NATO guns for civilians

They claim their mission is peace and security. They also state that they are there to promote democratic values and encourage consultation and cooperation of defence and security, in the long run to prevent conflict. These were some of the goals that member countries agreed when establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on April 4, 1949. Yet today the rest of the world question the NATO missions especially, in Afghanistan and Libya.

It is mostly criticised for their attacks on civilians where in certain instances an entire village came under attack of NATO troops. As the foreign news agency reports last week Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned the NATO forces saying that that they see NATO from the point of view of an ally and if they don't stop air strikes on Afghan homes, their presence in Afghanistan will be considered as an occupying force and 'against the will of the Afghan people'.

While missions are carried out on Libya and Afghanistan the NATO and Russian fighter aircraft are planning to take part in counter terrorism drill code named, Vigilant Skies, from June 6-11. The North Atlantic Alliance in press release stated that an initiative has been taken to prevent terrorist attacks which use civilian aircraft, such as the attacks on the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, by sharing information on movements in NATO and Russian airspace, and by coordinating interceptions of renegade aircraft.

The NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance which cooperates with a range of countries in different structures. NATO is strengthened with 28 member countries to-date which includes countries with strong military wings.

Since its inception the Europe being reunited with the NATO marks a milestone in its history. A new stratergic concept that was adopted in 1991 with the developed partnerships with former adversaries is noted as one focal point by analysists. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the organisation was drawn into the Break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s which resulted in NATO's first military operations in Bosnia from 1991 to 1995 and later Serbia in 1999. The NATO, as agreed by all their member States, is able to intervene to restore peace if diplomatic efforts fail.

Accordingly in such situations the military capacity need to undertake crisis management operations. These are carried out under article 5 of the Washington Treaty and/or under a UN mandate, alone or in cooperation with the other countries and international organisations. NATO decisions are made collectively by its members States.

Following the 9/11 attack on New York twin towers the NATO took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2003. In 2010 the NATO adopted a new stratergic concept with three core tasks - collective defence, crisis management, cooperative security. The world criticises NATO's attacks on civilians and their homes in Afghanistan. Last week Afghan President Karzai condemned NATO air strikes which inadvertently killed at least nine people - most of them small children - in southern Helmand last Sunday. The strikes were ordered after a patrol had come under fire.

As news agency reports state tension grew at this weekend attack on a compound in Helmand's Nawzad district of which graphic television footage after the strikes showed grieving relatives cradling the bodies of several children, including babies.

The commander of ISAF troops in the region apologised for the deaths, saying the strikes on the compound had been ordered because insurgents were using them as a base.

According to reports published it has been observed that the U.S. and NATO commanders have stepped up air strikes and night raids during the past 12 months, justifying they are effective weapons against insurgents who often hide among the Afghan population.

Today the NATO used attack helicopters (for the first time as NATO claim) aimed at increasing pressure on the Moammar Gadafi regime in Libya. A recent NATO statement said the use of attack helicopters provided increased flexibility to track and attack pro-Gaddafi forces attempting to hide in populated areas.

According to a news report published by a UK based news agency the commander of NATO's Libya force has said that the first engagement had been successful and displayed the unique capabilities of attack helicopters. He has also said "We will continue to use these assets whenever and wherever needed,".

The attacks continue to intensify. Will there be more civilian deaths? NATO has widened its campaign to weaken the Libyan strongman's regime with airstrikes on desert command centres and sea patrols to intercept ships. Whom are they targeting? A single regime or the innocent civilians inhabiting the country? Gaddafi seems to be remaining defiant against the widening NATO attacks and international pressure to step down.

Initially, the primary targets were Libyan air defences, anti-aircraft facilities and communication centres. NATO strikes also include bunkers, ammunition storage sites, armoured personnel carriers, artillery vehicles and tanks.

According to NATO figures compiled by the Guardian, almost 1,000 targets have been hit in about 3,000 strike sorties. The Libyan government said that NATO bombings killed 718 civilians and wounded over 4,000. This number does not include the number of Libyan military casualties, which government officials refuse to release.

And the missions continue to cause mayham to innocent civilians. When will the NATO be able to resolve the so called disputes?

(DY)