by Yannick Brusselmans
“Good afternoon Pisa, can you see and hear me?” A resolute voice breaks the silence in the impressive, fresco-decorated Magna Aula of Pisa’s Scuola Sant’Anna.
The voice resonating in the aula belongs to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, appearing on a big video screen from his office is Brussels. And although we may be more than 1.000 kilometers apart, the wonders of technology give the participants the unique opportunity to confront NATO’s leader with their most pertinent questions.
In this short but fruitful questioning and answering session Mr. de Hoop Scheffer once again stresses the importance of Afghan ownership. “We have to be careful so that we don’t lose the battle for the Afghan hearts and minds through our robust military presence.” In this respect de Hoop Scheffer has a clear message for the Afghan participants in the room: “It is my job to convince NATO member states to keep supporting our efforts in Afghanistan, but it is up to you to convince your compatriots of the necessity of our mission. The Afghan population absolutely needs to know why we are there and what we are doing.”
Fight for freedom
When asked about the supposed intentions of certain NATO members to withdraw their troops, de Hoop Scheffer replies that he is opposed to such plans, as he feels they undermine the much-needed long-term commitment in Afghanistan. “The NATO alliance is based on solidarity and even though member states can sovereignly decide about their participation, I strongly encourage them to maintain their solidarity with the Afghan people.”
NATO’s Secretary General concludes his videoconference with vigorous pleading to continue fighting for universal values like democracy and peace. “NATO must strive to ensure that all Afghan men and women can enjoy the same freedom that is so common to many of us. We have to realize we are in a completely different moral category than those who blow up innocent Afghan civilians and NATO soldiers. Nevertheless our mission can only be successful if we impose our own values upon those insurgents.”
