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.
This is a free extract from a subscriber-only Jane's article.
In essence- what is this guy doing, and why? Does anyone know? Why *wouldn't* you be pro-Western, for lack of a better way to put the question?
fgalkin2 wrote:Simple answer: Peoples' lives got a lot WORSE since the collapse of the USSR. They naturrally blame the West.
Umm . . . no.
You are terribly wrong there. Almost every former Soviet satellite country in Central Europe is doing way better than before the breakup of communism. Why would they be allowed to enter EU in the first place if their economies were that badly managed?
Slovakia's GDP per capita is about $12,200 (source: CIA World Factbook), and although it's less than what it is in Czech Republic, for example, it's way lot more than what it used to be when a country called Czechoslovakia was still around.
The former (European) Eastern Bloc countries are doing rather well -- actually the majority of them are booming, despite the international problems.
"Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."
Exept of course, having lived and immigrated FROM Russia PRECISELY because life has gotten a lot worse there, I have a different story.
Yes, the PER CAPITA income is higher, however, this excludes the teachers, miners, doctors, etc. who haven't recieved their salaries in YEARS. Also, note the complete lack of social welfare in the post-Communist Russia.
fgalkin wrote:Exept of course, having lived and immigrated FROM Russia PRECISELY because life has gotten a lot worse there, I have a different story.
Yes, the PER CAPITA income is higher, however, this excludes the teachers, miners, doctors, etc. who haven't recieved their salaries in YEARS. Also, note the complete lack of social welfare in the post-Communist Russia.
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
That is true in Russia, but in the countries which will join the E.U in 2004 and many of the rest the situation is much better. In Slovenia and the Czech Republic, for example, the quality of life is almost the same as here in Portugal.
As Olrik said, the situation is a lot different in the countries who are now joining EU than what it is in Russia. It's incredible how badly Russia has mismanaged its post-USSR society. I have been to three countries which used to be on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain: Czech Republic, Estonia and Russia. The difference between the first two and Russia is astronomical.
"Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."
Oberleutnant wrote:As Olrik said, the situation is a lot different in the countries who are now joining EU than what it is in Russia. It's incredible how badly Russia has mismanaged its post-USSR society. I have been to three countries which used to be on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain: Czech Republic, Estonia and Russia. The difference between the first two and Russia is astronomical.
Bigger means harder to manage. Right now, the provinces in Russia are virtually independant. Also, don't forgrt the widespread corruption and incompetency. Its a wonder Russia hadn't degenerated to what we see in the post-apocalyptic movies.
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
This is me posting from a public computer or a mobile device.
Let's not forget that White Russia is still a Stalinist Dictatorship in more ways than not--and look at the Ukraine; or Moldava. Or Georgia. Or Armenia. Or Azerbaijan. One could appropriately say that the actual components of the USSR have done far worse than the Soviet Bloc nations in general and the only exceptions are Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
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