.
Such soldier transfers are already causing major disapproval among the
national democratic forces, while the liberal democratic parties are much
more favourably inclined to fulfil all the conditions required by NATO
and the United States.
Cooperation with NATO is often under a question mark also because of
moral reasons. In the first place, the reasons for not providing open and
unreserved cooperation can be found in the NATO air strikes in Bosnia and
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Then there is the problem caused by
the demands for the Partnership for Peace member countries to sign
bilateral immunity agreements that would exempt US nationals accused of
genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity from the jurisdiction
of the International Criminal Court [ICC], which in the case of Montenegro
was a precondition for US military assistance. Then there is also the
SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement), which in the case of Montenegro
allows US soldiers to stay in Montenegro at the expense of the
Montenegrin Government. Because of agreements such as these the Balkans
have become a real heaven on earth for the Americans, where they can
do whatever they please without being accountable to anyone.
________________________________________________
In anticipation of
joining NATO, which is expected soon, Croatia has agreed to send a
new contingent of 5,600 soldiers to serve in peacekeeping missions.
Can any Croats vouch for this requirement?
thats not good. 
