DATE=3/31/99 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-42993 TITLE=NATO SUMMIT BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: NEXT MONTH THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION -- NATO -- WILL CELEBRATE ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY AT A SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON. AS WORLD LEADERS MEET TO MARK THE OCCASION, THEY WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABOUT NATO'S FUTURE IN THE POST-COLD WAR ERA. CAROL PINEAU TAKES AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE ISSUES. TEXT: THE QUESTIONS FACING NATO'S LEADERS ARE MANY AND VARIED. SHOULD MORE OF THE FORMER EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES BE BROUGHT INTO THE NATO ALLIANCE? WHAT IS NATO'S STRATEGIC MISSION: TERRITORIAL DEFENSE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNTRIES OR PEACE KEEPING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE REGION? DOES NATO ACTION REQUIRE A U-N SECURITY COUNCIL MANDATE? HANS BINNENDIJK IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON. HE SAYS EUROPEAN MILITARY MIGHT WILL BE A MAJOR TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT THE SUMMIT. HE SAYS THE UNITED STATES WANTS THE EUROPEANS TO BE MORE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN OPERATIONS AND TO ACQUIRE MORE SOPHISTICATED MILITARY HARDWARE, ESPECIALLY COMPUTERIZED WEAPONRY. BUT THE EUROPEANS ARE RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN OPERATIONS OUTSIDE THE NATO ALLIANCE TERRITORY. /// BINNENDIJK ACT /// THE UNITED STATES IS EAGER TO HAVE ITS ALLIES PICK UP A LARGER BURDEN, NOT ONLY IN EUROPE, BUT ALSO POSSIBLY IN PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS THE PERSIAN GULF. THE EUROPEANS HAVE COUNTERED WITH OBJECTIONS TO WHAT THEY CALL A GLOBAL NATO. /// END ACT /// THE ALLIES WILL ALSO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF U-N MANDATES. /// BINNENDIJK ACT /// I DON'T THINK NATO CAN GET ITSELF INTO A POSITION WHERE IT REQUIRES A UNITED NATIONS MANDATE IN ORDER FOR IT TO ACT BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT CHINA OR RUSSIA OR BOTH HAVE A VETO OVER ANY NATO ACTION IN PLACES LIKE KOSOVO. /// END ACT /// DAVID YOST, A PROFESSOR AND AUTHOR OF THE JUST-PUBLISHED BOOK, "NATO TRANSFORMED: THE ALLIANCE'S NEW ROLES IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY," SAYS THE ISSUE OF U-N MANDATES IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. HE NOTES NATO'S CURRENT BOMBING IN KOSOVO HAS BEEN TAKEN WITHOUT U-N ENDORSEMENT AND THIS POSES A RISK THAT THE MISSION MAY ANTAGONIZE RUSSIA AND OTHER NATIONS OPPOSED TO THE OPERATION. MR. YOST ADDS IF NATO IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, THERE COULD BE RECRIMINATIONS WITHIN THE ALLIANCE. NATO MEMBERS MAY SAY THE ALLIANCE SHOULD HAVE SOUGHT A MANDATE FROM THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL IN ORDER TO HAVE GREATER LEGITIMACY AND POLITICAL COVER. HE SAYS THERE IS ALSO A LONG-TERM RISK. /// YOST ACT /// NATO IN USING FORCE AGAINST A SOVEREIGN STATE WITHOUT A U-N SECURITY COUNCIL MANDATE IS SETTING AN EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE EXPLOITED BY RUSSIA, CHINA, INDIA, NIGERIA, AND OTHER MAJOR POWERS THAT COULD ASSERT "WE SEE AN OVERWHELMING HUMANITARIAN NECESSITY TO ACT, (AND) NATO USED THIS ARGUMENT TO ACT IN KOSOVO." /// END ACT /// ANOTHER EXPERT, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR ANDREW PIERRE SUGGESTS THE OVERRIDING CONCERN AT THE SUMMIT WILL BE WHETHER NATO REMAINS A PRIMARILY DEFENSE ORGANIZATION FOR MEMBER NATIONS OR EXPANDS ITS ROLE AS IT HAS IN KOSOVO. MR. PIERRE SAYS EVEN IF NATO IS SUCCESSFUL IN KOSOVO, IT MAY BE RELUCTANT TO BROADEN ITS CORE MISSION IN ORDER TO AVOID APPEAR TOO READY TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION. BUT MR. BINNENDIJK SAYS IF THE KOSOVO MISSION FAILS, THERE WILL BE WHAT HE CALLS THE "SOMALIA EFFECT," REFERRING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S RELUCTANCE IN THE EARLY 1990'S TO INTERVENE IN CONFLICTS FOLLOWING A FAILED MISSION IN SOMALIA. MR. BINNENDIJK SAYS WHAT HAPPENS IN KOSOVO IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS IS LIKELY TO IMPACT THE SUMMIT AND SOME OF THE DECISION THAT ARE TAKEN FOR NATO'S FUTURE. (SIGNED) NEB/CP/JO 31-Mar-99 1:05 PM EST (1805 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .