Belgium under attack

Belgium under attack

A striking similarity.

The last time that the newspapers worldwide announced in their headlines "Belgium under attack" goes back to May 1940. The subject ever since, and fortunately, didn't come up for discussion. Except maybe if one has the courage to pay some attention at a flourishing phenomenon namely the total disinterest of the Belgian authorities for its Defence and the possible future consequences for the society that definitely is becoming more and more fragile. With the national elections in the distance, a small mental-exercise is certainly appropriate. The political parties, and certainly those who prefer to play the cock of the walk to put a spoke in the wheel of the Armed Forces, have to show some courage to face the truth. Indeed the electorate will decide soon.

The cry of distress "Belgium under attack" is maybe not a proof of originality. Indeed, in August 2005 M. Paul Cook published a very enriching book "Canada under attack". In a very thorough analysis the author outlines the neglect of the Canadian Armed Forces caused by the irresponsible passivity and the improvident decisions of consecutive governments. His call for more commitment of the average Canadian, of the media and of the politicians to stop this poignant evolution, is well-founded by a convincing story of facts. Characteristic hereby is that a whole sequence of observations and recommendations fit completely in the Belgian environment. The transplantation of a few of his most important considerations can suffice by way of illustration. Furthermore in the Belgian context we have still to note a few typical anomalies. Nevertheless the Canadian situation provokes a true feeling of sympathy and not only just because the powerlessness of fellow-sufferers came and comes up very often informally for discussion as a token of neighbourliness during the diverse and numerous NATO-meetings.

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The Rwandan crisis.

The following quotation out of the book of M. Paul Cook can be sufficient to give the tone. "The Rwandan genocide and our inability to even support our own nation's soldiers, who we placed in harms way, showed how impotent Canada was in foreign policy matters, which required military competence. It also proved how meaningless the arguments put forward by 'Soft Power Only' advocates were. ... As we mark the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, let us remember the victims, as well as those - including many Canadians - who showed commitment and raw courage in defence of humanity. Let us remember that is there is any lesson from the tragedy it is that non-intervention is the domain of the gullible, callous and weak". This "belgianified" passage could be an integral part of the report of the Belgian Rwanda-committee, wherein also the salving political responsibility is sensed as very disturbing. The military, who had to do the job in place, poorly equipped and with a lame mandate, repeatedly indicate as the scapegoats, give prove of shaky political ethics. With beforehand more money for a better equipment, there is afterwards less need for monuments, apparently also required as a remedy for the emotionally wounded political conscience.

The replacement of the C-130.

The cry of despair of M. Paul Cook for the replacement of old military equipment is equally striking. One might think truly to be in a Belgian environment.
The situation of the C-130 is a source of a lot of trouble. Apparently in Canada more than in Belgium, at least for the time being.
"The bulk of our CC-130 Hercules aircraft are in need of replacement. ...CF Hercules aircraft No. 315 is the longest-flying military transport of its type in the world, ... most of the Hercules transports in the Air Force fleet, ..., are from the same 'generation" as No. 315. This places an incredible amount of pressure on ground crews to keep these 'relics' operational. ... The problem is that above and beyond the general maintenance any aircraft is required to undergo, including replacing parts, etc., the older Hercules aircraft have parts for those very old models that incur an ever-increasing price tag. ... These aircraft also require substantially more down time for maintenance for each hour flown compared to newer aircraft. All of us taxpayers are collectively paying million of extra dollars keeping these relics flying."

The optimists will probably promulgate in chorus that the situation of the Belgian C-130H differs thoroughly from the Canadian one of the same kind. Indeed the Belgian Herky has been modernized and is structurally strengthened. Nevertheless the question arises for how many years the actual working rhythm can be sustained before a ringing of a warning bell resounds, identical to the Canadian one because 2019 is still far away. The successor of the C-130H, the European A-400M, would indeed only be available for Belgium in that year at least if we encounter no further delays during the development of the newest technological tour de force of the European aeronautical industry. By the way, the manufacturer Airbus is still trying to recover from the uppercut after the A-380 debacle and has announced that the first flight of the A-400M ran into a delay of a few months.

Moreover, the hobbyhorse of the Flemish Socialists and their chairman Johan Vande Lanotte, namely the departure of the 15th Wing Air transport from Melsbroek, will be inevitable at the end of the next decade with the arrival of the A-400M, at least according to insiders. In 2000 the bite in the meagre budget of Defence, to realize the move, was even for the Socialists too greedy. Most probably the discussion will focus on Beauvechain situated in the Walloon Brabant, most likely at that time the airport for charters from Zaventem (where a juridical sparring match and skyrocketing fines about noise nuisance can cause a lot of trouble about the economical justified future of the national airport) and if there will still be room at that time to accommodate the military air transport. Or has the socialist figure head also again in this case the intention to triumph by providing the air transport fleet a new home at his Belgian coast, as he indicated already in the past in no uncertain terms.

In the scope of the A-400M programme there is indeed another typical Belgian chore that can cause a lot of turbulence. The industrial participation at the programme has to take into account that the regions receive all a proportional part. The laxity of the former Federal Minister of Economy to obtain from her colleague of Defence a certain say in the industrial side of the A-400M is at the origin of a lot of grumbling and grinding of teeth. The A-400M is not again a shadowy and costly game of economical compensations but is a programme with a direct participation or co-production. The industry that offers the best quality at the best price will obtain a contract. The Turkish participation at the A-400M is an example of how is has to be done. From the Belgian side one reaps again the rewards of the stepmotherly treatment of the defence-industry in general, of the aeronautical industry in particular.

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The fleet of airtaxi's of the government.

Maybe we can stay for some time in the world of the airtransport. Our Canadian writer notices: "... it took the PM (Prime Minister) and his inner circle but one day to approve the $100-million acquisition of two brand new luxury Challenger jets for him and for the use of the cabinet, while the military was still awaiting the replacement for the Sea Kings." And again in this case a Belgian cover fits with a Canadian pot. The delivery of two brand new Embrears ERJ135LR in 2001 followed by two Embrears ERJ145LR the year after and the modernization of two Falcons 20 into glittering phoenixes in 2005 illustrates abundantly clear where the members of the government have no problems when they deal with Defence. Very typical also is the conclusion that these military airtaxi's of the government are the only means of Defence that deserve a scanty photographic attention in the report of 8 years of Verhofstadt, recently described in his publication "Een open boek" (An open book), wherein he flaunts on the front cover as the lonely traveller on board of an Embrear.

The replacement of the helicopters.

And M. Paul Cook still employs other arrows that could be used on a Belgian arch. The Canadian helicopter case show many familiar characteristics. "The state of the Sea Kings is now so poor that it has been reported that for every one hour of flight time, 30 hours of maintenance are required. Much of this is due to the age of the helicopters, whereas newer aircraft could operate at a significantly smaller maintenance schedule. Acquiring parts for these older aircraft is more expensive, therefore a larger drain on the military's meagre budget. ... It is unusual to have so many different types of snags, i.e., fuel, blades, pumps, heater, engine, gyro system and flight controls in such a short period of time ... technicians worked extremely hard to keep the aircraft flying, but there are only so many battles that can be won with a 41-year old (aircraft). ... It's a national disgrace, the fact that it's taken 10 years for the Liberals to make up their minds."

At about a decade ago the Belgian military circles had good hopes that a credible aero mobility for our ground forces would be made possible among other things by the acquisition of the required helicopters. The Netherlands realized their wishes. In our country the expansion of the fleet of Seakings was still under discussion in 1998. Finally during the Le Bourget air show of 2005 a breakthrough was forced. During his visit at the air show prime minister Verhofstadt declares that ten helicopters will be purchased in order to replace the 5 Seakings of the Air Component and the 3 Alouette III's of the Maritime Component. Because this decision came out of the blue and was not included in the budgetary planning of Defence, the required 300 million euros will be cut away from the planned acquisition of the AIV's (Army Infantry Vehicles). In early December 2005 the government decides that the NH90 helicopter, belonging to a European programme, is their preferred candidate. In 1991 Belgium was offered the possibility to join this cooperation project together with the Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany but they refused. Portugal becomes the fifth member in 2001. The final decision about the NH90 will last until 27 April 2007, the day when the last Council of Ministers of the violet government finally cuts the knot during a marathon session. This unacceptable loss of time was caused by the negotiations about a fair partition of a package of economical repercussion over the regions and from that the supplementary cost of 50 million euros for ten planes. Once more the Flemish Socialists of the sp.a stand in front. The supplementary cost and the prudent attempts to privatize the SAR (Search And Rescue) of the Seaking are the revealing friction points of the battle of delays. Johan Vande Lanotte and his accomplices stick to their guns. The final result is that only eight NH90's (with two in option) will be purchased for SAR (for the time being?), the maritime and the tactical transport.

Noteworthy is also the fact that one of the darling pets of Johan Vande Lanotte, NHV (North Sea Helicopters Flanders) recently moved to brand new buildings at the Ostend Bruges International Airport, collocated with a Maintenance Centre of Eurocopter, the designer of the NH90.

With all political dilly-dally and with the delays that characterize the development of the NH90, the first Belgian NH90 can only be delivered at the earliest in 2011. For the same price tag it was now very likely to acquire ten NH90's, if the Belgian authorities dared to make the correct strategic choice in 1991 to join the European helicopter programme. A more vigorous presence in the aeronautical industry with consequently the technological surplus value would have been more fruitful for our economy than the Belgian industry of auto assembly that is petering out. Apparently Belgium has again missed the boat to join the European Neuron programme, a promising UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle)-project.

In passing in this context it is anyhow enlightening to ascertain that the participation at the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter)-programme won't do any harm to the Netherlands. Besides, at the end of 2005, it was already confirmed that 70 of their firms could participate at the development of the JSF worth 700 million $. The production phase can give rise to a turnover of 8 billion $ and a lot of extra employment of high quality.

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The disappearance of tanks and track laying vehicles.

We are deviated for a while from our Canadian course. The disappearance in the Canadian Army of everything that moves on tracks caused a few years ago violent reactions. Once more M. Paul Cook keeps one's end up in this matter. Again his arguments fit with a minimum of imagination in the Belgian environment. "The Liberal Government appears to have taken great pains to ignore the lessons of wars and conflicts since WWII that clearly show that the main battle tank remains the mainstay of armoured capabilities in any modern army. ... Putting light armoured vehicles in a head to head confrontation with main battle tanks is a sure prescription for disaster. The Stryker MGS (Mobile Gun System, which mounts the M68A1E1 105 mm canon), cannot sustain the battlefield punishment, nor offer the high level of survivability for its crews, that a heavier armoured thank can. Light armoured vehicles using 10, 15, 20 mm of armour, are only capable of surviving attacks by small individual or crew served weapons like machine guns. ... The Stryker is not a tank ... It is a direct-fire weapon but it is not designed to support infantry in an assault. We are always told you do not use or hold ground without infantry but you don't take ground with infantry without including tanks. ...The action to remove the M-109 SP gun and replace it with a 81 mm mortar would be laughable, were the circumstances not so serious. ... Their assumption that Canada will never again find itself in conditions requiring tanks shows the presumptive arrogance, and total lack of understanding of historical and modern military realities. It would appear that the only 'cheap' part of the Liberals approach to the military, is in how cheaply they value the lives and welfare of our nation's sons and daughters serving in the military. ... What is one to think of a government that deliberately 'strangles' its armed forces, and in doing so precludes the military from protecting its own people?"

These quotes, mainly applicable to the painful Belgian reality, still require some minor clarifications. The Stryker is a version of the AIV, recently acquired by Belgium, of whom one of the seven versions will be equipped with a canon of 90 mm. The reader can certainly extrapolate and decide what the fire power, the protection and the support will mean for the Belgian infantry. The replacement of the Belgian M-109 SP by a 120 mm mortar is certainly not a compensation for the poor qualities of the 90 mm canon. It is of course also clear that in the Belgian political landscape the Canadian "liberals" can be substituted without diffidence by "sp.a-politicians".

To make the Belgian story complete we have to mention briefly, to leave no doubt, that for the present only the fixed tranche of the AIV is in progress, namely 138 vehicles. An identical reflection is applicable for the MPPV (Multi-Purpose Protected Vehicle) because for the fixed tranche only 220 Dingo II's are planned. The remaining vehicles of the acquisition programme (still 132 MPPV's and still 78 AIV's) will be classified under two conditional tranches. Evidently the final political decision will only be taken when all vehicles are delivered namely respectively in 2011 and in 2012 for the MPPV and the AIV. The tenders however are respectively valid until 2008 and until 2011 after which an adjustment of the prize is inevitable. Therefore with a keen interest is looked forward to the sequel to the MPPV and AIV story that hopefully terminates with a happy end.

But also the Canadian story disserves a complement. In the course of 2007 the Canadian authorities have reviewed their vision concerning the employment of the tank thoroughly. After numerous fatal casualties in Afghanistan, in particular caused by the explosion of roadside bombs, the decision has been taken to buy and to lease many tens of the most modern Leopard-tanks in the Netherlands and in Germany. The modern asymmetric warfare and the great loss of lives convinced finally the Canadian authorities that the troops in the field must have the best possible firepower and protection at their disposal. Also for these reasons other investments, with the required urgency, were brought to a good conclusion especially in favour of the troops in South Afghanistan where the Canadians with a few NATO-partners (and for all clarity without Belgians) leave no stone unturned during high risk combat missions to help to restore the democracy in all its articulations.

Also the following truth is completely, more then ever, applicable to Belgium. "It should also be understood that in the international diplomatic and military community, a nation must properly fund and equip its military in order to be taken seriously."

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Other tricky points.

The collection of income-taxes.

Our Canadian writer sees through a whole set of other tricky points, that have a lot in common with the Belgian reality. The chocking mismanagement during the collection of income-taxes, by which billions of dollars are lost, sounds very familiar. "The December 3, 2002 report by the Auditor-General scathing report highlighted how poorly the government has served us taxpayers. This has had a terrible impact on emergency services, such as the military, by denying them the funding because of a 'lack of money', while at the same time members of the government and its bureaucracy have been involved in reckless spending, and alleged criminal spending behaviour."

The military personnel.

Also in the management of its personnel Canada has learned its lessons. They are self-explanatory and will be applicable for the Belgian military in the new MCC (Mixed Career Concept), wherein the possibilities of the military career will be reoriented fundamentally. "A former mandatory retirement age of 55 was a bad choice for the military. ... we forcibly retired them at an age when many civilian executives finally 'break into their own'. ... If a member of the military is willing to serve until 65, and as long as they are competent, and there are positions they can properly fill, then we should retain them. ... In looking for efficiencies, the common complaint is that the Canadian Forces are top-heavy with generals."

The power of those who profit.

M. Paul Cook finds also that his country profits of the military commitment of his powerful neighbour. "We are taking a free ride, ..., on the American defence machine - a ride which makes us so vulnerably dependent on and beholden to our powerful neighbour that we have become a colony of the Pentagon."
Belgium as the worst student of the NATO-class, with a budget for Defence that is merely 1,1 % of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) where the NATO-norm has been fixed at 2 %, and for decades taking the most profit of the NATO-presence on his territory, fits completely in this baleful Canadian picture.

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Attack on national unity and security.

The possible attack on the unity of Canada is also a very disturbing development. "Does a country that is unwilling to treat all of its member provinces, territories and citizens equally, and simultaneously ignores their prime responsibility of protecting its citizens, lose the right to expect their allegiance?" As far as it concerns Belgium, the answer to this question can be approached from two different angles. In the scope of the upcoming national elections the political bidding is a repetitive phenomenon. Trying to convince the electorate that not 200.000 but 260.000 new jobs will be created, stimulates without any doubt the laugh muscles of the average citizen. What on the other hand stirs a rather disturbing feeling is the passion of a few parties to enforce again a new restructure of the State, with among other things more autonomy for the regions. The structure of Belgium isn't complicated and costly enough. And the diktat, that a few Flemish political kingpins want to impose on the Walloon region, is understandably not liked in the southern part of the country. The so honoured Belgian consultation model might fail with these extreme positions. Moreover it is noteworthy that the Unions plead rather vigorously to alleviate the nth restructuring because the Belgian citizen really doesn't see the need.

A second viewpoint accentuates the protection, the security of the Belgian citizen. In the area of Defence, Belgium prefers more than ever that the others do one's dirty work. But also in the area of the best possible protection against the outrages of terrorists or against the epidemic burst out for example of the avian influenza, the Belgian government pleads the minimum effort. Indeed, our country envisages to dispose of a stock of vaccines permitting to inoculate barely 20 % of its population. Our neighbouring countries presume that the whole population has to be aided.
Concerning the physical protection of nuclear material inclusively the protection against acts of sabotage, it is obvious that the government can afford a lot of lingering. During the Council of Ministers of 20 April 2007, almost two years after the signature of the international agreement at the IAEA in Vienna, the first prudent move is made to adapt the national regulations to the modified international agreement. From now on the responsibility has to be assumed by the national authorities. This promises again to become an interesting dossier because the protection of our population shouldn't be too costly. Others, coming from the other side of the country borders, will hopefully hasten to assist when a calamity has broken out.

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The cut down on the Armed Forces according to the socialist model, a true slap in the face.

A short historical overview and weak reactions.

Before letting M. Paul Cook finish in his forceful final considerations, it is indispensable to explore an alarming development concerning the Belgian Defence. An extremely disastrous initiative, and of course once more from Flemish-Socialist origin, is thrown away under guarded terms in the propaganda of the elections. The leader of the sp.a Johan Vande Lanotte proclaims that he wants to become the new prime minister but what is worse, that he also wants a further cut down of the Armed Forces. Means of Defence have to be transferred to Development Cooperation. This firm intention is one of the five spearheads of his party. This climax of arrogance requires a few words of explanation.

The wicked plans of the socialist foreman are made public for the first time during the summer of 2005. With his declaration of intent he aims to glorify his election as party chairman. He can take the seat of the chairman, it's true, and even with a Stalinistic score, but the damage has already been done. Vande Lanotte has sowed the seeds to shrivel the Belgian Defence really to an army of Lilliputians, with all possible consequences. A few extracts from his declaration of intent can suffice. "With the pensions the military expenditure amounts to 1,1 % of the GDP. In 2002 at the summit of Prague it was agreed that every member state had to spend 2 % at Defence. ... We can easily suppose that the risk, that our neighbours invade Belgium with the clash of arms, is rather unrealistic. ... We want to fight the causes of so many (civil) wars by avoiding that they arise; we don't want to work defensively but offensively. ... Therefore our preference is a smaller, better equipped and better functioning army. ..., approximately 20.000 persons remain. This army will be more specialized in peace keeping and in these branches where it is good (Transport with C-130's, Engineers, Paratroopers, ...) ... can work their way to the international top. Economize by specialization, improve by specialization, improve and economize by integration with other European armies: ... This means that about 900 million euro from Defence will be transferred to Development Cooperation... . In the initial stage, by means of this, also the salaries of the 15.000 people have to be paid, who basically will find a job in other ministries or in the municipalities. A limited number of people will effectively move to Development Cooperation, where they will be brought into action in civilian building-projects."

His uttering of an uncontrolled drive to save, provokes little reaction. Only on the website of the party, an avalanche of unvarnished protest, especially originating from retired military, snowballed to a condemnation of the wicked plans. The webmaster decides rather quickly to remove this straightforward attack on the thoughts of his young chairman.

When at the beginning of 2006 it is obvious that the plans for Defence of the socialist foreman have to be taken seriously, the media have the courage to react cautiously. A leading Flemish newspaper depicts Johan Vande Lanotte as the champion of what-is-just-not-feasible. His ideas about the halving of the Military Forces are labelled as unrealizable, populistic, ill-considered, imprudent, foolish and as an enormous blunder. Without any respect for the military, shamelessly continue to undermine their job security, professional pride and motivation, by tumbling from one restructuring into another is a form of decay of political ethics, that specially characterizes the socialist family.

During the ideological congress of new year, organized by the end of January 2007, the sp.a perseveres in its evil courses. Development Cooperation will become important to the detriment of Defence. Well is it remarkable that in the declaration of principles the numerical data are handled cautiously. The sp.a-chairman apparently has been a good listener to the suggestions of the Unions, not to speak any more about the 20.000 military who have to disappear in the future, at least if the day dreams of the sp.a would materialize.
Beside a rare letter of a reader in one or another newspaper, one finds in the media few clues about the declaration of principles and how Defence has to be sacrificed in the future.

Nevertheless one political party dares to muster up its courage a few days later. During the parliamentary discussion about the MCC-bill, in the absence of the sp.a, one touches the spot. Wouter Beke of the Flemish-Christian CD&V-party clarifies that it is not the minister of Defence André Flahaut who is responsible for the cut down on the Armed Forces, because he just executes what the socialist family orders him to do by holding the befehl-ist-befehl-principle, but on the other hand the former minister of Budget, indeed Johan Vande Lanotte, who really succeeds with budgetary-aerobatics in just a few years to diddle out 200 million euros of Defence.

We have to wait until 27 March 2007, day when the sp.a-figure head with his typical self-confidence announces that he is a candidate as prime minister. We might speak about a parsimonious reporting in the media. In a lot of newspapers the upgrade of Development Cooperation, - insisted stubbornly by the candidate-premier -, is mentioned but very often without linking these plans to the detrimental consequences for Defence. We might suppose however that the general public have a right to a complete and clear press coverage, certainly if it deals with her security and protection and with the disappearance of 20.000 jobs at Defence.

In early April 2007 the socialist mayors of the Province of Limburg react abundantly late against the evil plans of their party-chairman to divide the employment at Defence in their Province into two. It will become indeed a heavy blow for the second employer and for the employment if about 3500 jobs will be eliminated at Defence in their Province.

At the burst out of the final electoral struggle it turns out that maintaining absolute silence about Defence is again the favourite tactic of the majority of the political parties. Anyhow, the chairman of the CD&V fraction in the Parliament, Pieter De Crem dares to declare that "Defence really needs a rescue operation and the Army even has to bring troops into action in risky missions. We have to take on our missions reasonably towards our NATO- and EU-partners. And for the umpteenth time André Flahaut receives a scathing final report. He really made a mess of Defence." To what extent the statements of Pieter De Crem fit into the political bidding remains to be seen. The voter at the ballot box will finally decide if the CD&V with a future participation at the government is capable of translating words about Defence into actions.

Furthermore we can not neglect to expose the taciturnity of the retired military but also of the senior management of Defence. In this country everybody has the right to voice an opinion freely. It is not in the privacy of varying associations that one has to comment discreetly on the red coloured sword of Damocles, that wants to decapitate the Military Forces in the future. Apparently for André Flahaut there are no contacts from his department with the outside without his blessing. He alone does most of the talking and comes on the screen. In dribs and drabs the Chief of Defence (CHOD) is authorized, in his absence, to clarify the situation of the Armed Forces. His ideas about evident adjustments, like economize on personnel in order to have a trustworthy capability to invest and to train, are not appreciated by the socialist members of the government. Moreover, André Flahaut admits no contradiction. This becomes abundantly clear during his explosive statements and acts during military top meetings and is illustrated by his recent decision to fire and to promote elsewhere the Deputy of the Chief of Defence (VCHOD), - a very esteemed general who amongst other things has won his spurs in the former Yugoslavia -, as the senior military representative of Belgium at the NATO. In this context it is also very touching to find that there was only one general who was willing to fill the vacancy of VCHOD.

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The naivety at best.

Maybe it is appropriate to go through the point concerning the disastrous intentions of the sp.a about Defence. How can the visionaries of the party still bring out such a high amount of naivety by promoting, that the cause of many conflicts can be fought by adopting an offensive attitude namely by allocating significantly more means to Development Cooperation? Is this a remainder of the capers of the member of the cabinet from Development Cooperation, who was dismissed in 2003 because he expressed himself in insulting terms about the Dynasty and foreign heads of state and because he applauded the attacks of 11 September?

Or the concoction of the sp.a belongs to a new strategy of the party to assist in an arch way to supply the cash-desk after the ridicule of the leftists in 1998 with the Agusta- and Carapace-scandal? The socialist brothers in arms of the South apparently have still a lot of difficulties to resist to the call of filling their own pockets because the fraud-scandals there are topical matters as regular as clockwork.

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The specialization as synonym of those who profit.

The specialization of the Armed Forces has become in Belgium a synonym of reduction, no risks, take advantage and economize (or book a budgetary margin according to the socialist language). The partners in NATO and Europe make it clear in the mean time that they have enough of the numerous Belgian false promises and dislike intensely the roaring of exaggerated and triumphing slogans concerning the Belgian Defence efforts. Our men and women are doing a great job in the protection of the airport of Kabul but their presence is contrasting sharply with the NATO operations in South-Afghanistan, where a few real partners dare to fight with a lot of risks and with a supreme effort to obtain results in a difficult combat on the terrain.
An almost identical reflection is applicable in South-Lebanon where Belgium provides a premiere. In UNIFIL the standard roles of supported and supporting capacity are reversed. The Engineers and the Medical Service are the supported capacity while the fighting forces are placed into a supporting role. One can wonder how humanitarian operations can go smoothly when every participating country deploys its own protecting detachment. The participation of Belgium at UNIFIL creates the impression that it is a test operation for the visionaries of the socialist party permitting them to develop their future defence-model. Let us hope that these visionaries have also the courage to analyse the final report of the accident of 7 March 2007, where three Belgian military lost their lives. This report will include without any doubt striking and unmistakable indications, confirming that when the lemon is squeezed too hard in the area of continuity training, the loss of human lives is one of the most tragic consequences.

Without any doubt the fact, that the participation at UN-operations is reimbursed (what not is the case for NATO-operations where every participant has to pay for all his expenses), has facilitated the untroubled allocation of Belgian troops for Lebanon. Indeed, in a welfare state notions as "everything at no cost" and "paradise of the social security" sound more popular than "sense of responsibilities" and "limitation of the security risks". Of these two last notions especially the socialist family still doesn't know the first thing about it. And yet it are these notions that marks a country in an international context as a reliable partner or as a hanger on without a backbone. Solidarity, not by hollow words and the nonsense of savings but by credible Military Forces, will perpetuate this partnership.

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Our security policy in the European context.

So we end up at the socialist opinion about our security policy, where we have to choose for a European Defence. Once more this is a monumental excuse for the minimum effort and to profit, identical to the party-vision about specialization. In fact how can we speak about a European Defence if there is even not an agreement about the own security policy. Furthermore the European Constitution has still to be accepted. For some countries the current version is a bridge too far because there is not yet a wish to give up too much sovereignty. The European military integration has booked a few successes whereby rather a lot of triumphs are scored for the Land Forces. And yet it becomes clear that the ambitious European Rapid Reaction Force still exists only on paper. The more modest European battlegroups finally realize that they can't do the job without the support of an Air Force and a Navy. The reader will certainly not be surprised that the contribution of Belgium to the battlegroup-formula is very limited, almost symbolic. The steady development of the European Defence Agency is perhaps the magic evolution to involve the European defence industries better in military acquisitions with possibly lower acquisition costs and better cooperation and hopefully also a better standardisation of the means of the Land Forces.

In this context one can not escape the impression that Europe tries to chase after the enviable example of NATO, repeatedly hopes to have at its disposal the essential military NATO-means when the need arises and labours quietly to become quantitatively and qualitatively the equal opponent of the NATO Response Force.

The European Air Forces and their Navies have the feeling to be treated somehow stepmotherly. However it are just these parts of the Armed Forces that have made the best progress in integrated operations with their European and NATO-partners. Five European Air Forces, (the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Portugal) have repeatedly proven, either above the exercise terrain of the desert of Nevada, either above the forested regions of Canada or the landscape of fjords in Norway, but also above the former Yugoslavia and in Afghanistan, to be capable to function as one integrated unit, to the entire satisfaction of all those who asked for their support. The EPAF (European Participating Air Forces) Expeditionary Air Wing or EEAW has become a unit with a name and a reputation, who is available in an extremely short span of time to support for example the ground forces effectively, when the latter have no organic support at their disposal that is crucial in a crisis situation. The EEAW is a classic example of a persistent integrated cooperation with F-16's with as not insignificant key ideas the regular training, with less means and personnel, economical advantage and high quality support to the requester tanks to an extensive tasks package. Or what unified wings have in petto.

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Unrealistic rules of the game.

Finally the regulation to depart, planned by the socialist shrivelling initiative at Defence, for about 20.000 military, lacks a sense of reality. The strategic plan of Defence, that should be executed by 2015, and that is halfway for the moment, succeeds barely to offer an other job
to a few hundreds of military. Outplacement to the private sector may not cost an eurocent. Nobody will be dismissed and be will be predestined for an unemployment benefit. Ample dismissal fees are a political taboo. Consequently, a disastrous scenario will stand out with a budget for personnel that will largely exceed the actual astronomic 75 % and the question arises how much of the remaining scraps can still be spent on training, functioning and acquisition of new material.

Is the NATO packing up?

And let us neither overlook that the advancing neglect of the Belgian military causes more and more grumbling especially in the NATO environment. Commonly one might expect that a country, that is already hosting NATO since 1967, finally bends the monotonous tendency of military underspending. With the centre of gravity of NATO, that initially seemed to move more southeastwards but that most probably will find its equilibrium at an other location, - now that the Russian bear doesn't accept anymore to be pushed into a corner and even dares to play its economical trumps particularly in the area of energy supply -, a possible removal of NATO is a topic that is getting warm.

The planned commissioning of the new NATO buildings in 2012, situated opposite the present implantation in Evere, will certainly still be preceded by a lot of lively discussions. Whether really the foundation stone will be laid in 2008 (after the execution of the soil investigation and after the flattening of the former infrastructure of the Air Force with a value of several hundred millions of euros inclusively the heritage of the civilian aviation consisting of the original prewar airport buildings of SABENA) will become clear in the coming months. Likewise, undoubtedly one will speak in plain terms concerning the stable brought-in capital of the sponsor of NATO, the United States (US), who are more and more irritated by the cripple combat of NATO against the terrorism worldwide. To what extent the US and many partners might be impressed by the ennobled Development Cooperation at the expense of Defence stays an open question. For all those who are concerned about a vigorous NATO, the eventual Belgian decision, stimulated and inspired by the socialist followers to further cut down Defence, can only be grist to the mill of the swelling group of malcontent countries who prefer no further functioning of NATO in Brussels but elsewhere. Indeed, the foundation stone of the new NATO buildings still have to be laid and the contract value of 300 million euros and the compensation of 3 % for Belgium could consequently be transferred to an other more attractive guest country without too many scruples and administrative bother.

It remains to be seen if the decision to migrate the Tactical Leadership Programme from Florennes to Albacete in Spain and the preparatory staff work to implant parts of the military headquarters of NATO of Casteau like the NATO AWACS Headquartes in Luxembourg, are the signs of a complete remove of NATO.

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Final considerations.

And as promised this analysis would be unfinished without the final considerations of M. Paul Cook, with the already well known exercise to replace Canada by Belgium for he or she who desires to assimilate a Belgian version.

However it seems correct to quote a Belgian Minister of Defence, who in my humble opinion was authorized and dared to speak plainly in public. We talk here about Jean-Pol Poncelet, who as Minister of Defence during the opening session of the academic year at the Royal Higher Institute of Defence on 19 September 1996 addressed a highly interested and motivated public. "There have not been enough discussions about what really are the consequences of the restructuring of the Armed Forces before imposing the implementation in a forced pace with due observance of the rhythm of a often blind budgetary constraint. ... in our country the lowest limit of the public investments has been reached; if one still wants to continue, then we run the risk that the real foundations of our society sustain severe damage. ... What has been turned out to be the cruel truth for Justice, it is evenly the case for the infrastructure, the diplomacy and the military forces. I hope that I never will be the one who on a certain day will be obliged to ascertain, as far as the public opinion is concerned who extends an accusing finger, ..., that the Armed Forces are not capable anymore, by lack of sufficient means, to execute the tasks with the required security that the Nation expects from them. ... more efforts have to be made for a joint use of the means, the personnel and the infrastructure for the benefit of all components of our Armed Forces. ... For the materialization of a professional army of quality, the corresponding financial effort has to be agreed, supported and continued for years. This important change of the society should also be accompanied by an evolution of minds, of a renewed attention of the country for those who will have chosen to bear arms."

Here follows than the essence of the final considerations of our Canadian writer. " The interest of the public in things military, must not only occur during elections. We must hold accountable those politicians who put the military and Canada in jeopardy economically, or in harms way by under funding, and otherwise undermining our nation's sons and daughters who regularly put their lives on the line. We must not be fooled by election promises, rhetoric, misleading statements, or outright lies and fear mongering, which far too often placed our nation, and our military's ability to serve and protect us, at a distinct disadvantage. An example of this are those politicians and their like-minded advocates that suggest we can only have a credible military by cutting health care and social services, which as our country's history has shown, is absolutely false. For far too long, an uninformed media and public have allowed politicians to bluff their way through difficulties concerning the military, to our nation's detriment. To correct this requires an informed electorate that will review past and current statements of politicians, not only on defence, but also on all serious federal matters. The electorate needs to compare a politician's statements with their actions, or lack thereof, and where these are at odds; the voter must take actions to correct the situation by showing their displeasure at the ballot box.
In closing, I have a final question for your. What part will you play in this critical role? "

My final considerations can be brief. The Military Forces, worthy that name, who are not only operational for the countrymen but also for the helpless in the scope of humanitarian operations and also for our international partners, disserve to have the disposal of the required means and disserve also to be appreciated by the authorities. Luckily, the negative attitude towards the Military Forces is not the trade-mark of all political parties. Anyhow the socialist family, and then in particular the Flemish section, catches the eye by employing every occasion to deny the means Defence needs badly. The firm proposition of the party chairman of the sp.a, Johan Vande Lanotte, to halve the strength to 20.000 military even before the nth restructuring plan can be brought to a happy conclusion for 2015, permitting to consecrate a glorified Development Cooperation, is really the proverbial last straw. Our sons and daughters who really use every effort and very often in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances during a long period on the edge of the world to bring off well the NATO-, UN- or EU-task, really disserve better.

The Belgian, who during the coming elections prefers to vote for the socialist party in general and for the sp.a in particular, must understand that he or she is assisting in sharpening the knife that wants to inflict the final death-blow to the already very weakened Defence, with all possible nefast consequences.

Belgie onder aanval.

La Belgique sous attaque.

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With thanks to the author of the book
"Canada under attack"
M. Paul Cook.