Why Larisa?
(BRUSSELS2 to Larissa) This is the nagging question: why did you choose for the EUFOR RCA operation a Headquarters located so far from the field? Why Greece, Why not Brussels? Answers....
Why is the operation district necessary?
The reason is simple and twofold. The operation headquarters (or OHQ) does not manage the operation directly, the forces on the ground. That is the role of a force headquarters (or FHQ), which is located on the ground, in Bangui, at the airport, as close as possible to these men.
The Operation HQ has a more strategic focus. This involves managing finances, legal and political issues, analyzing external intelligence from sources other than the field, preparing rotations of equipment, men, food... All of this can be manage anywhere. But especially not on the field. He " is to extricate the force commander of everything that does not precisely concern the action itself, an officer explains to us.
This is, moreover, a general practice of all multinational operations. The headquarters for NATO operations is thus located in Mons (Belgium). That of the anti-piracy operation (NATO and EU) is in Northwood, near a charming wood in the London suburbs. France directs its operations from a basement in the 7th arrondissement or at Mont-Valérien, in the Paris suburbs. As for the African command of the US Air Force and US Army, it is... in Germany, near Stuttgart. So it's not really an anomaly.
Why did you choose Greece?
Quite simply, because Greece, which presides over the European Union. And that the Greek government made this proposal. Its operations headquarters (OHQ) in Larissa, although labeled and compliant, has never been used, unlike the 4-5 other headquarters used by the European Union (Paris, London, Potsdam, Rome and Mons - Shape) . And for Greece, it is a very strong, very important symbol of its return to European normality. Like what is happening in terms of economic recovery, Athens wants to regain, if not its past luster, at least its full place. And not that of the permanent cripple who marked her during the last six long years when the budgetary and economic crisis wreaked havoc.
Why not in Brussels?
It is indeed a problem. The European Union does not have - unlike most major "military" countries and NATO - a permanent headquarters. This would make things easier and less debatable. The fault is not with the Europeans. It rests on the Member States, particularly one of them, the United Kingdom which refused, stubbornly, almost a year ago now to take the next step, to have a small permanent headquarters in Brussels. “Too much Europe” he pleaded. And that would "duplicate" with NATO. As a result, there is not one duplicate... but five!
Is it all pink?
No, actually. If indeed, we can command from everywhere, with modern satellite, internet and telephone means, an operation, the big handicap of the Greek command, is to be far enough from everything. Reaching Brussels takes several hours, whereas it only takes a good 2 hours from Paris and 3 hours from London (door to door). As for going to the Central African Republic, there is no direct line, you have to pass through Stuttgart or Paris or other capitals. Short minimum 1 or 2 days of travel for the operation commander.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
