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Nato’s credibility put under scanner

No matter how clear the tasks of Nato are delineated and clarified, the credibility of the organisation will still be questioned until it lives up to the role expected to be played by this international defence alliance.

This sentiment was aired during several debates held on the Nato premises in Brussels last week and attended by the organisation officials, ambassadors of European and American states and a group of Arab media personnel.

However, Nato officials were convinced that differences of opinion were healthy for finding solutions to restore the image of the organisation in line with the reality on the ground.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Nato officials headed by Nicola De Santis, Information Officer for Mediterranean Dialogue Countries and the Istanbul cooperation initiative at the General Diplomacy Section, said Nato is neither an affiliate of the American politics nor an enforcement agency for the US policies.

Nato had earlier intervened in Afghanistan and Kosovo and Bosnia, but did not interfere in Iraq, the officials said, noting that this reflects that the organisation takes decisions through votes and doesn’t succumb to any pressures, and that there are 26 member countries and a decision is taken after unanimous approval.

Afghanistan captured the attention of most colleagues, and the questions about the number of innocent people who were killed and wounded in the attacks by Nato forces against the Taleban and Al Qaeda were persistent.

Even though years have passed by since the Nato intervention, neither security nor stability has been achieved so far, neither is there any improvement in the lives of Afghans, commented the journalists.

Listing the positive achievements in Afghanistan, Nato officials said the organisation has changed the lives of Afghan people for the better, especially women and children, by building schools, extending social

services to and holding cultural activities for the local people to help them lead a normal life.

The officials said their work in Afghanistan will bear fruits, emphasising their presence in the country is not for personal goals. Instead, it is based on the request of the United Nations and the Afghan government.

Istanbul Initiative

Regarding the Istanbul Initiative, which was launched during the Nato summit held in Turkey in 2004, to encourage and develop talks between the Middle East, Gulf and North African countries, Nato Deputy Secretary-General Claudio Bisogniero said that the organisation decided to open the doors of the Rome Military Academy, which is affiliated to the organisation, to train cadres from the countries which sign the agreements on the latest military techniques and programmes.

He detailed the agreements Nato seeks to sign with the countries which have adopted the initiative like Egypt, Israel, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

Bisogniero said that an agreement is being negotiated with Kuwait and Qatar regarding facilitating transit of military aircraft and vessels supporting the Nato forces in Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia and Oman have not shown any desire to join the initiative so far, but the two countries have considerable role at the regional level, he underlined.

He praised the policy adopted by the UAE in achieving world peace and supporting victims of natural disasters and crises, adding that the UAE Armed Forces played a major role in peace keeping in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Bisogniero said he will visit Arab and GCC countries, including the UAE, early next year.

Bisogniero stressed that the organisation is not seeking to replace the UN or any other regional or international organisation. Instead, it wants the world to benefit from the expertise of the Nato, which had succeeded in ensuring world peace during the Cold War.

• UAE