| U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld | | | | generally, this is a new concept. And I |
| will be in Italy Thursday and Friday for | | | | think we have two kinds of |
| an informal meeting of NATO defense | | | | transformation in the alliance, one |
| ministers that is expected to focus on | | | | physical and the other cultural. What do |
| final preparations for expanding the | | | | you do with the forces you have? What is |
| alliance's role in Afghanistan and for | | | | NATO willing to do with it? Are we |
| the creation of the NATO rapid response | | | | really willing to be a pro-active |
| force. VOA Pentagon Correspondent Al | | | | alliance, which I think is really the |
| Pessin will be traveling with the | | | | destiny of our future operations," he |
| secretary and filed this report on what | | | | said. |
| is expected at the meeting. | | | | General Jones said NATO has made |
| A senior defense department official who | | | | important progress in developing |
| spoke on condition of anonymity says the | | | | creative command structures and rules |
| expansion of NATO operations in | | | | for participation in missions. The new |
| Afghanistan to cover the southern part | | | | procedures are designed to enable the |
| of the country will present more | | | | organization to take on new missions |
| challenges to alliance troops. NATO | | | | like the one in Afghanistan, and operate |
| activity in Afghanistan has been in the | | | | effectively, while still enabling |
| north and west, where the situation is | | | | members to have some say over their own |
| relatively quiet, and troops have | | | | roles. |
| focused on stability and nation-building | | | | The other senior defense official, who |
| operations. But the south has had | | | | spoke anonymously, said that is true for |
| increased insurgent activity in recent | | | | the new NATO rapid response force. The |
| months, and the official who spoke | | | | official says the force will have a |
| Tuesday said the NATO troops will have | | | | major exercise in West Africa in June, |
| to deal with that. | | | | and is supposed to be declared |
| The deployment will add 6,000 troops to | | | | operational in October. But the official |
| the 9,000 NATO already has in | | | | says NATO members have committed only |
| Afghanistan. It was delayed by internal | | | | about 80 per cent of the troops needed |
| political debate in the Netherlands, | | | | for the force, and Secretary Rumsfeld |
| which will provide a substantial part of | | | | will be pressing for more commitments at |
| the new force, but that dispute has now | | | | this week's meeting. |
| been resolved. | | | | The official says the Italy meeting will |
| The senior U.S. official says the NATO | | | | also include a session with the Russian |
| mission in Afghanistan must succeed in | | | | defense minister, and another one with |
| order to prove that the organization's | | | | defense ministers from the seven members |
| reforms are succeeding. The official | | | | of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue group. |
| says reform will also be an important | | | | In the Russia meeting, the official says |
| topic of discussion at the meeting in | | | | the main issues will be the sharing of |
| Italy, including the need for the 26 | | | | radar information, strategy for fighting |
| NATO members to make their forces | | | | the drug trade in Central Asia and |
| available to the alliance without too | | | | Afghanistan and concern over Russia's |
| many restrictions attached. The official | | | | recent withholding of natural gas |
| says progress has been made in that | | | | supplies from Ukraine in a political |
| regard, but more needs to be done, and | | | | dispute. |
| more members need to be convinced that | | | | The official says Russia and three of |
| NATO's mission of providing security for | | | | the Dialogue countries will participate |
| Europe requires more operations outside | | | | for the first time later this year in a |
| of the continent. | | | | NATO counter-terrorism naval operation |
| In testimony before the Senate Foreign | | | | in the Mediterranean. The three regional |
| Relations committee Tuesday, the NATO | | | | countries will be Morocco, Algeria and |
| commander, U.S. Marine General James | | | | Israel, representing what the official |
| Jones, called for the same thing. "My | | | | called a "not insignificant" moment of |
| feeling is, we're moving in the right | | | | cooperation between Israel and the two |
| direction. We need to accelerate it but, | | | | Arab countries. |