Jaroslav Baška
State Secretary, MOD Slovakia
Bratislava, 14 December 2006
Good morning, dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It’s a great pleasure and privilege for me to open this international conference, one more in a series of successful events organized by the young team of the Euro-Atlantic Center. I am also glad to recognize the support that the UN Information Service in Vienna, NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and all the other institutions whose staffs have contributed to the event. I hope the organizers found in UNIS and PDD stable partners in organizing activities that both popularize security issues with the public and “dig deeper” with the experts, so to speak.
Let me state at the very outset that this conference is, indeed, topical. News media, intelligence assessments and operational reports remind us every day that the threat of terrorism is real. The Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic clearly states that terrorism, combined with the use of weapons of mass destruction, presents a strategic global threat to Slovakia.
It is true, luckily, that the security environment inside our borders is relatively stable with no immediate threats. The Slovak territory has not been used directly by terrorist groups for their activities. Nor have the interests of the Slovak Republic abroad been the primary aim of terrorist acts. I would, however, caution anyone against complacency.
There are serious risks ahead, and some of them have already materialized. Four Slovak soldiers have died fulfilling their duties in asymmetric warfare situations in Iraq. We are active members of international organizations that have taken the lead in the fight against terrorism and we participate in counterterror activities and operations globally. Our diplomats, businessmen and students work and travel internationally. These and other factors increase the risk to Slovak interests abroad, but not only abroad. They also increase the risk that a terrorist act may, in fact, be carried out on the Slovak territory itself.
Today, I would like to share with you some of the main tenets of the government agenda, especially as they relate to the topic of our conference.
The involvement of armed forces in the fight against terrorism is a hotly debated topic in academic circles since 9/11 and increasingly so, as we witness the evolution of the situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This being said, everyone seems to agree that military force does have a role in the fight against terrorism, or, to use NATO language, in defense against terrorism. The armed forces are, after all, the most powerful and best organized instrument that governments have at their disposal to counter security threats.
The Slovak Government will create prerequisites for building such forces that enable us to respond to situations threatening the security of the citizens, the state, and our allies. By the end of 2010, Slovakia must contribute adequately to NATO collective defence and to EU crisis management. Our forces must be properly manned, equipped, organized and trained for the full spectrum of operations. These operations include counter-terrorism, anti-terrorism, consequence management and military assistance and cooperation. We are steadily increasing the deployability and sustainability of forces far away from national territory. We are already contributing to the 25-thousand strong NATO Response Force, a remarkable achievement of the Alliance, which can be deployed at quick notice globally.
Our units are active in crisis regions, from Bosnia to Kosovo to Afghanistan to Iraq. Threats must be addressed where they lie, instead of waiting for them to materialize at home. More than 10,000 Slovak military professionals have served the cause of peace, stability and freedom since 1993. Ultimately, security is the oxygen of democracy and prosperity. Only a secure environment allows for economic development and the creation of viable political systems that involve, rather than isolate or repress, citizens. Such stable states can then take care of their internal problems including terrorism themselves and emerge in the fight against terrorism as a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.
Slovakia is acting and leading in the fight against terrorism. Work is moving forward on our role as NATO’s Lead Nation in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, including on the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Slovakia. The MOD is committed to developing this training and testing facility that will support NATO interoperability in a key niche area. Force specialization allows Slovakia to excel and contribute high-value capabilities to the Alliance. Our key capabilities are engineering/demining and NBC protection. In these fields, both our personnel and equipment are world class.
The armed forces have a clear, legally established role on the national territory as well. We have seen the successful involvement of military specialists in suspected terrorist and criminal activities. Defense assets and capabilities, from NBC specialists to special operations units to military policemen to military intelligence professionals to specialized trainers and facilities, are ready to play their part in defending Slovakia against terrorism. My government will further develop military capabilities that would allow the military to support civilian authorities in crisis management, including natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
Current threats to our security, clearly, cannot be handled by the armed forces alone; they absolutely require inter-agency responses. Chris Donnelly, NATO Secretary General’s Advisor, once said that what is threatened today is not state territory, but the tissue of society itself. It’s not tanks, it’s banks, he said—and this is very true. The Government will create an integrated security system to control and coordinate all defense-related organisations and institutions. At the moment, each ministry seems to be doing its part in the fight against terrorism. The challenge is to really put the puzzle together, to synergize individual agencies’ efforts. To give an example, we are still lacking a common, coherent inter-agency threat assessment. The MOD is working toward a joint military intelligence system to deal with the full spectrum of military and non-military threats, but the national system to plug it into is just not there yet.
I also have the feeling that there is a lot to be done in really reaching the citizen. This is about human security after all. We must progress in our communications and public education strategies. Every citizen should know, as a minimum, what to do in the case of an emergency. Also, perhaps more importantly, the citizens need to be aware that terror may happen not just to our students or businessmen in New York, London, Madrid or Moscow, but also to a person rushing to work on a Bratislava morning. We still have to figure out the role of civil society organizations—the media, NGOs and think tanks—in creating a general security awareness. An awareness about the nature of the threat that our people and nations are facing as we speak and well into the future, and about the challenges to Society that terrorism poses if not addressed jointly by both the State and the Society.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For these and many other reasons I am eager to open this conference today. I would encourage you to take an honest and balanced look at the progress in adapting our national and international institutions to the evolving terrorist threat. I am very pleased to see those bright, probing questions on the agenda and in the questionnaire. I would also encourage that recommendations be as practical as possible, which I and my colleagues look forward to reviewing as we implement our security agenda.
Let me conclude by wishing you all a very fruitful deliberation, and to our foreign guests a pleasant stay in Slovakia. All the best and thank you very much.
State Secretary, MOD Slovakia
Bratislava, 14 December 2006
Good morning, dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It’s a great pleasure and privilege for me to open this international conference, one more in a series of successful events organized by the young team of the Euro-Atlantic Center. I am also glad to recognize the support that the UN Information Service in Vienna, NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and all the other institutions whose staffs have contributed to the event. I hope the organizers found in UNIS and PDD stable partners in organizing activities that both popularize security issues with the public and “dig deeper” with the experts, so to speak.
Let me state at the very outset that this conference is, indeed, topical. News media, intelligence assessments and operational reports remind us every day that the threat of terrorism is real. The Security Strategy of the Slovak Republic clearly states that terrorism, combined with the use of weapons of mass destruction, presents a strategic global threat to Slovakia.
It is true, luckily, that the security environment inside our borders is relatively stable with no immediate threats. The Slovak territory has not been used directly by terrorist groups for their activities. Nor have the interests of the Slovak Republic abroad been the primary aim of terrorist acts. I would, however, caution anyone against complacency.
There are serious risks ahead, and some of them have already materialized. Four Slovak soldiers have died fulfilling their duties in asymmetric warfare situations in Iraq. We are active members of international organizations that have taken the lead in the fight against terrorism and we participate in counterterror activities and operations globally. Our diplomats, businessmen and students work and travel internationally. These and other factors increase the risk to Slovak interests abroad, but not only abroad. They also increase the risk that a terrorist act may, in fact, be carried out on the Slovak territory itself.
Today, I would like to share with you some of the main tenets of the government agenda, especially as they relate to the topic of our conference.
The involvement of armed forces in the fight against terrorism is a hotly debated topic in academic circles since 9/11 and increasingly so, as we witness the evolution of the situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This being said, everyone seems to agree that military force does have a role in the fight against terrorism, or, to use NATO language, in defense against terrorism. The armed forces are, after all, the most powerful and best organized instrument that governments have at their disposal to counter security threats.
The Slovak Government will create prerequisites for building such forces that enable us to respond to situations threatening the security of the citizens, the state, and our allies. By the end of 2010, Slovakia must contribute adequately to NATO collective defence and to EU crisis management. Our forces must be properly manned, equipped, organized and trained for the full spectrum of operations. These operations include counter-terrorism, anti-terrorism, consequence management and military assistance and cooperation. We are steadily increasing the deployability and sustainability of forces far away from national territory. We are already contributing to the 25-thousand strong NATO Response Force, a remarkable achievement of the Alliance, which can be deployed at quick notice globally.
Our units are active in crisis regions, from Bosnia to Kosovo to Afghanistan to Iraq. Threats must be addressed where they lie, instead of waiting for them to materialize at home. More than 10,000 Slovak military professionals have served the cause of peace, stability and freedom since 1993. Ultimately, security is the oxygen of democracy and prosperity. Only a secure environment allows for economic development and the creation of viable political systems that involve, rather than isolate or repress, citizens. Such stable states can then take care of their internal problems including terrorism themselves and emerge in the fight against terrorism as a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.
Slovakia is acting and leading in the fight against terrorism. Work is moving forward on our role as NATO’s Lead Nation in Explosive Ordnance Disposal, including on the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Slovakia. The MOD is committed to developing this training and testing facility that will support NATO interoperability in a key niche area. Force specialization allows Slovakia to excel and contribute high-value capabilities to the Alliance. Our key capabilities are engineering/demining and NBC protection. In these fields, both our personnel and equipment are world class.
The armed forces have a clear, legally established role on the national territory as well. We have seen the successful involvement of military specialists in suspected terrorist and criminal activities. Defense assets and capabilities, from NBC specialists to special operations units to military policemen to military intelligence professionals to specialized trainers and facilities, are ready to play their part in defending Slovakia against terrorism. My government will further develop military capabilities that would allow the military to support civilian authorities in crisis management, including natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
Current threats to our security, clearly, cannot be handled by the armed forces alone; they absolutely require inter-agency responses. Chris Donnelly, NATO Secretary General’s Advisor, once said that what is threatened today is not state territory, but the tissue of society itself. It’s not tanks, it’s banks, he said—and this is very true. The Government will create an integrated security system to control and coordinate all defense-related organisations and institutions. At the moment, each ministry seems to be doing its part in the fight against terrorism. The challenge is to really put the puzzle together, to synergize individual agencies’ efforts. To give an example, we are still lacking a common, coherent inter-agency threat assessment. The MOD is working toward a joint military intelligence system to deal with the full spectrum of military and non-military threats, but the national system to plug it into is just not there yet.
I also have the feeling that there is a lot to be done in really reaching the citizen. This is about human security after all. We must progress in our communications and public education strategies. Every citizen should know, as a minimum, what to do in the case of an emergency. Also, perhaps more importantly, the citizens need to be aware that terror may happen not just to our students or businessmen in New York, London, Madrid or Moscow, but also to a person rushing to work on a Bratislava morning. We still have to figure out the role of civil society organizations—the media, NGOs and think tanks—in creating a general security awareness. An awareness about the nature of the threat that our people and nations are facing as we speak and well into the future, and about the challenges to Society that terrorism poses if not addressed jointly by both the State and the Society.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For these and many other reasons I am eager to open this conference today. I would encourage you to take an honest and balanced look at the progress in adapting our national and international institutions to the evolving terrorist threat. I am very pleased to see those bright, probing questions on the agenda and in the questionnaire. I would also encourage that recommendations be as practical as possible, which I and my colleagues look forward to reviewing as we implement our security agenda.
Let me conclude by wishing you all a very fruitful deliberation, and to our foreign guests a pleasant stay in Slovakia. All the best and thank you very much.
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