By STEPHEN CASTLE Herald correspondent
BRUSSELS - The outgoing American Defence Secretary issued a blunt warning yesterday that Nato could be reduced to "a relic of the past," if Europe's new rapid-reaction force was not linked clearly to the alliance.
William Cohen's comments were made during his last appearance at a Nato defence ministers' meeting, and sounded a new note of anxiety in Washington over Europe's military initiative.
Cohen, who welcomed the European defence plans during his previous Nato appearance in Birmingham, struck a markedly different tone yesterday and took his colleagues by surprise. His intervention is thought to reflect a growing sentiment in Washington that too much effort is being put into creating European Union military structures and not enough into military strength.
"If we have a competing institution that would be inconsistent with military effectiveness, Nato could be weakened," Cohen said, adding that there were simply too many questions still unanswered about the EU's plan, a year after it was launched.
He stressed that the European Nato nations must commit more to improving their military capabilities as agreed, and that a "cooperative, collaborative mechanism" must be established.
"If there is openness, transparency and a non-competitive relationship then, the United States would remain committed," Cohen said.
But, he added: "If, in fact, we had lip service being paid to developing the capabilities, if we had a competing institution that was established that would be inconsistent with military effectiveness, if in fact there was any element of using the [EU] force structure in a way to simply set up a competing headquarters - if all of the factors were taken into account, then Nato could become a relic."
Officials believe that Cohen's doubts have been growing for some time and, because yesterday marked his last appearance, he decided to spell out a more robust position.
The 19-nation alliance is anxious that planning and intelligence facilities should be kept under its umbrella and Nato's Secretary-General, Lord Robertson, gave cautious support to the US criticisms.
"I think Secretary Cohen was right to warn us," he said. "And ministers were right to listen carefully to what he said."
He added: "If we get a lot of things wrong, then Nato will be irrelevant.
"If we don't get the right capability for the future, then Nato will not have credibility. If we don't get the right EU-Nato linkages, then of course there will be danger for the vitality of Nato as an organisation and the security of its members."
The tension has grown over the EU's plans to create a rapid-reaction force of 60,000 troops for use in peacekeeping or other crisis-intervention missions in which Nato does not take part. Europe wants the force to be up and running by 2003 and to be able to stay in the field for one year.
Some allies see France, which has a semi-detached status within Nato, pursuing a political agenda to create a potentially separate force which could be part of a rival alliance excluding the US. Paris rejects the charge.
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