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NATO reacts to Slovak 'purge'
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| 25 September 2003 |
Top NATO officials have become so alarmed by the current intelligence crisis in Slovakia that JID has learned of the issuing of a directive to all civilian and military NATO personnel designed to place strict limits on both private and professional contacts with Slovaks. JID's regional correspondent reports on what has become the most pressing challenge to NATO's expansion.
In effect, Slovak officials have been isolated by the Alliance until further notice, following the recent 'purge' of pro-Western military and intelligence officials by Slovakia's prime minister Mikulas Dzurinda. According to JID's well-informed sources, NATO secretary general Lord Robertson is recommending that those member states which have yet to ratify Slovakia's accession put the process on hold until further notice. This development could have a significant impact on Slovakia's relationship with the EU - which it is scheduled to join in May 2004 - since the latter has an agreement to mirror NATO's decisions regarding the status of new member states.
Dzurinda continues to seek support for the dismissal of National Security Office Director (NBU), Jan Mojzis, who is strongly pro-Western and supported by both the USA and Britain for his uncompromising approach to issuing security clearances to all Slovak officials who will come into contact with NATO-related classified and secret documents.
A second serious crisis is threatening to engulf Dzurinda's administration. He has already put forward a candidate to replace outgoing minister of defence Ivan Simko, who broke ranks with the ruling Slovak Democratic and Christian Union Party (SDKU) by daring to vote against sacking Mojzis.
Simko's replacement has been named as Juraj Liska, mayor of the western Slovak town of Trencin, a local politician with no experience in heading a military department.
The dismissal of Simko has alarmed top NATO officials as he is considered to be extremely pro-Western and endeavoured to introduce a number of key reforms to the Slovak defence ministry and the army. These included making the general staff a subordinate institution.
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