NATO Promises Cohesive Stand Against Terrorism

The 19 members of NATO issued a sweeping pledge Thursday to fight all forms of terrorism “for as long as necessary” by developing new defense capabilities and strengthening strategic coordination among themselves and with other blocs.

In a communique issued by NATO’s North Atlantic Council, foreign ministers vowed to “enhance alliance military capabilities” and deepen relations with other states and international organizations to ensure that appropriate action is taken more effectively to confront terrorist threats.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell praised the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s growing role in fighting terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks. “This unflinching decision, and the critical assistance this alliance has provided, has sent a clear message to our enemies about the depth of our common purpose,” Powell told a news conference on the first of two days of talks with his counterparts.

In announcing the agreement, NATO Secretary General George Robertson said the world must have “zero tolerance” for global terrorism. He said NATO’s new task will be “a prolonged--and demanding--commitment. But NATO has always been ready for the long haul.

“The threats have changed, but our resilience and relevance have not,” Robertson told a news conference at NATO headquarters.

In unusually strong language, NATO declared that there is “no justification whatsoever” for terrorist actions and said the world’s mightiest military alliance is “determined to combat this scourge. Our security requires no less.”

NATO added that its fight is “not against Islam,” but against extremists, their networks and those who harbor them.

It specifically called for improving both individual and collective capabilities to protect member populations from attack, particularly from weapons of mass destruction. It also pledged to enhance cooperation against terrorism with the countries in Partners for Peace, which includes many of the former Soviet republics.

Defense ministers scheduled to meet here next week are expected to follow up with discussions of specific steps that NATO members can take, with a full package of measures prepared for agreement by the NATO summit in Prague next year, Robertson said.

NATO also gave open-ended and unqualified support to the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan. “We have decided to support, individually and collectively, the ongoing U.S.-led military operations--until it has reached its objectives,” the communique said.

In his speech to NATO, given behind closed doors, Powell cautioned that recent military gains do not mean the Afghan operation will be over soon.

“Don’t stand down. There’s a lot more to be done,” Powell told his colleagues. “Every ounce of support is necessary--and may be needed in the future.”

Powell also tried to smooth ruffled feathers among some NATO allies miffed by the U.S. decision not to deploy their forces in Afghanistan after governments went out on a limb to offer significant contributions.

“The circumstances of this campaign mean that not every ally is fighting, but every ally is in the fight,” Powell said.

In a separate action, NATO announced a new formula to loosely embrace Russia in the Western alliance. The decision was based on a “new quality” in relations between Moscow and NATO as well as Russia’s actions since Sept. 11.

“We look forward to building on this cooperation and deepening NATO-Russia relations to meet the new challenges faced by the entire Euro-Atlantic community,” the NATO communique said.

The first step will be creation of a NATO-Russia Council to “pursue opportunities for joint action when our views converge,” Powell said. The council will meet several times a week to work on the full range of major issues faced by all 20 countries, he added.

Powell stressed, however, that NATO will “maintain its prerogative” to act independently on any issue.

His distinction reflects a subtle but important difference among NATO allies. The formula, to be further developed at a meeting in May in Iceland, does not go as far as one originally proposed by the Europeans, led by Britain and Spain, NATO sources said.

At the last minute, the United States did not want to give Russia anything resembling a veto that might influence key issues, including missile defense. Washington was backed by NATO’s three newest members: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, all former members of the pro-Soviet Warsaw Pact.

Nevertheless, Robertson said the decision is an “opportunity to move from uneasy partnership to a deeper and more concrete relationship based on the logic of common interests.”

Russia’s decision to stand firmly with the West after the Sept. 11 attacks, he added, demonstrated that “more unites us than divides us.”