NATO embarking on its drive to the East

by William Pomeroy

This article was reprinted from the November 11, 1995 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

LONDON - The callous triumphalism that has prevailed in the NATO command since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist Warsaw Pact has never been more openly displayed than in the announcement that came out of its Brussels headquarters Sept. 27. Revealed was the NATO plan to extend the U.S.-headed military alliance Russia's border.

A 50-page document, drawn up for approval in two stages, was formally presented by NATO Secretary General Willy Claes. The first part, agreed upon, sets out the substance and conditions of the planned extension, which would give full NATO membership to former Warsaw Pact countries in Eastern Europe. The second part, to receive final decision at a NATO meeting in December, is to determine which countries are to be brought into the alliance.

Mentioned are Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Membership for Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia has also been suggested by the more extreme western military schemers but is not referred to in the present plan.

New members would be obligated to accept and participate in the NATO doctrine of collective defense and to contribute their own defense forces to those under NATO command. Each would be entitled to call for military assistance if thought necessary. NATO has provided for this in case of internal unrest as well as external threat.

Most controversial is projection of the right of NATO command to send troops to Eastern Europe and to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territories of the new members.

Statements from NATO diplomatic sources declared flatly: "Russia is not going to have a veto over who joins the alliance." Pursuit of this line would create a military encirclement of Russia tighter and more threatening than any experienced by the Soviet Union. The announcement has come at a time when Russian agreement on a Bosnian peace arrangement is essential.

The NATO attitude is being carried out in Bosnia, where NATO, with U.S. direction, has assumed control from the United Nations, a step that rules out any veto by Russia of imperialist measures in the name of peace.

In a typically arrogant U.S. statement, Secretary of State Warren Christopher said: "We will try to find the right way to incorporate the Russians into this process in a dignified, proper role for them, but without interfering with NATO command and control." Perry is proposing a standing joint committee of NATO and Russian officers based in Brussels which would allow the Russians to operate a separate chain of command with their own liaison officers, but Russian forces would be kept out of a military role and be confined to engineering and medical tasks.