European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 14, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9over Here Taft looks Back on 6 eventful months America s new ambassador to nato copes with Many revolutionary changes by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau Brussels Belgium a in Lisbon Portugal last nov. 9 the new . Ambassador to nato gave his first major speech on the future of Europe. In Berlin that evening East Germany opened the Berlin Wall allowing thousands of East germans to surge West. The Chain of events that soon followed ultimately brought Down All the communist governments of Eastern Europe and transformed the divided continent. Timing As politicians like to say is everything. But As it turns out William h. Taft Ives words rather than being overtaken by events bore an uncanny resemblance to them As illustrated by this passage from his speech a the hungarians have changed the name of the communist party and indeed it appears they have changed More than the name. The poles have voted in a non communist government. East germans Are voting with their feet. And the soviet Union has replaced the Brezhnev doctrine with the Sinatra doctrine a let them do it their  during a recent interview at the . Nato Mission in Brussels Taft took time out to look Back on his first six months in office a time that coincides with the most dramatic changes in Europe since world War ii. Taft As the chief articulator of . Policy for nato at a time when Brussels is the vortex of the vast changes in european affairs is taking the Bush administrations Lead in trying to consolidate the events of the last six months to ensure what Bush has described As a future Europe that is a whole and  Taft said that despite major reforms in recent months Eastern Europe is quite unstable. Nato therefore must maintain its military strength while seeking arms control agreements. But he also said he thinks the broader political purpose of nato has sometimes been obscured by the need to raise and maintain Large armed forces during the cold War. That a Why the Western Alliance must become More aggressively involved in the political direction that Europe will take in the coming years. A this involves significant changes in the Agenda for nato a Taft said. A this is what i am doing and i would say the principal task Here. We have a continuing responsibility in the military Field to maintain the coupling of the United states and its allies and the credibility of deterrence. But the new Agenda is to respond to change and to be an agent of  tafts tenure at the american nato Mission comes As the United states is undertaking a vast reassessment of its commitments abroad. Some europeans fear that the american role in Europe will diminish As some of the More than 300,000 . Forces stationed Here head Home. Congressional officials have fuelled such speculation with talk of deep defense cuts in military personnel stationed overseas. But Taft who was Deputy Secretary of defense during the Reagan administrations big defense buildup dismissed talk of a wholesale withdrawal of . Forces in Europe. A i do see the requirement continuing into the future for a significant . Presence in Europe on the ground. This it seems to me is the glue to the Alliance. And without that you would not have a credible strategic deterrent or a credible conventional one a he said. Tafts political instincts May be partly inherited. He is the great grandson of William Howard Taft the 27th president of the United states. But he was genuinely surprised by 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe and a the great Speed with which these developments took place a he said. Taft said he believes nato faces two dangers in the near future. The first is the great amount of instability among the volatile populations of East a amps Sharon Killday William h. Taft ivern Europe which could threaten the Young Reform movements in those countries. A but there is also another danger which has been there All along and which we have to constantly keep in mind and that is efforts to promote Freedom and democracy May not be encouraged As much As they should be a he said. A we need to be sure that wherever we see people striving for Freedom which they done to have and striving for democratic institutions that they done to have that we re in support of that a he said. A and that the people who oppose that we Are not going to  army begins withdrawal from Hungary Haj Masker Hungary apr the first of nearly 50,000 soviet troops stationed in Hungary left for Home monday two Days after the soviet Union and Hungary signed an agreement on the total withdrawal of red army soldiers by mid-1991. The withdrawal began near the town of Haj Masker about 75 Miles Southwest of Budapest with the pullout of a battalion of 300 soldiers and 40 armoured personnel carriers. Hungary on saturday became the second Warsaw pact country to negotiate a Tull soviet withdrawal from its territory. Last month Czechoslovakia and the soviet Union agreed that the Kremlin would bring Home All of its 73,500 troops stationed in Czechoslovakia. The pullout there began feb. 26. The withdrawals from both countries Foo. E be completed by june 30, 1, and a total of 123,200 soviet troops Are scheduled to be removed. Both agreements Are Independent of any  at East West troop reduce Ion talks under Way in Vienna Austria us a agreement on the pullout from Gary was signed in Moscow saturday Vennt foreign minister Eduard she arlcyulahora8. Hun8a�n 49 7nn Ovet Union currently has Well As a ? in Hungary As inert if military vehicles include Nel Cirr t armoured person Hune in j a 0 Bass a airports in staff Jozsef Biro t0 Deputy chief of that the twn11 radio reported saturday Titine in80vernments were still Nego bythebsovlurpoo0pserty h�8 withsth9 report two thirds of the \ pm Pali is soviet soldiers take a final look at Haj Masker Hungary tuesday As the red army begins pulling out of Hungary