ISTANBUL - NATO Naples-based Joint Force Commander Admiral Gregory Johnson said that the Operation Active Endeavor, initiated in 2001, had an important impact in the Mediterranean.
Together with NATO Naval Forces Southern Europe Commander Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte, Admiral Johnson briefed press members on Operation Active Endeavor aboard the Salih Reis ship of the Turkish Naval Forces, one of the five NATO ships anchored in Istanbul on the occasion of NATO Istanbul Summit between June 28 and 29,2004.
Noting that Article 5 of the NATO Constitutional Washington Treaty was activated for the first time in 2001 and that Operation Active Endeavor was initiated within this framework, Admiral Johnson said that the operation had an important impact on fight against terrorism and illegal immigration in the last three years.
Pointing out that the allied countries would be aware of importance of the operation more in the course of time and would make more contributions to the operation, Admiral Johnson told reporters that their most significant expectation was providing of a rapid and influential cooperation in intelligence flow in the operation area.
Stressing that NATO had been acting in the Operation Active Endeavor with nearly 5 thousand vessels, Admiral Johnson said upon a question that they did not have any idea on duration of the operation, adding that he thought that the operation would continue taking into consideration the new threats of the 21st century.
Admiral Johnson said that expansion of operation area and responsibilities of the Operation Active Endeavor was not planned, but efforts had been under way to make the operation more effective.
When asked whether or not any act of terrorism was prevented directly during the operation, Vice Admiral di Monteforte said, ''you cannot judge a person as terrorist unless he blows up a place.'' He said that they had a deterrent and indirect effect in fight against terrorism.
Di Monteforte said that illegal migration in the Mediterranean reduced by 50 percent in the first year of the operation.
Operation Active Endeavor has evolved out of NATO's immediate response to the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. As the Alliance has refined its counter-terrorism role in the intervening years, the operation's mandate has been regularly reviewed and its remit extended.
In March 2003, Operation Active Endeavor was expanded to include providing escorts through the Straits of Gibraltar to non-military ships from the Alliance member countries. In April 2003, NATO further expanded the mission and began systematically boarding suspect ships. In March 2004, as a result of the success of Operation Active Endeavor in the Eastern Mediterranean, NATO extended its remit to the whole of the Mediterranean.
(UK-AÖ) 27.06.2004