[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 158 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2173-E2174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY MEETINGS IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN S. TANNER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 18, 2007

  Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I recently led a bipartisan House 
delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Reykjavik, 
Iceland, from October 5-October 9. The co-chair of my delegation was 
the Hon. John Shimkus. In addition, Representatives John Boozman, Jo 
Ann Emerson, Jeff Miller, Dennis Moore, Ralph Regula, Mike Ross, David 
Scott, Ellen Tauscher, and Tom Udall, and staff, worked to make these 
meetings a success in the examination of a number of front-line NATO 
issues.
  The NATO Parliamentary Assembly brings together members of parliament 
from all 26 allied states. In addition, observer delegations from such 
countries as Russia, Georgia, Macedonia, Croatia, and Albania bring a 
wide range of views to the table in discussion of issues of interest to 
Americans and Europeans. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly breaks into 
committees for presentation and discussion of reports by the 
parliamentary delegates. These sessions provide an opportunity to gauge 
the issues of greatest interest to NATO governments, and give our own 
Members not only the chance to voice their own views, but to understand 
the debates occurring in such key countries as Germany, France, and 
Britain.
  There were several key issues that surfaced in the different 
committees. NATO's mission in Afghanistan was perhaps the most 
important. The future of Kosovo, now in the final stages of its quest 
for independence, was another. Enlargement of the alliance, an 
important subject of discussion at the coming NATO summit in Bucharest 
in April 2008, drew considerable attention. Other issues evident in the 
different committees were Russia's relations with the alliance, energy 
security, and missile defense.
  I have been chairman of the Committee on Economics and Security, and 
was re-elected to that position in Reykjavik. I will take the 
opportunity to mention that Rep. Boozman was also re-elected to serve 
another year as a rapporteur in that committee. Together with a 
Lithuanian member of parliament, he presented a well-received report on 
the rise of an east Asian economic system. There was also a report on 
trends in allied defense management in burdensharing. The report 
triggered a vigorous discussion of NATO's effort to stabilize 
Afghanistan. Forces from the United

[[Page E2174]]

States, Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands bear the brunt of the 
fighting there, and there was an appeal for other member governments to 
contribute more troops and other resources. While there is widespread 
agreement in the alliance that stabilization of Afghanistan is a 
critical step in the effort to subdue terrorism, some governments with 
capable forces remain reluctant to put their troops in harm's way.
  The Political Committee also saw a contentious debate over 
Afghanistan. A Canadian delegate ably presented a report calling for a 
reduction in caveats--the restrictions that some governments place on 
the use of their forces--and for more troops. There was also a report 
on NATO's efforts in the conflict against terrorism. The report laid 
out the good cooperation between the United States and the European 
Union in law-enforcement efforts to undercut terrorist financing 
schemes and to intercept terrorists as they move about the world; it 
also noted that NATO as an institution can bring political pressure to 
bear on governments around the world that support or turn a blind eye 
to terrorist activity on their soil. Another subject of vigorous debate 
was a resolution on the NATO-Russian relationship. The resolution was 
rightfully critical of Russia's efforts to intimidate such allies as 
Lithuania through cutoffs of energy supplies, and such friendly 
governments as Georgia by support for rebel groups within those 
governments' territories. The Russian delegates defended the actions of 
their government, and tried to water down the resolution. Mr. Ross and 
Mr. Udall strongly supported the key points of the resolution, which 
passed with nearly unanimous support from the delegates from the allied 
states. Mr. Ross was elected as a rapporteur in the Political 
Committee, and will present a report on NATO and Iran at the spring 
meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin.

  The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security saw the presentation 
of reports on Montenegro's role in the Balkans, and on the protection 
of critical infrastructure, such as oil pipelines and communications 
networks, in allied states. There were also two presentations by 
outside speakers that drew considerable interest. Mark Lowenthal, a 
former staff director of the House Intelligence Committee and later the 
Counselor at the CIA, made a well-defined presentation on intelligence, 
terrorism, and civil liberties. The delegates followed his presentation 
with a discussion of appropriate oversight of intelligence operations 
by parliaments in the effort to protect personal freedoms. Next, an 
Icelandic government minister gave a presentation on an emerging issue: 
as climate change causes the melting of part of the Arctic ice pack, 
claims by a number of states to seabed resources and the right to move 
through the ``Northwest Passage'' have begun to emerge. Transit through 
the Northwest Passage, if feasible, could reduce the voyage of 
petroleum tankers from the North Sea, for example, to Asia by 
approximately 4,000 miles. NATO governments have begun a quiet debate 
over how to provide security for ships using northern routes around 
Iceland and through possible sea lanes north of Canada.
  Two members of our delegation assumed offices on the Committee on 
Civil Dimension of Security. Jo Ann Emerson was re-elected a vice-chair 
of the subcommittee on democratic governance, and Dennis Moore was 
elected vice-chair of the full committee.
  The Committee on Science and Technology heard reports on a range of 
issues, the most interesting being a report on climate change, and 
another on proliferation of missile technologies. The discussion on 
climate change, given the setting in Iceland where glaciers are 
reportedly melting with unforeseen rapidity, was vigorous and 
thoughtful. The discussion on proliferation led to a debate over 
missile defense. Rep. Tauscher made several crisp, clear interventions 
that outlined the U.S. debate over a prospective missile defense 
against Iran. She also provided a telling critique of a Russian 
delegate's wandering and often inaccurate presentation on elements of 
U.S. defense policy. The committee voted not to adopt the Russian 
delegate's report.
  The Committee on Defense and Security also heard a debate, 
contentious at times, on NATO operations in Afghanistan. The British 
delegate who presented the report called on allied governments with 
minimal resources committed to Afghanistan to work to persuade their 
publics of the importance of the operations of NATO's International 
Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to contribute more troops. The 
alliance needs more helicopters and combat troops, especially for 
rapid-response actions, in the areas of the country where the Taliban 
are active. There was also a report on the efforts of NATO's three 
candidate states--Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia--to receive 
invitations to enter the alliance at the upcoming Bucharest summit. It 
is evident that the three governments have made considerable progress 
in defense reform, but some European parliamentarians questioned their 
progress in democratic governance. It is by no means a certainty that 
all three governments will receive invitations at Bucharest. There was 
also a report on the trip to Afghanistan by a number of 
parliamentarians, including Rep. Shimkus, on the progress to date of 
the ISAF mission. Rep. Shimkus also gave a well-received report on 
NATO-EU coordination in security matters. He analyzed the positive 
steps in such coordination, as well as some of the shortfalls, 
including the difficulties encountered in NATO's efforts to provide 
security to the EU's important police-training mission in Afghanistan. 
Rep. Shimkus was elected a vice-chair of the subcommittee on 
transatlantic defense and security cooperation, and Rep. Tauscher was 
elected the chair of the subcommittee on future security and defense 
capabilities.

  It should also be noted that Rep. Emerson was elected a vice-
president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to fill out the term of 
the late Paul Gillmor. This is a senior position that reflects her 
dedication to the Assembly's work and her evocation of the importance 
of the alliance to the United States.
  One of the more valuable aspects of Assembly meetings is the 
opportunity afforded for side meetings with senior U.S. and European 
officials. Before we left for Reykjavik, we had a briefing on allied 
matters from our ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland, and from Daniel 
Fried of the State Department and Dan Fata from the Pentagon. Each 
outlined clearly some of the key issues facing the alliance. In 
Reykjavik, we had a private discussion with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the 
NATO Secretary General; we discussed Afghanistan, enlargement, and 
Kosovo's future, as well as other issues. The U.S. ambassador to 
Iceland, Carol van Voorst, and her staff provided insight into and 
advice on U.S.-Icelandic relations. We also held a private meeting with 
the Macedonian foreign minister, Antonio Milososki, where there was a 
good discussion of his country's efforts to qualify for NATO 
membership. Before our departure for Reykjavik, staff also held a 
meeting in Washington with representatives of the Croatian government 
to discuss Zagreb's efforts to qualify for membership. It must be said 
that one of the great values of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is the 
opportunity to meet our counterparts from the parliaments of allied 
states. The chance to learn national and regional perspectives provides 
our own delegation with insights into key allied issues, and how we 
might resolve a range of questions of great importance to U.S. 
security.
  I wish to add that this was the first meeting in many years that we 
were without our friend, the late Rep. Paul Gillmor. He had been my 
delegation co-chair since the beginning of the 110th Congress, and we 
conducted many meetings together, in harmony and friendship. He served 
in a number of offices in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and was 
always the voice of reason and judiciousness. He was widely admired, 
not only here in the United States, but by his Assembly colleagues 
across the political spectrum. There was a moving tribute to his memory 
during the plenary session of the Assembly on October 9. He will be 
greatly missed.
  As always, our military personnel played an important role in the 
success of the delegation's trip. The air crew came from the 1st 
Airlift Squadron, which is part of the 89th Airlift Wing located at 
Andrews Air Force Base. They are all on active duty. In addition, three 
Air Force active duty personnel and one reservist served as our 
congressional escort team. All worked long hours to ensure that our 
trip went smoothly. I thank them for their hard work and their 
dedication to duty.

                          ____________________