GERMANY: SEVERAL HUNDRED PROTESTERS VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION TO NATO DEFENCE MINISTERS MEETING AND UPCOMING SECURITY CONFERENCE IN MUNICH

Record ID: 646557

  • Title: GERMANY: SEVERAL HUNDRED PROTESTERS VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION TO NATO DEFENCE MINISTERS MEETING AND UPCOMING SECURITY CONFERENCE IN MUNICH
  • Date: 6th February 2004
  • Summary: (W6) MUNICH, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 6, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF HUMAN CHAIN OF DEMONSTRATORS (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. PROTESTERS AT TWILIGHT 0.17 3. POLICE IN RIOT GEAR WAITING 0.21 4. POLICE AT DEMONSTRATION PAN TO HUMAN CHAIN OF PROTESTERS 0.30 5. POLICE VAN PASSES RIOT POLICE 0.35 6. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS PUSHING WITH POLICE (3 SHOTS) 0.48 7. PROTESTER IS TAKEN AWAY 0.58 8. WS'S: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH NATO GENERAL SECRETARY JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER AND GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER PETER STRUCK (2 SHOTS) 1.11 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION, SAYING: "As you know, NATO is now supporting Poland in its leadership of a multi-national division in Iraq, let's not forget that many alliance members have forces on the ground. Now as the political process moves forward in Iraq and in the international community more broadly, NATO governments will certainly continue to keep this issue on the agenda." 1.36 10. PAN: JOURNALISTS AT PRESSER 1.42 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCHEFFER, SAYING: "I know that there were differences of opinion on Iraq but everybody is inclined and wants to look ahead now, and doesn't want to look back. So I think the alliance is, as I've said before, in a good state, It's alive and kicking, it has an ambitious programme, it goes without saying it has a very ambitious programme in a very important period of transformation." 2.05 12. VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE 2.11 13. WIDE OF U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE DONALD RUMSFELD GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE 2.16 14. CLOSE UP OF RUMSFELD 2.23 15. SLV: PRESSER 2.28 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE DONALD RUMSFELD, SAYING: "As of today, a number of our colleagues also suggested that at the right time NATO should take command of the Polish/Spanish multi-national division in Iraq. When that will happen remains to be seen but as I say it's something that we have encouraged within NATO last year and it's also something that a number of the ministers mentioned today as a possibility." 2.58 17. WS: NEWS CONFERENCE 3.06 18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUMSFELD, SAYING: "There are a number of countries that are continuing to offer-up troops in Iraq, so I think that people recognise that what's been done there is important, that the liberation of 25 million people is important. The mass graves that have been found there and the torture chambers suggest that the fact that Saddam Hussein is now in custody is a good thing for the Iraqi people in the world and as a result an increasing number of countries are interested in assisting in providing stabilisation and reconstruction forces for which we are deeply grateful." 3.50 19. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 3.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st February 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MUNICH, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAEZQEHV5FLIL5606AKGPXSHG2C
  • Story Text: Several hundred protesters voice their opposition to NATO
    Defence Ministers meeting and the annual Security
    conference, to take place this weekend in Munich.


    The mostly young protesters clashed with police at
    twilight, as an informal meeting of the NATO Defence
    Ministers came to a close on Friday (February 5) in the
    Bavarian city of Munich. Police said they had arrested
    several demonstrators.

    Inside the conference venue, NATO moved to shore up the
    credibility of plans to expand its peacekeeping operation in
    Afghanistan as allies tentatively lined up troops for
    lawless provinces ahead of crucial elections in June.

    But the transatlantic alliance took a cautious line on
    U.S.-backed proposals for a NATO role in Iraq, with the
    organisation still smarting from the wounds inflicted on
    its cohesion by last years U.S.-led invasion of the country.

    Diplomats said NATOs supreme commander, U.S. General
    James Jones, delivered a robust message to allied defence
    ministers meeting in the German city of Munich, warning that
    their political will to spread the net of security in
    Afghanistan must be backed by offers of troops, helicopters
    and other resources.

    NATO took charge of the 5,700-troop International
    Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul last year,
    demonstrating a will to tackle new threats beyond the Cold
    War European borders it was set up to defend.

    But plans to expand ISAFs reach beyond the capital have
    snagged because of European reluctance to offer scarce and
    costly resources such as communications and helicopters.

    NATO has put one of 13 Provincial Reconstruction Teams
    -- groups of up to 300 soldiers who carry out small
    development projects or protect aid workers -- under
    ISAFs wing.

    A senior U.S. official said the defence ministers would
    agree to back five more of these teams, and predicted that
    Finland, Sweden, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey
    would offer to lead them.

    But diplomats said there would still be a struggle to
    find equipment and additional forces of at least 3,000 to
    protect the new PRTS from a cluster of forward operating
    bases.

    The United States says momentum is building within the
    19-nation alliance for NATO to take command of a
    stabilisation force in south-central Iraq after the U.S.

    occupying power returns sovereignty to the people on July 1.

    But European nations which opposed the war are
    reticent.

    France says it will only send troops to Iraq if asked
    by a sovereign government and with U.N. approval. And
    Germany's Struck said before his bilateral talks with U.S.

    Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Munich that he would
    be in listening mode only on Iraq.

    A senior U.S. official said Washington was waiting
    patiently for agreement on an Iraq role. Poland's envoy to
    the alliance, Jerzy Nowak, said pressing too hard could
    rekindle tensions over the invasion to topple Saddam
    Hussein.



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