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the United States Global Positioning System (GPS). However, as the fifth largest
contributor to European Union/European Space Agency development funds for Galileo,
Spain along with other countries helped revise Galileo’s restricted signal in order to
address US and NATO concerns. This was a significant step in resolving conflict
between future European and NATO satellite navigation systems.
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After the Iraq War split the alliance, with the United Kingdom and Spain in vocal
support while France and Germany led opposition, NATO’s new Response Force became
an opportunity to renew broad-based cooperation. At the Colorado Springs Defense
Ministerial in October 2003, Spain pledged the largest contribution to the crisis
management force. This set a standard that was eventually surpassed by a generous offer
from France.
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Adversaries on Iraq could still cooperate within NATO.
Particularly under the conservative prime minister, José Aznar, NATO in balance
with the European Union helped to keep both the Atlanticist Powers and Continental
Europe on the line while Spain navigated between them. Both the United States and
France, for example, assisted the Spanish Government in cracking down against ETA
terrorists in Spain’s Basque region. Technology agreements with US company LORAL
and also with European consortiums power Spain’s space program, which despite its
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“U.S., Europe Still at Odds on Satellite Navigation Systems,” EUBusiness online (February 2, 2004),
available at
www.eubusiness.com/afp/040202225302.w7o2um28
. Dee Ann Davis, “Galileo Breaks Free,”
GPS World online (July 1. 2003), available at
www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=63243
.
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Paul Amex, “NATO Short-Notice Force Will Have Initial Core of 9,000,” The Gazette (Montreal,
Quebec) (October 16, 2003): A-21. Bruce Finley, “NATO Exercise Points to New Risks. Mock Terror
Crisis at Colo. Base Illustrates Need for Rapid-Reaction Force, Official Says,” Denver Post (October 9,
2003): A-01. Marc Champion, “NATO Chief Seeks to Repair Alliance,” Wall Street Journal (January 23,
2004): A-10.
Convention