George Robertson Quotations

We stand shoulder to shoulder in a new kind of struggle and a struggle that we have to win,

We want joint decision-making in certain areas which would need consensus 'at 20' and obviously we would work to get it, on the other hand nobody can deny the right of NATO to act as 19 if it decides to do so,

Yes, of course it would because there would be no veto over NATO operations by Russia or any other non-NATO members, that's never been the situation and Mr Putin has made it clear that he does not want it either,

We have heard that some villages do not exist,

We had a very good and useful meeting and I was very pleased to get the Russian proposal on missile defence,

When the nation's very survival is at stake, there is no room for playing politics,

Let the people of Yugoslavia be quite clear, ... The bombing can end at any time. It's in Milosevic's hands, and he knows our conditions, which are reasonable and sensible, and nothing less than full compliance will do.

Many of these targets are indeed the brains behind the brutality going on in Kosovo today, part of the apparatus that is driving this ethnic genocide that is going on inside this part of former Yugoslavia,

Some 300 Tomahawk Cruise missiles have been fired, and around 100 air-launch Cruise missiles have been used, ... Coalition forces have attacked about 100 separate, precise military targets.

Sikirica as camp commander is accused of genocide, violation of laws and custom of war and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention as well as being criminally responsible for the acts of subordinates in committing murder, torture, inhuman acts and crimes against humanity,

NATO will not become involved in partitioning that country, ... We're not going to engage in an operation that will fix demarcation lines. This is one country, and it will remain one country.

NATO will continue to be critical about what the Russians are doing in Chechnya, not just on the basis of principle, but because we disagree with disproportionate violence and the civilian casualties who are being affected, ... We think that they are simply storing up more problems for the future.

NATO's air campaign in succeeding in weakening (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic 's repressive capability, and we are exacting a heavy price for his ethnic cleansing activity, ... NATO's resolution remains unshakable.

NATO nations have assumed their collective responsibilities toward Turkey, a nation at the moment under threat.

NATO missions mean that the countries in NATO should be involved.

NATO is prepared to consider such changes if it will not create a vacuum or lead to new fighting, and is part of a settlement to the problems in the region, ... Premature changes, however, carry the risk of only making matters worse.

(On) September 11 the world was caught unprepared...and we had no real recipe to deal with it.

If there were to be clear and unambiguous evidence that (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic was meeting the conditions, and that he seemed to be doing so, then we would consider a bombing pause to allow an orderly withdrawal of his forces,

I have heard the news and greatly welcome it. I hope it will lead to greater stability for the people of Iraq.

I have absolutely no doubt that the alliance will, as it has promised, stand by its ally Turkey, which happens to be a neighbor of Iraq, ... There is no dispute about that at all.

He would be getting a cold feeling down his spine, ... As defense minister he will know the real truth that he is hiding from people. And he will know that in a month NATO has only lost one plane, and he will despair at the freedom that NATO aircraft roam the skies destroying his military at will, during the day as well as at night.

He has huge amounts of deadly substances that can kill almost unquantifiable numbers of people.

He is in the free world again. I have no doubt he will express his views.

There is a disagreement on timing at the moment by a small number of nations, but there is no disagreement on substance at all. This is not some sort of bust-up.

We are focusing entirely on the defense of Turkey in the circumstances where that ally believes it is under threat and NATO as a collective security alliance with obligations that go along with that. (But) we're not part of any decision-making process that is tied to the United Nations.

Together, the countries that spent four decades glowering at each other across the wall of hatred and fear now have the opportunity to transform Euro-Atlantic security for the better,

What will come out of today's summit will be the united resolve of European countries and all the NATO countries that (Yugoslav President Slobodan) Milosevic is going to be defeated,

Having analyzed the situation, NATO has called for these reinforcements, and nations have already responded to this call, ... We will have enough troops to deal with the problems in Kosovo.

He should not attempt to steal this election and should listen to the verdict of his people,

It is going to be missed, but people are going to have to get used to it because it's going to stay. There will be no resurrection this time.

It is clear that all roads lead to al Qaeda and pinpoint Osama bin Laden as having been involved in it.

I think we will need to study this proposal more so that we can decide whether it's simply a wedge-driving exercise, although I think it's not, or if it is actually a genuine attempt to address a problem that is now perceived on both sides to be there.

It is now up to the Macedonian government and parliament to deliver on their part of the bargain, on promises solemnly made,

It is hoped that the stronger implementation force will be available in the next few weeks to get into Kosovo at the earliest opportunity because we are planning for success,

I will be taking that request back to NATO headquarters to see what we can do.

I think there's a confusion in Moscow, which is not really good news for them, especially on the eve of the G8 summit,

I think there must be great concern that this will descend into a spiral of violence and potentially into civil war.

Our perspective is fighting doesn't do anybody any good.

Our meeting today sends a clear signal that we remain determined to bring peace and stability to the entire Balkans region.

The 18 NATO allies -- members of the integrated military structure -- agreed today to task military planners to begin their work and advice on preventive deployment of AWACS airplanes, NATO support for deployment of theater missile defenses of Turkey, and support for allied chemical and biological defense capabilities,

We're dealing from the U.N. process, which generally NATO supports. We're dealing from any further steps towards any potential military conflict,

We've made a very clear statement of solidarity with Turkey,

Today was a good day for resuming the dialogue and discussion that forms part of the NATO-Russia relationship, ... We've moved from permafrost into slightly softer ground.

We have not yet achieved a consensus on taskings on particular proposals that have been put forward,

We are determined to starve this limited group of extremists of the means

We did the right thing, we did the only thing. We stopped a great evil,

We're not going away, ... We will go away when he (Hussein) complies with the (U.N.) Security Council resolutions.

We are confronting a regime which is intent on genocide,

When people ask us what damage did we do to the Serb troops, the answer to that is 'enough.' We did enough damage inside Kosovo, and inside the federal republic of Yugoslavia, to get Milosevic to capitulate and to get Milosevic to adhere to the objectives and the demands that we set out,

We will go away when he (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) complies with the Security Council resolutions,

We would have preferred to have had France as part of the overall decision, and of course France strongly believes in the defense of Turkey and is in absolute solidarity with Turkey,

There is a chance for a breakthrough and I certainly am urging the Macedonian Government to seize that opportunity,

We sat and glowered at each other for 40 years, then we tiptoed around each other for 10. Now we are in an era of substantial and practical cooperation. Russia is a special and major partner,

to receive the arms of those who wish to give up this unreasonable and unwinnable fight.

There is only a disagreement about timing, and that relates specifically to the timelines laid down by the United Nations in relation to inspections.

There are going to be extra troops going there to reinforce the troops already there,

When we make that contention, we don't do so without evidence that makes that contention possible.

We want to work with GE and keep them happy, but the key goal for long-term economic health is to diversify.

Today we've sent AWACS aircraft and patriot missiles and chem-bio defensive equipment to Turkey, another ally in trouble, under threat, asking for help, ... That's what the alliance of free nations is all about.

There could easily be in this country a return to violence unless everything that was agreed on is implemented,

We will be discussing this matter at a briefing that the Russians will be giving in Brussels at a very early date.

The priority for us is to achieve a common understanding,

We are still assessing the full impact of the damage we have inflicted. However, it is already clear we have inflicted substantial damage on Saddam's chemical and biological war machine and set back his ambition to threaten his neighbors,

I see this as turning a page on past disagreements and turning to new chapters of dialogue and cooperation on matters of mutual interest,

I see this as a kick-starting of the process of cooperation which is vitally important for both East and West in the Euro-Atlantic area just now,

The withdrawal of Serb forces has begun to uncover the full horror of what has happened in Kosovo in the past few months,

These airstrikes have one purpose alone, and that is to stop the genocide.

The strength of feeling that is on display in Beijing is understandable, but the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was an acknowledged mistake, and one that is deeply regretted, ... But it is important however to recall why we are engaged in this mission and why we had to reluctantly take action.

prepared to implement a phased and conditioned reduction of the Ground Safety Zone.

President Trajkovski has asked us officially if we will help with that process,

public trust is essential to an effective judicial system and one judge's conduct may have a significant impact upon the public's perception of the entire judicial system ...

North America, Europe and countries of Central Asia are now part of a political community that is unprecedented in its breadth, in its inclusiveness, and in its capacity to work together,

an offer of assistance in response to President Boris Trajkovski's request to NATO to contribute to the protection of the international monitors who will oversee implementation of the peace plan in Macedonia.

a remarkable moment in the history of Macedonia.

a truly defining moment for the Atlantic alliance.

This country is still on a knife-edge but in the last three days the government has regained confidence, regained ground and regained the initiative,

This initiative is quite simply historic, and even revolutionary,

This (incident) will have upset a lot of people who thought they were getting away with it, ... What has happened this week is going to make them less easy in their beds and some of them will do rash things, which may well have further consequences.

There is still too much hatred and revenge,

A continued disunity ... on display in Moscow would hardly encourage the financial community next week when they are looking to financially help Russia,

It is the fact that the (ethnic Albanian rebels are) handing over these weapons and disbanding as organisation. That is the critical issue involved here today.

It's a genuine trans-Atlantic partnership, a genuine trans-Atlantic forum where people argue and talk and debate, as you would expect in 19 democracies, and it is about collective security and collective defense, ... American Morning With Paula Zahn.

It opens the way to a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis affecting this country.

It is too early to identify exactly how the changes in Yugoslavia will affect the region.

then this is, of course, regrettable. But as we've always said: Despite all our efforts, such casualties will occur in a campaign of this size and complexity.

Damaging the Republican Guard means damaging (Hussein's) capacity to threaten his neighbors. It is a key target for us,

create a new and substantial basis for progress in the dialogue and cooperation between Moscow and NATO.

The ball is now firmly in the court of the Macedonian government to deliver on the political dialogue and the cease fire in order to allow NATO's help to come into effect,

The world is watching and the politicians know they have an obligation that they must fulfil. NATO has delivered -- it is now up to the parliamentarians to deliver again.

The U.S. is still developing its thinking, ... They will come back to the alliance in due course when their plans are crystallized.

They will certainly not sleep any sounder in their beds as the result of today's action.

The NATO nations wanted to help an ally. They wanted to be sure they were standing by one of the NATO allies when there was a threat.

That said, ... I would urge you to ensure the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's security forces show restraint and fully abide by the military technical agreement provisions.

The message of NATO and the message of these demonstrators is very clear: Milosevic is a loser

The military targets ... have been successfully hit,

The military objective was and remains to disrupt Serb violence and to weaken the military machine that has been the instrument of the genocidal attacks on the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo,

I have no doubt at all about Germany's commitment to respond to a plea from a NATO member to have protection,

In the Kosovars' hour of darkness and fear, British forces have helped a whole people back from the precipice,

I hope eventually that France will accept that the timing is right in that and become part of the overall solidarity, ... march on.

I hope eventually France will accept the timing is right.