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005737
MDHIAN 3963
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT OUTSIDE EUROPE WHERE THERE ARE SPECIFIC EUROPEAN INTERESTS TO BE SAFEGUARDED.
- PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN EUROPE OR ELSEWHERE UNDER UN OR OTHER BODIES WITH THE AUTHORITY TO ACT SEMI CLN
- HUMANITARIAN AND RESCUE MISSIONS, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EUROPE.
ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE POTENTIAL PRIZES TO BE GAINED THROUGH A MORE SUBSTANTIAL AND CO-ORDINATED EUROPEAN DEFENCE EFFORT WOULD BE THE ABILITY TO BRING A MORE COHERENT EUROPEAN MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUPPORT OF WIDER WESTERN SECURITY INTERESTS. THIS WOULD BE RIGHT IN ITSELF, IN FURTHERANCE OF EUROPEAN INTERESTS SEMI CLN AND WOULD BE OF VALUE TO OUR US ALLIES, WITH WHOM WE WOULD IN ALL PROBABILITY BE WORKING CLOSELY IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED EVENTUALLY IN THE GULF IN 1990-91. WE WERE LUCKY THEN TO HAVE TIME TO MAKE AD HOC ARRANGEMENTS: FOR THE FUTURE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY IF NEEDED.
LET ME EXPLAIN HOW WE THINK THE NEW EUROPEAN DEFENCE IDENTITY IS TO BE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE WEU WHICH COULD BE ORGANISED SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE CORE FUNCTIONS OF NATO, WHILE GIVING IMPETUS TO COLLECTIVE EUROPEAN DEFENCE EFFORTS. THESE IDEAS ARE THE BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO A CONSENSUS WHICH WE HOPE WILL EMERGE AT THE WEU MINISTERIAL MEETING NEXT MONTH.
WE THINK IT ESSENTIAL THAT ALL WEU PARTNERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED ON AN EQUAL FOOTING SEMI CLN AND THAT THE AUTHORITY FOR DEPLOYMENT AND COMMAND OF EUROPEAN FORCES IN CASES WHERE NATO IS NOT INVOLVED SHOULD COME COLLECTIVELY FROM THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE WEU.
WEU MEMBER STATES SHOULD MAKE RELEVANT FORCES AVAILABLE TO WEU, DRAWING ON THOSE WITH NATO OR NATIONAL ROLES. MISSIONS BY EUROPEAN FORCES WHERE NATO IS NOT INVOLVED - INCLUDING ANY OPERATION FLOWING FROM THE COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY SHOULD BE PLANNED AND EXECUTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE WEU AS A WHOLE. WE SHOULD THEREFORE GET AHEAD WITH PLANNING FOR A VARIETY OF CONTINGENCIES, RECOGNISING THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A POLITICAL DECISION OF GOVERNMENTS AT THE TIME WHETHER TO SANCTION OR PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIFIC OPERATION.
WEU FORCES SHOULD NOW BE DRAWN FROM EXISTING ASSETS - I.E. BY QUOTE DOUBLE-HATTING UNQUOTE NATO OR OTHER NATIONAL FORCES FOR USE
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