Dislodging of NATO generals exposes differences between US and Europe

PARIS, SEPT 12: The dislodging of two top generals in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO in recent days has exposed the fragil...

PARIS, SEPT 12: The dislodging of two top generals in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO in recent days has exposed the fragile confidence existing between the United States and some European members of the military alliance in operational matters.

In a surprise move, NATO announced on Saturday that General Klaus Reinhardt of Germany will replace General Michael Jackson as commander of the Kosovo Peace Force KFOR on the recommendation of the supreme allied commander General Wesley Clark. Though no specific reason was given for the removal of General Jackson, from Tlnakfor, it was said the British general differed with Clark on many strategic issues during the Kosovo crisis which ultimately resulted in both seasoned campaigners to vacate their places.

8220;I8217;m not going to start the third world war for you,8221; Jackson reportedly told Clark when the latter ordered him to send British and French troops to occupy Pristina airport before Russian troops could arrive from Bosnia on June 12, which caughtNATO by surprise. The refusal by an European general angered American military establishment which is now holding a senate committee hearing into the whole incident at Washington.

The British commanders refusal was troubling especially during a military operation, where discipline can be a matter of life and death, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Henry Shelton told the committee hearing this week. General Clark, who openly complained at a NATO commanders meeting in Kosovo that his subordinates were not carrying out his orders, was also shifted from his post by US administration much earlier than his actual term expired.

The issue may have been covered up during the airstrikes. But the whole incident has raised a debate over what could be the repercussions if European and US generals do not agree with each other in the middle of an international peace mission like the one in Kosovo. The US and European officials already differ over the eastward expansion of the NATO. While Europeangovernments were not willing to include former Warsaw-pact countries like Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic for the fear of angering Russians, the US overruled their objections.

Countries like Britain and France are increasingly campaigning for more active role for European nations in NATO missions rather than playing a second fiddle to the United States. British officials even talking about an autonomous European defence group within NATO.

However, European nations lack enough man power and equipment to launch a mammoth operation like the one carried out in Kosovo. According to Nato officials 90 per cent of the air attacks against Yugoslavian targets were carried out by American planes.