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Nato–games in Adriatico

1) NATO games in Adriatico / CROAZIA: MANOVRA NATO, IL PAESE ALLE PORTE DELL'ALLEANZA
2) Croatia hosts major Nato exercise 
3) NATO Holds Military Exercises in Albania
4) Italian soldier wounded in NATO exercise in Croatia / MARINA MILITARE: FUCILIERE PUGLIESE FERITO IN CROAZIA, BUONE CONDIZIONI
5) LARGEST MILITARY MANOEUVRE IN CROATIA
 


=== 1 === 


Nato–games in Adriatico


Duemila militari e 50 civili, oltre 30 navi e sottomarini e 20 aerei dell'Alleanza Atlantica e delle forze armate croate simuleranno un intervento di pace su mandato Onu dal 27 settembre al 12 ottobre presso Spalato (Croazia)


NAPOLI – Duemila militari e 50 civili, oltre 30 navi e sottomarini e 20 aerei della Nato e delle forze armate croate si addestreranno in uno scenario operativo che simula la risposta ad una situazione di crisi politica ed umanitaria in un Paese fittizio, dove l’Alleanza atlantica, su incarico dell’Onu, debba attuare «una reazione immediata volta alla stabilizzazione di un Paese sull'orlo della guerra civile». È quanto prevede l’esercitazione navale “Noble Midas 07”, che si svolgerà dal 27 settembre al 12 ottobre nelle acque davanti Spalato, in Croazia. 
L'esercitazione vedrà coinvolte forze navali, anfibie ed aeree di dodici Paesi Nato (Bulgaria, Francia, Germania, Grecia, Italia, Olanda, Norvegia, Romania, Spagna, Turchia, Gran Bretagna e Stati Uniti) e di Albania e Croazia, appartenenti al Partenariato per la pace. L’obiettivo è migliorare gli standard di collaborazione operativa e di verificare le procedure tra i Paesi partecipanti. Servirà inoltre – si legge in una nota – «a facilitare la certificazione del gruppo successivo di forze impegnate nella Nrf, la Forza dell’Alleanza ad elevata prontezza operativa. La pianificazione e l’attività di cooperazione tra enti civili e militari (Cimic) svolgerà un ruolo significativo nell’esercitazione». 
La “Noble Midas 07” sarà condotta dal Comando della Componente marittima alleata di Napoli (Cc-Mar Naples). 

25/9/2007

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CROAZIA: MANOVRA NATO, IL PAESE ALLE PORTE DELL'ALLEANZA

(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, 12 OTT - Con l'impiego di 40 navi da guerra, tra le quali anche la portaerei italiana 'Garibaldi', 30 caccia aerei e 8.000 soldati di 40 Paesi presenti dal primo ottobre fino a oggi nell'Adriatico croato in un'ingente esercitazione militare il Patto Atlantico ha dato alla Croazia un chiaro segnale del suo imminente ingresso nella famiglia della Nato. Parallelamente alla manovra Nobile Midas 07, conclusasi oggi a Spalato, la delegazione parlamentare della Nato ha consigliato ai Paesi membri di invitare all'adesione al prossimo summit di aprile, la Croazia, la Macedonia e l'Albania. La Croazia sta facendo notevoli sforzi per raggiungere gli standard richiesti dell'Alleanza, sia sul piano politico, come la democratizzazione della societa', sia su quello militare, quale il dimezzamento del personale, che ora conta 25.000 soldati, per liberare fondi da destinare alla modernizzazione delle armi. Pare pero' che, a differenza dei vertici politici, i cittadini croati non siano tanto entusiasti dell'imminente adesione. Secondo recenti sondaggi il 47% dei croati sarebbe contraria, mentre solo il 41% si dice a favore: il Patto Atlantico, secondo gli esperti, viene infatti collegato alla ''sanguinosa avventura americana in Iraq''. ''La Nato e' un'alleanza di Paesi sovrani, uno Stato rinuncia addirittura a piu' della propria sovranita' se membro dell'Onu, e per questo non c'e' alcun bisogno di indire il referendum'', ha spiegato all'ANSA la posizione del governo il ministro degli esteri Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Di simile vedute e' anche il capo dell'opposizione di centrosinistra, Zoran Milanovic. ''L'opzione di non aderire non esiste'', ha spiegato Milanovic all'ANSA. ''Questa e' un' alleanza dei Paesi piu' democratici e piu' ricchi del mondo ha aggiunto - ed e' ovvio che anche noi vogliamo farne parte''. (ANSA). COR-GV
12/10/2007 14:55 


=== 2 ===


BBC News
October 10, 2007

Croatia hosts major Nato exercise 

For the first time, Nato is holding a major military
exercise in a non-member country, Croatia. The BBC's
Nick Hawton has been given access to the Noble Midas
07 exercise. 

A Spanish fighter pilot emerges from his cockpit after
his warplane touches down on the UK aircraft carrier,
HMS Illustrious. 

He takes his helmet off and joins several Italian
fighter pilots who have already gone below decks. The
French air traffic controller who brought them in is
on the bridge talking to his British colleagues. 

This is a sign of how Nato is changing. With the
military forces of Western nations stretched,
particularly those of the US and UK, flexibility and
adaptability are becoming increasingly important. 

"It's a great experience because right now all these
countries are working together. You realise you can
operate as a joint force community. Its a very nice
experience," says Spanish pilot Lt Eduardo Lopez. 

'Kosovo scenario' 

In the operations room on HMS Illustrious, Cmdr Tom
Cunningham, says integrating forces at this level has
simply not happened before. 

"I think it indicates both the way we must go and the
willingness we have to go that way," he says. 
....
The exercise, being conducted by Nato's Response
Force, is based on the scenario of a military conflict
in a breakaway province in the Balkans. 

It appears to be a thinly disguised reference to
current events in nearby Kosovo where its majority
ethnic Albanian population are seeking independence
from Serbia. 

But any direct links are denied by French Rear Adm
Alain Hinden, who is in charge of the Noble Midas. 

"This exercise has been designed for years. The UN and
Nato are training for this type of real intervention,
of humanitarian assistance be it in this region or
anywhere else in the world," he says. 

Mixed feelings 

A dozen of Nato nations are taking part, including new
members Romania and Bulgaria. Would-be members Croatia
and Albania are also represented. 
....


=== 3 ===


Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Serbia)
October 10, 2007

NATO Holds Military Exercises in Albania


Tirana - Over 1,000 soldiers from NATO and members of
its Partnership for Peace, PfP, initiative started two
military exercises on Tuesday on the outskirts of
Tirana.

The aim of the exercises, codenamed “Cooperative
Longbow 2007” and “Cooperative Lancer 2007”, is to
strengthen collaboration between the North Atlantic
Alliance and PfP countries in a bid to reinforce
stability and peace in the event of a crisis.

The exercises, under the command of General Roland
Kather, former chief of the NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers
in Kosovo, will last until October 30.

A total of 22 countries are taking part in the
manoeuvres. Six of these are NATO members, and the
rest come from the PfP initiative which promotes
cooperation between the Alliance and other nations.

General Kather described the exercises as important to
the stability of the region and also a step forward in
Albania’s integration with NATO. 

“In their broadest sense, these exercises are linked
to the stability of the Balkan region. They are also a
way for us to oversee Albania’s bid to join NATO”,
said Kather.

The Albanian Defence Minister, Fatmir Mediu, expressed
appreciation for the trust placed in Albania by the
Alliance.

“As the biggest exercise ever held in Albania by NATO,
and one of the major exercises of the Alliance in
2007, this is important for Albania as a country
aspiring to join the Alliance as a full member
following NATO's summit [next year]”, Mediu said at
the opening ceremony of the exercises.

Meanwhile in Iceland, NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly
approved a resolution which endorses the possible
issuing, at next year’s Bucharest summit, of
invitations to Albania, Croatia and Macedonia to join
the Alliance.

The resolution calls on these three candidates, known
as the Adriatic Charter countries, to push through the
necessary reforms, while urging NATO members to
initiate discussions on the candidate countries’
accession.

In a speech to the NATO Assembly, Albanian Prime
Minister Sali Berisha thanked member countries for
their support, while promising that Albania would
continue to be a factor of stability in the region.

“Our cooperation with NATO is reaching new heights,
and for this I want to thank member-countries, but
especially their taxpayers, for the support given to
Albania.

“We will continue to support NATO operations in the
region and elsewhere”, Berisha said. 


=== 4 ===

"Italian soldier wounded in NATO exercise in Croatia" 

BBC Monitoring Europe - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring, October 2, 2007
Source: HINA news agency, Zagreb

Text of report in English by Croatian news agency HINA:

Zagreb, 2 October: An Italian Marine suffered gunshot injuries to the lower legs in an accident that occurred on Monday afternoon during mobile target practice as part of the NATO exercise "Noble Midas 07" on the Croatian Army training ground at Slunj, Hina learned at the "Noble Midas 07" press centre on Tuesday.

The Italian had been transferred in a Croatian Army helicopter to the Dubrava Clinical Hospital in Zagreb, where doctors said today that he was in a stable condition and that the injury would most likely have no permanent consequences.

An investigation was under way.

(C) 2007, BBC Monitoring * Reprinted for Fair Use Only

Source: http://tenc.net/a/oct10.htm#wound

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http://www.telenorba.it/home/news_det.php?nid=3296

MARINA MILITARE: FUCILIERE PUGLIESE FERITO IN CROAZIA, BUONE CONDIZIONI

UN FUCILIERE DI MARINA PUGLIESE E' RIMASTO FERITO, IERI SERA, NEL POLIGONO CROATO DI SLUNJ, DOVE SI STA SVOLGENDO L'ESERCITAZIONE NATO 'NOBLE MIDAS 2007'.
LE SUE CONDIZIONI SONO BUONE.
IL MILITARE DI TRUPPA DEL REGGIMENTO SAN MARCO STAVA MANEGGIANDO LA PROPRIA ARMA, QUANDO UN COLPO E' PARTITO ACCIDENTALMENTE FERENDOLO ALLE GAMBE.
E' RICOVERATO ALL'OSPEDALE CIVILE DI ZAGABRIA.
02/10/07


=== 5 ===


NACIONAL

Piše: Eduard Šoštarić, 09.05.2007. | br. 599

LARGEST MILITARY MANOEUVRE IN CROATIA

9,000 NATO Commandos In Adriatic Operation

NACIONAL REVEALS the details of a mass military exercise involving the NATO Response Force, to be held in cooperation with the Croatian Army from 1 to 12 October of this year in central and northern Dalmatia and Istria


NACIONAL REVEALS the details of a mass military exercise involving the NATO Response Force, to be held in cooperation with the Croatian Army from 1 to 12 October of this year in central and northern Dalmatia and Istria
From 1 to 12 October 2007 Croatia will be the scene of Noble Midas 07, the largest and most important international military manoeuvre to be held in Croatia since its independence. Some 9,000 soldiers from NATO's Response Force and marine commandos, 50 warships, an aircraft carrier, amphibious vehicles, frigates, cruisers, submarines and some 60 NATO member aircraft will stage the largest NATO military exercise of the year in the northern and central Adriatic Sea.

Effectively, this manoeuvre is the last obstacle, but also the ticket to Croatia's NATO accession, given that the spring 2008 Bucharest session of NATO is expected to invite Croatia to accede to full membership. A successfully implemented exercise, its organisation, the reception of this number of NATO troops from over ten member states, the ability of the Croatian Armed Forces and the capability of its military hardware to operate with NATO special forces during the manoeuvres will to a large extent define the position towards Croatia in anticipation of an invitation to full membership.

A two-thirds majority of MPs in Croatian Parliament approved the Noble Midas 07 exercise on 8 December 2006, but the complexity and scale of the military exercise was not then known. At the political level the most important role in bringing the exercise to Croatia was played by Croatian ambassador to NATO Davor Bozinovic, while military preparations for the exercise scenario were entrusted to Captain Robert Hranj, serving as the head of the Office for NATO at the Croatian Ministry of Defence. Indicative of just how important this exercise is the fact that it will, for the first time in NATO history, be held in a non-member country, a precedent for the alliance, and which on the other hand speaks volumes of how strategically vital Croatia's maritime position is and of its future role in preserving security on the Mediterranean. To show a form of gratitude for the efforts Croatia is making in approaching NATO, and in the war on terror in Afghanistan, NATO officials have decided that the alliance's highly specialised forces, which, after four years of organisation and training, only became fully operational last year a

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