NATO told to prevent terrorism 'black holes'

OTTAWA -- NATO and its partners in central and eastern Europe must prevent "black holes" like Afghanistan that harbor terrorists from emerging in the Balkans, Secretary General Lord Robertson said Tuesday.

Addressing the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Robertson said the alliance would continue to expand its membership and capabilities while responding to new demands prompted by terror attacks in the United States.

"We must not be deflected from the alliance's pre-existing agenda," Robertson told the gathering of some 300 legislators from NATO countries and nations associated with the alliance.

Still, the session was dominated by the Sept. 11 attacks, which killed thousands and prompted a U.S.-led military campaign against targets in Afghanistan.

"This is not business as usual," Robertson said. "The horrific events of Sept. 11 have transformed the world in which we live."

Responding to a question from a delegate, he said NATO countries must focus on the threat of chemical and biological attacks, calling them "real and substantial dangers."

"I don't think we do enough at the moment" to address the threat, he said. "We'll have to do more in the future."

Bush patience praised

Robertson, who meets President Bush at the White House on Wednesday, praised his "measured, patient" response to the attacks and commended U.S. efforts to build an international coalition to fight terrorism.

The NATO chief urged the legislators to keep military spending a priority in their nations, saying fighting the new, unconventional enemy will not be cheap.

"If you don't make the investment now, the capability simply won't be there on the day you need it," he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said the battle against terrorism "will shape the 21st century in ways as profound as the epic battles of the century that just closed." He warned of a long struggle with "painful sacrifices" to come.

Moment of silence

The final session of the assembly began with a moment of silence for the victims of Sept. 11.

Assembly president Rafael Estrella of Spain called the attacks "a challenge to humanity" and described the military response that started Sunday as justice, not revenge.

Robertson said NATO's operations elsewhere, particularly in the Balkans, must continue to prevent the instability that created the situation in Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is a safe haven for terrorists precisely because it does not have a viable state structure. It is a 'black hole,"' he said. "NATO is engaged in the Balkans to prevent such 'black holes' from emerging right at our doorstep."

Robertson told reporters late Monday that more countries would be asked to help the U.S.-led response, and said he and Chretien would discuss having Canadian troops take over peacekeeping operations in the Balkans to free up U.S. troops there.

British troops are assisting U.S. forces in the attacks, and Bush has mentioned France, Australia and Germany as contributors to the military effort. Canada announced its specific military contribution Monday.

Asked about U.S. plans for a missile defense program, which has raised concern in Europe, Robertson said the threat of missile attacks by rogue states must be addressed.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman told the assembly the Bush administration intends to continue working on the missile defense plan.

"From our perspective, NATO would not be meeting its responsibilities to our publics if we recognized a threat within our means to address but failed to act on it," Grossman said.

The NATO assembly includes the 19-member NATO alliance and 17 associate members, most from the former Soviet Bloc. Its resolutions lack binding authority, but the debate serves as a barometer of the political climate among NATO allies.

Earlier Tuesday, Estrella signed a cooperation agreement with the head of the Russian delegation, Lyubov Sliska. Estrella said the agreement signaled increased contacts between NATO and Russia, its former enemy.

Grossman said he believed the Sept. 11 attacks "may have a transforming effect on our relationship with Russia," which has voiced strong solidarity in the fight against terrorism.