Introduction and Bibliography

Max Olson
June 5th, 2003
SCAND 455
University of Washington

The Baltic States Involvement in the Iraqi Conflict: Security and Diplomacy

Introduction

When the United States and Britain released a list of thirty-five countries that pledged support for their war on Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were included, and each ended up deploying a small number of peacekeeping troops to the region. The deployment of troops reflects the changing role of the Baltic States in world affairs, just as they prepare for entrance into NATO and acceptance into the European Union. The motivations behind the Baltic governments' decision to join to US/Britain-led coalition are multi-dimensional and diverse. They range from national security issues to NATO solidarity. While support among the Latvian public is mixed, the governments are remaining steadfast in their decision. Latvia's President, Vaira Vike-Frieberga, is "an outspoken supporter of the United States' policy in Iraq," and among French President Jacque Chirac's "loudest critics," according to The Baltic Times. While the decision to join the coalition had minimal impact on the Baltic States' efforts to join the European Union - in mid-April, the EU signed treaties that began the process of acceptance for the Baltic States and 7 other countries - they have proven capable of making independent and decisive world policy choices that may not fall into line with other European Union countries.

In my paper, I will discuss and analyze the reasons behind the Baltic governments' decision to join the coalition. I will also look into how the decision impacts their relationship with NATO and the European Union, and how the support (or lack thereof) of the Baltic public influenced their decision. I will draw much of my information regarding Baltic, European, and US government policy towards Iraq from the European Union, US State Department, and Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs websites. The websites include a wide range of official government documents, including articles and statements directly addressing the Baltic governments' position on the conflict. From my findings, I will try to draw conclusions on the priorities of the Baltic governments during foreign policy decision making, and what this tells us about the future role of the Baltic States in Europe, NATO, and world politics.

Overview of the Conflict in Iraq

On March 27th, 2003, George W. Bush, President of the United States, gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his regime an ultimatum to depart or disarm within 48 hours or face serious consequences. In the months leading up to the ultimatum, the United States had struggled to gain United Nations approval for the use of force to disarm Hussein's regime. On September 12th, 2002, Bush addressed the United Nations Security Council:

"The history, the logic, and the facts lead to only one conclusion: Saddam Hussein's regime is a grave and gathering danger. To suggest otherwise is to hope against the evidence. To assume this regime's good faith is to bet the lives of millions and the peace of the world in a reckless gamble. And this is a risk we must not take. (US Department of State)."

The position was outlined in a statement released soon after by the US Department of State:

"Saddam Hussein's Iraq represents a threat to the peace and security of the world because it is the crossroads where weapons of mass destruction, state support for terrorism, international aggression, and a sustained assault on human rights converge in a single place, under a single tyrant (US Department of State)."

Two month after the address, on November 8th, the UN Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1441, allowing the U.N. Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to install an inspection regime for Iraqi disarmament (US Department of State). In response to increasing pressure from the United States, the European Union Council on February 17th reiterated its stance that it was the Security Council's responsibility to deal with Iraqi disarmament, that war was no inevitable, and that "Force should be used only as a last resort (European Union Online)." Not satisfied with the progress of the disarmament and unable to win UN approval for the use of force, leaders of the US, UK, Portugal, and Spain, met in the Azores on March 16th to discuss the future of Iraq, a meeting which led to Bush's ultimatum the following day. On March 19th, President Bush announced that a coalition led by the United States and Britain had begun the attack of Iraq:

"More than 35 countries are giving crucial support - from the use of naval and air bases, to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense (US Department of State)."

Among the coalition partners were Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The Baltic States' Role in the Conflict

The governments of the Baltic States officially voiced their support in the opening days of the war. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on March 20th, declaring that:

"Lithuania has always spoken out for peaceful resolution of conflicts. However, we have also stood by the opinion that the UN inspections in Iraq could not go on for indefinite time, if Iraq would not cooperate fully. Lithuania expresses its regret that Saddam Hussein's regime did not take the last opportunity made available for it. In our belief, the operation launched by the coalition is the last-resort step aimed at Iraq's disarmament, which was envisaged by the UN Security Council Resolution 1441 (Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Online)."

Latvia and Lithuania pledged humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq, stating "Latvia will offer humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, take part in the rebuilding of the country and work to eliminate the legacy of totalitarianism (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Online)." Latvia pointed to UN Resolution 1441 as justification for the conflict, its parliament passing a bill entitled On the Support of the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution Nr 1441, "pledging support to and readiness to join the efforts of the international coalition aiming at disarmament of Iraq (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Online)." Estonia released similar statements of support and pledged "55 Estonian defense force personnel for a post-war peace enforcement mission in Iraq (Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Online).

Lithuania was the first to send peacekeeping troops to the region. In early April, they deployed ten members of the Lithuanian National Defense Volunteer Forces (NDVF), specialists in logistics-air cargo handling, and four medical specialists to Kuwait (Lithuanian Ministry of Defense Online). On May 18th, Latvia sent 30 soldiers from a supply and logistics unit and six Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists to Kuwait to participate in the international peacekeeping and humanitarian operation within the US contingent (Latvian Ministry of Defense Online).

A prime reason for the Baltic States joining the coalition was their allegiance to NATO. On May 23rd, officials from the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian Ministries of Defense met in Trakai, Lithuania to discuss the future military role of the Baltic States and how they can coordinate their actions in preparing for international missions. They discussed their military advances during the admission process for NATO including success in "on-going joint military projects in the field of land and naval forces, air space surveillance, training, and command and control." They discussed how these projects can save costs and "conduct a more effective military personnel relating rotation (Lithuanian Ministry of Defense)."

During a June 3rd summit of foreign ministers of NATO member states and of countries invited to NATO held in Madrid, the Baltic States were included in the discussion of NATO's role in the situation in Iraq. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis informed on "the decision by the Seimas (Parliament) to increase tenfold the participation of the Lithuanian military in the Iraqi operations." He also presented "the vision of Lithuania's contribution to the strengthening of the Alliance and stressed the country's preparedness to amplify the transatlantic link (Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)."

Initial Ramifications of Joining the Coalition

The entry of the Baltic States into the United States and British-led coalition in Iraq was timed just as the European Union was deciding on whether to grant them invitations to join the EU. Two of the largest European Union countries, France and Germany, were among the most outspoken in their criticism of Bush's Iraq policy in the months leading up to the war. On March 20th, as the war began, European Commission President Romano Prodi released a statement regarding the war:

"This is a sad and somber day for all nations around the world. The onslaught of war has put paid to the international community's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis within the United Nations. Today we must all pray that the war will be short and as bloodless as possible and that it will bring the least possible disruption to the region. We trust that all involved will do their utmost to limit the number of civilian casualties. Iraq's territorial integrity must be preserved (European Union Online)."

Despite the criticism of the war, European Union officials openly stated that the stance of the Baltic States would not affect their potential entry into the European Union and on April 16th, The European Union and the Baltic States, signed the Treaty of Accession in Athens, paving the way for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia-along with Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia-"to begin the ratification procedures that will formalize their membership of the Union on 1 May 2004 (European Union Online)."

The reaction of people in the Baltic States to joining the coalition was mixed. In a poll conducted between March 14th and March 20th by market and public opinion research firm Latvijas fakti and released by the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that 78.2% of Latvia's population believe that the threat of terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction has increased and agree that Saddam Hussein's regime needs to be disarmed of its chemical and biological weapons. But 61.3% of those polled did not support the use of military means to disarm Iraq (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs). As throughout Europe though, demonstrations took place across the Baltic States in the days immediately following the beginning of the war. On March 30th, Estonian police detained 83 persons during a small, but violent protest in front of the US Embassy in Tallinn. Protest also took place in Riga and Vilnius (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty).

Long-Term Impacts and Conclusion

Despite the differences between the governments of the Baltic States and the European Union on the conflict in Iraq, the Lithuanian public on May 10th and 11th passed the referendum accepting membership into the European Union. Rytis Martikonis, Lithuanian Representitive at the European Convention observed that "by voting in the referendum on 10-11 May, sending a powerful political signal, Lithuanian citizens endorsed the Accession Treaty and, at the same time, the present institutional architecture of the EU (Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)." In September, Latvia and Estonia will hold similar referendums on European Union Accession.

The Baltic States' greatest benefit from supporting the coalition may be economic. In an April 25th interview on Latvian National Television, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell responded positively to a question regarding the awarding of post-war contracts to the Baltic States:

"Well, everybody wants -- everybody likes contracts, and there will be many contracts. But Latvia was there when it wasn't clear what the outcome would be, when everybody was worried that this war might be terrible, it might take so long, would it be successful, would the people welcome? When those questions were still unanswered, Latvia understood the importance of supporting us and the United States will not forget that support (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)."

By joining the coalition in Iraq, the governments of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia made a strong statement on where their place is in the international community. They showed an ability to voice their opinion on divisive international issues and base their decision on their own security and best interests.

Bibliography

Diena Online. http://www.diena.lv/. Accessed 22 Apr. 2003.

Diena Online will be a place I can access news reports in Latvian on current events. While much of the news will be similar to The Baltic Times and RFE/RL reports, Diena will still be quite valuable because it is a Latvian language newspaper with the intended audience being the Latvian people. I will also be able to utilize the message board to have a dialogue with Latvian readers on my paper topic.

European Union Online. http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm. Accessed 28 Apr. 2003.

The European Union website will be an invaluable part of my research. The website contains a massive amount of information regarding every facet of EU policy. As with the US State Department website, the searching capabilities are excellent and a wide range of articles, speeches, and policy statements are available. Much of the information relevant to my topic can be found in the Activities of the European Union - Foreign and Security Policy section of the website (http://europa.eu.int/pol/cfsp/index_en.htm).

Girnius, Saulius. "Police Arrest Violent Protesters in Front of US Embassy." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newsline Daily Report. Accessed via email. 18 Apr. 2003.

I received this article from the RFE/RL daily report that I subscribe to via email. The article gives details the March 30th protests at the US Embassy in Tallinn. The Radio Free Europe reports will be another valuable secondary source for up to date information on current events in the Baltic States.

Lyons, J. Michael. "Athens to Assuage Allies." The Baltic Times. 22 Apr. 2003. http://archives.baltictimes.com/www/raksts.php?rnum=193.

This is just one of many articles I can use from The Baltic Times for my research. The article speaks of Baltic leaders meeting with EU officials during the Athens conference in late April where the EU voted to begin the acceptance process for the Baltic States. Baltic Times updates daily and would be a solid secondary source for information on my topic as the situation in Iraq unfolds. The Baltic Times message boards will be a place where I can get feedback on my projects from other readers.

Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Latvia. http://www.mod.gov.lv/english/index.php. Accessed 18 May 2003.

Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Lithuania. http://www.kam.lt/en/. Accessed 23 May 2003.

The websites contains a large number of government press releases and statements regarding the Latvian and Lithuanian military, including information about the Latvian peacekeeping force that was deployed to Kuwait on May 18th (http://www.mod.gov.lv/english/05jaunumi/index.php?id=1053), the Lithuanian force deployed in April (http://www.kam.lt/en/news.php?&id=1608), and information relating to the Trakai summit (http://www.kam.lt/en/news.php?id=1737).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. http://www.am.gov.lv/en/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2003.

A wide range of government press releases, speeches, declarations, fact sheets, and reviews can be accessed through the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, including a number of pertinent documents regarding Latvia's policy on the conflict in Iraq. Relevant articles I can use in my research include the government statement officially supporting the US/Britain coalition at the beginning of the war (http://www.am.gov.lv/en/?id=335&page=3734), statements by H.E. Gints Jegermanis Latvia's delegate to the United Nations regarding the conflict (http://www.am.gov.lv/en/index.html?id=3710 and http://www.am.gov.lv/en/index.html?id=3754), and an opinion poll from Latvia released by the government (http://www.am.gov.lv/en/?id=335&page=3755). Another useful article will be an interview on Latvian TV with US Secretary of State Colin Powell in which he speaks of possible Iraq rebuilding contracts for Latvia (http://www.am.gov.lv/en/?id=3838).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia. http://www.vm.ee/eng. Accessed 28 Apr. 2003.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. http://www.vm.ee/eng. Accessed 28 Apr. 2003.

While the volume of information and searching capabilities of the Estonian and Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs websites do not equal their counterpart, the websites will still be useful sources regarding Estonian and Lithuanian policy towards the conflict in Iraq. The Lithuanian statement regarding the conflict is given (http://www.urm.lt/view.php?cat_id=9&msg_id=1950), as well as a number of articles and government statements.

NATO Official Homepage. http://www.nato.int/. Accessed 10 May 2003.
The NATO Homepage had a wide range of resources related to NATO accession and the Baltic States' role in the organization. Documents on the website review Baltic military capabilities and how the integrate with NATO. One article outlines the progress the Baltic States have made militarily in the past four years (http://www.eastlant.nato.int/hq_info/HQ%20Mag%2002_2/collaboration_in_the_baltic_stat.htm).

US Embassy Tallinn. http://www.vm.ee/eng. Accessed 27 Apr. 2003.

The US Embassy to Estonia will be a valuable resource regarding US policy in Iraq relevant to the Baltics. The website includes a number of interviews, articles, speeches and US government statements regarding the conflict, as well as an email service directed to people living in Estonia in which people can receive updates on government policy towards Iraq. A speech regarding the conflict given by US Ambassador to Estonia Joseph DeThomas to Tallinn Technical University students is included (http://www.usemb.ee/techuniv.php3).

US Department of State. http://usinfo.state.gov/products/washfile/homepage.shtml. Accessed 28 Apr. 2003.

The State Department website posts up-to-date articles, speeches, and government statements on foreign policy issues. It is a solid source for official United States government positions on the Iraq conflict. The searching capabilities are excellent and make sifting through the massive volume of information possible. An overview on the US stance on Iraq is available at http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/iraq/homepage.htm.