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Olaf Theiler: The war in Afghanistan has exposed strains among NATO members, but these tensions do not threaten the stability of the alliance in a fundamental way. Rather, they can lead to better cohesion by showing how NATO’s role in a 21st century security context can be better defined.
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Jackson Janes: In order to maintain its relevancy, NATO must convince the world that is as important now as it was 60 years ago. To to this, NATO should re-affirm its commitment to collective defense within a twenty-first century security context, properly resource deployments, and more equally share burdens.
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Stefanie Babst: Although NATO and women are not two words that typically go together, the organization is taking a number of actions to increase the representation of women both in policy and on the ground. NATO is an active supporter of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.
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Julian Lindley-French & Kurt Volker: The departure of the highly-acclaimed Dutch force from Uruzghan has ramifications for both regional security and transatlantic relations in a broader sense. If no other European power fills the void, regional security could deteriorate and NATO cohesion will be strained.
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Joerg Wolf: The United States and some of its European partners seem to have increasingly different policy priorities. Should NATO members support the surge in Afghanistan and increase their defense budgets? Or should NATO focus on nuclear disarmament?
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Anders Fogh Rasmussen: After the London conference, NATO was accused of trying to achieve peace by bribing the Taliban. In this video, the NATO Secretary General says that this is not the case, and that reconciliation and re-integration efforts will provide an alternative path to the Afghan people.
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Cortnie Shupe: Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, the West has failed to incorporate the Russian Federation into security institutions in Europe. The EU’s soft power security challenges confront the Russian hard security agenda regarding Eastern Europe. Three political moves could reverse that trend.
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Editorial Team: Though there have already been 15 NATO casualties in January 2010, the outlook on the ground is improving. According to a recent poll conducted by BBC and its affiliates throughout Afghanistan, support for foreign troops is on the rise; and the number of Taliban supporters has drastically fallen. Is the ISAF mission moving in the right direction?
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Sebastian Bruns: A renaissance of NATO’s maritime dimension is necessary in this globalized world, where piracy can wreak havoc on trade and international security. The new strategic concept must take into account the unique and increasing role that waterways will play in the twenty-first century.
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Dirk Schuchardt: Germany’s main interest in NATO enlargement lies in creating a stable European security order, while preventing a confrontation with Russia. Therefore, from the German perspective, Ukraine and Georgia should not join the Alliance.
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Jerzy S Deren: ISAF consists of a huge number of actors constrained by limited political will, with unequal combat roles, making forces more vulnerable. A holistic approach is required to counter the unique challenges of the Afghan war. Furthermore, a successful conclusion to this complex process is the only way to prove NATO’s credibility to an increasingly skeptical public.
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Donatella Scatamacchia: Of the 7,000 NATO soldiers that will support the US surge in Afghanistan, the highest contingent will be sent by the Italian Government. With this decision Rome confirms its own support for the transatlantic alliance, and underscores Italy’s important role in international security.
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Olaf Theiler: The EU should draw on NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program, as an example of a successful framework to be adopted for aspiring member states in the Balkans. If implemented as part of an extended offer, this framework could link ESDP with Neighborhood Policy, thereby creating incentives for cooperation.
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Josef Braml: The US will no longer give Germany a free-pass on sharing “the burden of global responsibility.” As skepticism of American foreign commitments broadens at home, and with Chancellor Merkel’s address before a joint session of Congress, Germany is no longer in a position to drag its heels on issues that the US finds most important. Furthermore, if Germany hopes to have any future sway in US politics, fulfilling expectations now is necessary.
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Jorge Benitez: After excluding the security concerns of NATO’s eastern members as alliance priorities in the past, Secretary General Rasmussen reveals changes at a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Bratislava. Are these real changes in alliance policy or just lip service? The answer will be determined by how NATO settles the issue of contingency planning.
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Camille Grand: France’s return to full military membership of NATO inevitably raised fears that the first casualty might be the European defense project. But far from weakening ESDP, President Sarkozy’s move intends to strengthen it while at the same time hastening NATO’s reform.
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Sebastian Bruns: The new Secretary General of NATO needs to seize momentum to reinvigorate NATO’s influence, now the Eurocentric alliance is in decline. He will need tact and diplomacy to act as a mediator between the French and the Americans, whilst keeping the other member states united.
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Vilborg Ása Guðjónsdóttir: Lessons from Disagreements between the United States and Europe from 1954-2009
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NATO: As the insurgency persists the message from NATO is clear: although lasting longer than anticipated, ISAF’s aims will be achieved and prove sustainable in the long term.
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Ian Davis: Criticism of Germany as an unreliable military ally is widespread and growing. But rather than deregulating the rules of German military engagement, we should be looking to include similar non-aggression clauses in the national legislation of other NATO member states.
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Péter Marton: Euro-discourse often derides Americans for not recognizing “complexity” around them. The opposite is true in Afghanistan. The European countries present in the North are not particularly interested in learning a lot about the social context they are operating in, and they are generally slow to adapt to changes in their area of operations.
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Christopher Lee Davis: NATO’s near-term priority in Afghanistan must be the implementation of the new strategy to which member-states agreed at their last summit. Time is of the essence since the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. The alliance-wide agreement offers new momentum to focus on five critical areas.
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Raffaello Pantucci: Greater coordination on Central-South Asia would be a boon to European and US interests in the region. Unfortunately, such coordination is still lacking and we are unlikely to see a greater push from the EU. More European involvement in any sort of “civilian surge” would be welcome, but will be unrealistic until the security situation is stabilized.
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Guillaume Levy: NATO is going through rapid change and needs a new European security partner in order to secure its long term survival. But first Europe’s military and defense systems need to be modernized. This can be achieved through effective partnerships between European states and through the strengthening of the European defense industry.
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Jan Techau: Drafting a new strategic concept for NATO provides a great chance for Europeans to get real about what it means to be allies and stop the great threat to the continent’s defense - the decoupling of the transatlantic alliance. But this means more and smarter spending on defense and most certainly more casualties.
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Jesse Michelle Kalata: The EU and NATO have to increase their strategic co-operation. In times of ever increasing global threats best practices for future missions have to be developed. Only a profound approach to transatlantic governance can establish these prerequisites.
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Marie Lall: The West continues to misunderstand Pakistani realities on the ground. It must alter its hawkish approach towards the region and embrace a deeper understanding of the views across Pakistan. A radical policy shift and investments to stabilize the economy must be made before Western involvement turns sour.
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Editorial Team: You are in a crowded, run-down basement. Lights are flashing in your eyes and your heart is racing. You’ve broken out in a sweat and it’s running down your back. People are anxious. Someone is screaming. Danger seems imminent.
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Luca Ratti: Expansion of NATO membership into Eastern Europe has provoked Russia. NATO must attempt constructive dialogue with Russia to solve this problem. The future and continued success of NATO will depend on either including Russia, or ceasing its open membership policy.
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Editorial Team: Terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons are growing threats for the EU. 30 international experts interviewed by Atlantic-Community.org nearly unanimously call for a much stronger EU commitments to the stabilization of Pakistan than promised at yesterday’s EU-Pakistan summit. The EU should complement US strategy with a long-term focus on state building.
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Heiko Pääbo: Changing perceptions of the world order have influenced NATO’s open door policy. Russia believes that relations with NATO should be based on mutual respect and is reluctant to see the Alliance as a partner. NATO must maintain its shared values and consider Russia’s interests for a successful partnership.
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Memo 17: Enlargement, Russian relations and internal cooperation will test NATO’s ability to compromise and strike bargains in the upcoming months and years. In return for greater decision-making power, European NATO member states must increase contributions to the Alliance.
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Prosper Thuysbaert: NATO requires assistance in order to facilitate democracy and peace across the world. The United Nations Security Council needs to be reformed and made more globally representative, and smaller regional organizations need to be set up and work alongside NATO to assist failing states.
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Janusz Bugajski: Russia’s priority will be to reinforce its national interests and exert influence over the foreign and security policies of disparate states in an attempt to distract from their domestic problems. This increases the importance for NATO and its allies to work not only with Russia, but also its border countries.
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Jeffrey Mankoff: The success of attempts to build a strategic partnership will laregly rest with Russia. Not doing so should not be considered a failure as the positions of both sides would become clearer. Russia has the most to lose from not building a relationship, the West can bide its time.
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Asle Toje & Barbara Kunz: The new culture of collective defense among unarmed countries is not security, it is a suicide pact. Free-loading has left NATO dependent on the US. But as US influence is reduced, Europe will find that “soft power” without hard to back it is impotent. Unless Europe dumps the utopian idealists, there is a danger the continent will be left unprotected.
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Karsten Voigt: The transatlantic Alliance enters a modern era with different global challenges requiring new and innovative approaches. NATO must reassess its geopolitical position in addressing these issues and, if necessary, adapt accordingly.
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Olaf Theiler: The balance of burden sharing is crucial to the strength of the alliance. Contributions ranging from military personnel to medical equipment are vital to securing successful outcomes. Ensuring NATO is cohesive is crucial to its future effectiveness.
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Editorial Team: Somali pirates seized six vessels within the last week. With yesterday’s capture of the US cargo ship, whose captain is still being held for ransom, the piracy problem arrested global attention again. Questions arise about how to tackle piracy, and we want to ask you, our readers, about solutions.
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Editorial Team: Does one achievement stand out as a significant development at the infancy of the Obama presidency’s foreign policy, or have the early signs of progress been exaggerated out of context? Take part in our poll and vote what you think Obama’s greatest achievement has been.
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NATO Livefeed: Right here you had the chance to watch the NATO Youth Forum in Strasbourg from April 2-3, 2009. Distinguished speakers discussed topics ranging from the future security environment and NATO’s role within it, to how NATO can best use new communication channels in order to reach out to the next generation of atlanticists.
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Fabian Martin Lieschke: US leadership can respond to the more imminent challenge of Iranian nuclear ambitions and extend NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine and Georgia. Here is a recommendation to President Obama.
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Constanze Stelzenmueller: Germany is a bridge between Russia and the West, and how Berlin chooses to deal with Moscow will set the tone for how the United States and the rest of Europe manage their own relationships with Russia.
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Claudine Lamond: The argument that US nuclear weapons in Europe are essential to security provision is losing its persuasion force. NATO’s Strategic Concept (2009) is an opportunity to reassess the idea that the presence of US nuclear weapons in Europe enhances European security.
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Yasser Abumuailek: If NATO applies global governance principles, it will be able to become the global leader in combating terrorism. Its military expertise and success in security provision, a sense of global legitimacy and its civilian-military approach to security promise success.
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Stefanie Babst: If governments are to deal effectively with the key foreign policy challenges of our age, they must engage in a new form of public diplomacy: one that combines understanding a given challenge with the ability to mobilize networks and public support to bring about concrete change.
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Editorial Team: The new Democrat administration and Europe’s positive welcome of President Obama promise to revitalize the transatlantic relationship. We are inviting you to tell us which three topics you think the US and Europe should prioritize. Your preferences will determine our focus in 2009.
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Memo 11: The war in Afghanistan is as much about winning militarily and politically as it is about winning the media battle against the Taliban. What it takes is an effective communication strategy that reaches Afghans in their daily life and respects conditions on the ground.
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Memo 10: In this new era under the Obama White House, it is high time for a transformation of transatlantic relations. The US must distance itself from the unipolar policies of the past and come to terms with a multipolar world. The EU has to develop more proactive policies.
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From the Editorial Team: British Defence Secretary John Hutton has called upon NATO allies to pull their weight and share the burden in Afghanistan. In one of the most outspoken speeches from a British defence minister in years, Hutton reprimands some EU members for a lack of commitment to global security interests.
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Tyson Barker: NATO is consistently looking for a means of reinventing itself to increase its relevance in the post-Cold War era. By boldly appointing Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski as the next Secretary General of NATO, the alliance can start the process in earnest.
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Jesse David Tatum: The Saakashvili administration’s biggest failure is an inability to represent a real change from the inept post-Soviet Georgian leadership of his predecessors.
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Assem Akram: It is time for strategy overhaul in Afghanistan. The size of the Afghan army must be dramatically increased; foreign troops should lock down borders; Pakistan must become a partner in providing solutions in Afghanistan; and the Afghan government needs top-to-bottom reform. Progress can only come with security.
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Tim Foxley: Too little time, effort and analytical resources are dedicated to understanding what the Taliban are saying - and that a change in this approach could lead to a change in the war.
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Interviews with YATA Delegates: Youth Atlantic Treaty Association delegates interviewed at their General Assembly held in Berlin in November 2008. The topics range from Russian relations to what Obama will ask Europe to do.
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William Maley: In the battle to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan, Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are often on the front line. What are they actually, what are their tasks and ways of operating?
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Editorial Team: The escalation of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia has brought about widespread discussion as to how to deal with this increasingly prevalent problem. We are inviting you to tell us what you think is the most viable way forward through our interactive poll.
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Stanley R. Sloan: The hegemonic behavior of the Bush administration during its first term almost led to the end of the transatlantic partnership. The US will not be able to face the challenges of this century without its allies and NATO. A closely coordinated US-EU-NATO cooperation is essential to attain shared interests.
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David S. Yost : In order to deal with new security challenges, NATO is developing its concept for cooperation with civilian organizations. Since the early 1990’s, the European Union, the OSCE and the United Nations have been the closest partners. Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan are showing how crucial it is to expand this work.
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Jeffrey Mankoff: Washington and London have proposed dropping the NATO MAPs for Georgia and Ukraine, favoring an open-ended development plan for both countries. Germany and France protest such unorthodoxy, but this more flexible approach might allow NATO to balance its Russian interests with eventual expansion.
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NATO Channel: Two video reports give an insight into the encouraging development of Afghanistan’s security forces as the take-over from foreign forces begins to be consolidated.
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Christian Mölling: International organizations aim to overcome inefficiencies in complex crisis management by adopting “comprehensive approaches”. However, the implementation is affected by diverging security cultures and the particular interests of the member states.
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Bernhard Lucke: The US and NATO should develop exit strategies instead of increasing their military presence in Afghanistan. Winning back tribal leaders’ allegiance is the key to successfully drawing down troops. Western policy makers can learn many valuable lessons from the Soviet failure in Afghanistan.
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Interview with Jackson Janes: The executive director of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies tells Atlantic-community.org that Russia, energy security, climate change, Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the financial crisis are all pressing issues to be addressed jointly by Germany and the United States under an Obama administration.
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Daniel Korski: EU engagement in Afghanistan will affect Washington’s perception of its strategic partnership. The best way for the EU to stay a strong partner is to extend the aid-and-security approach of its Provincial Reconstruction Teams and take the concept to Kabul. Diplomacy with Pakistan will remain important.
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Memo 9: Afghanistan needs a continued international commitment to ensure its security and assist in economic and social development. The US, EU and Germany must focus on training local authorities. Cooperating with Iran and the Taliban remains a point of debate.
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Morgan Sheeran: Europe can contribute to progress in Afghanistan outside of the military arena: mentoring Afghan ministry officials, instilling policies of good governance, and developing the Afghan economy could ultimately provide as much security as any troop contribution.
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Florian Broschk: Extending the German ISAF mandate requires a broad public debate on the mission’s goals and strategies in Afghanistan. Germany must recognize the importance of counterinsurgency and improve a variety of its tactics - human intelligence, language training, and a greater troop presence.
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Abbas Daiyar: The Afghan Foreign Minister’s statement opposing talks with insurgents emphasizes existing divisions within government circles in Afghanistan and abroad. The US and NATO must win the war in Afghanistan. Involving regional countries like Russia, China and India may prevent history from repeating itself.
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Kamil Zwolski: While security problems around the world cry for the broadest coalition possible, NATO and Russia keep falling back into a Cold War state of mind. Moscow proposes a new European security deal as a long-term solution and has criticized the present system as outdated and US-dominated. A new plan is needed to address modern security threats, including climate change.
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From the Editorial Team: General John Craddock, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO, criticizes member states’ “wavering political will,” which prevents NATO from operating effectively. Is NATO an outdated body as many claim, or can it overcome political hesitations and remain a strong alliance?
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Morgan Sheeran: The Afghans have to secure their own country. The army has benefitted from Western training, but the police continues to lack active mentoring from ISAF. While a surge of combat troops in Afghanistan could be beneficial, what is needed the most are more police trainers and mentors. The police is the lynchpin of security for each village.
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Marek Swierczynski: Russia’s naval power prevents NATO from effectively defending Baltic States. If the Alliance is serious about its commitments, it must strengthen its marine capabilities to match those of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
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David Neil Lebhar: Ahmed Rashid argues that the conflict in Afghanistan needs a regional solution, including US-Iranian cooperation. The German military must intensify operations in northern Afghanistan, and the government has to educate the public about the mission’s importance.
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Djörn Eversteijn: NATO’s reliance on its global partnerships may seem innocuous today. Contributions in Afghanistan from a diverse array of nations, such as Australia and South Korea, are seen as indispensable in security and reconstruction efforts. Until a full commitment by member states is exhibited, though, NATO’s long-term credibility is in danger.
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Thorsten Benner & Lars Zimmermann: Germany lacks an informed and responsible debate on the country’s engagement in Afghanistan. The looming populism of the 2009 election year is set to make matters even worse. Politicians and the media must prevent this from happening.
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Memo 8: Atlantic Community members conclude that the EU, acting in coordination with the UN, is in the best position to negotiate a peaceful solution. The US, Russia, Georgia, NATO, and others must consider their future strategies carefully.
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Atlantik-Brücke’s Young Leaders: The Atlantic partners must jointly address the economic slowdown, competition over scarce resources and energy dependence. Moreover, the transatlantic relationship faces an immediate, critical test in Afghanistan. Success there is needed as a demonstration of our ability to effectively address common security threats.
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Djörn Eversteijn: Afghanistan is the litmus test for the relevance of history’s most successful military alliance in the 21st century. Despite official statements that emphasize the importance of the alliance’s mission in Afghanistan, both member states’ long-term commitment and substantial contributions to the mission remain largely absent. Member states’ unwillingness not only endangers the future of Afghanistan, but, perhaps even more importantly, also puts the future of the transatlantic alliance at risk.
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Stefan Fröhlich: The fighting between Russia and Georgia over the separatist enclave of South Ossetia is turning into a reversion of spheres of influence and a balance of power politics in Europe. The EU and the Euro-Atlantic community must take steps to mediate new developments.
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Christoph Bertram: No one should have been surprised at the way in which Russia has treated tiny and weak Georgia. What is surprising, however, is the eagerness with which many western governments continue to pretend that they can wield effective influence on Russia’s behavior in the Caucasus.
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David Francis: The EU must take a strong yet cooperative stance toward Russia. The next US administration must regain its moral standing in international politics. Ultimately, Moscow must understand that its recent actions in Georgia are unacceptable.
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Interview with Hussain Haqqani: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States reaffirms his country’s democracy and promises better cooperation with the United States and Afghanistan in an interview with Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation.
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Ulf Gartzke: Mikhail Saakashvili’s reckless military gamble has unfortunately paid off and put him on a fast track to NATO membership. This stunning turnaround demonstrates the problems with the behavior of the Georgian leadership as well as with the West’s response to their actions.
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Grigol Ubiria: NATO’s eastern enlargement is too often solely considered from the perspective of Russia’s right to defend its interests on its borders. Little or no attention has been paid to factors forcing former Soviet republics, particularly Georgia and Ukraine, to rush to join the alliance.
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Nikolas Kirrill Gvosdev: Despite the proclaimed cooperative approach, Franco-American tensions could grow bigger than under Chirac. Sarkozy’s Euro-Atlantic, yet independent, foreign policy moves could well be at odds with the next US president’s understanding of multilateralism.
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Memo 7: The members of the Atlantic Community believe that Ukraine belongs to Europe. Ukraine needs to be integrated into Western alliances without undermining Western-Russian relations.
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Fabian Martin Lieschke: NATO’s nuclear posture is dated and needs to be reconsidered during next year’s review. If NATO withdraws sub-strategic nuclear weapons from Europe it can pursue a leverage strategy to persuade Russia to also eliminate its tactical nuclear weapons.
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Transatlantic Press Round-up: The 2008 White Paper sets the tone for the next decade of French defense policy. Although France’s “loss of independence” is controversial, many welcome the progress towards synchronization of the French, European, and transatlantic security and defense strategies.
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Anatol Lieven: NATO might fail in Afghanistan. Hopes for democracy, development, and progress in Afghanistan are already dead. Even though the situation seems hopeless, the West can and should prevent further deterioration.
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Jens F. Laurson and George A. Pieler: NATO is trying to expand its military wing to more countries, which used to be “the enemy,” in its effort to secure its future. However, Europe’s reliance on imported oil should be considered before alienating exporters like Russia in the attempt of reinventing NATO’s aging alliance.
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Heinrich Bonnenberg: Germany and the EU must give stronger credit to Ukraine’s emergence as an independent democracy in the tradition of Europe’s historic liberal movements. The EU should quickly enable Ukrainian accession, but NATO membership should not be pursued, as this would likely exasperate tensions with Russia.
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Memo 6: Members of the Atlantic Community are convinced that NATO needs to redefine its future role and relationship with Russia. Fundamental change, however, is unlikely to occur in the near future and the NATO-Russian relationship may worsen.
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Richard G. Lugar: We must forge a more productive relationship with Russia. The absence of a collective energy security strategy and the lack of supply diversification will lead to greater fragmentation among European nations and across the Atlantic.
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Peter van Ham: NATO is slowly losing its significance as the central platform to manage transatlantic security challenges. In view of the different reasons for the Alliance’s declining relevance, its resilience, rather than its demise should surprise us.
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Marek Swierczynski: The NATO-isation of missile defense at the Bucharest summit paradoxically carried away the Poland-US agreement on the issue. The once all-uniting idea of placing the interceptors on Poland’s Baltic coast is losing political support and negotiations are reported to be close to a stall. The current round of the talks is not expected to push things forward.
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Péter Marton: Afghanistan needs an external security guarantee for the long term. NATO should provide that guarantee against clashing external influence-seeking endeavours, but it can only do so it if it sheds its geopolitical identity for the Afghan mission. That is how a neutral strategic identity could be secured for Afghanistan.
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James Jones: While NATO forces are needed in Afghanistan, the real focus should be on fighting narcotics, building up an effective judicial system, increasing Afghan police capabilities, empowering a single individual to represent the international community, and acknowledging regional difficulties.
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Daniel Rackowski: With Sarkozy contemplating bringing France back into the NATO fold, the need for a strong European defense force is at the forefront, writes Daniel Rackowski for ISN Security Watch.
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T. Noetzel & B. Schreer: Despite a theoretically clear strategy, NATO is both politically and militarily ill-prepared to execute the required counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan. An Afghan disaster might not be a death sentence for the Alliance, but would certainly have major repercussions.
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Daniel Korski & Richard Gowan: Away from the limelight and with other world events getting the media’s attention, the situation in Kosovo has been getting worse and worse. And it all started so well with the EU managing to get a consensus for its ESDP mission and two-thirds of EU states backing the province’s independence.
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Andreas Umland: Don’t overestimate Berlin’s statements concerning Russian interests in the former USSR
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Frank-Walter Steinmeier: For the past 60 years the transatlantic relationship has been the world’s transformative partnership. America’s relationship with Europe - more than with any other part of the world - enables both of us to achieve goals that neither of us could achieve alone.
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Marek Swierczynski: The Lisbon Treaty opens a new path for the European Security and Defense Policy. After Europe failed to create either a relevant European defense capability or a common security strategy, it favors a collective defense that may ultimately threaten NATO.
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Atlantic Community SURVEY: 23 European and US policy analysts and our members express stronger support for Ukraine’s NATO aspirations than witnessed at the Bucharest Summit. Advocacy for fast NATO enlargement correlates with geographic proximity to Russia.
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Marek Swierczynski: NATO’s decision to delay a major enlargement should only be viewed in a positive light if it results in better management of the Afghan mission, and the Alliance keeps up the pace to relaunch negotiations with Ukraine and Georgia.
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Stanley R. Sloan: Besides agreeing on devoting more military and non-military resources to the mission in Afghanistan, NATO leaders at the Bucharest Summit should start drafting a new strategic concept and a contemporary Atlantic Charter for the new American administration to tackle in 2009.
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Daniel Korski: Something odd is happening across Europe’s security landscape. In spite of British Prime Minister Brown’s euro-scepticism, and Britain’s supposed European isolation following the Iraq War, London is once again becoming the centerpiece of European security cooperation.
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Rüdiger Lentz: Increasing debates within the Alliance about the inequity of risk- and burden-sharing among its members overshadow the upcoming summit in Bucharest. Especially, the Germans are being pressured by Washington and their Western allies to send more fighting troops to Afghanistan.
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Wess Mitchell: While the United States has been prodding the alliance’s second-tier members, newcomers have stepped up in Afghanistan.
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Nikolas Kirrill Gvosdev: Secretary-General De Hoop Scheffer must find a compromise between NATO members: those who don’t want to anger Russia and those pushing to include Eastern European states.
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Ambassador Victoria Nuland: “Europe needs, the United States needs, NATO needs, the democratic world needs – a stronger, more capable European defense capacity.”
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Marek Swierczynski: Just before the NATO summit in Bucharest, the differences on what and how the Alliance should do in the future seem all but rising on both sides of the Atlantic. The Warsaw conference on NATO’s Transformation made fundamental divides clearly visible.
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Dora Bakoyannis: Greece supports the enlargement of NATO in the Western Balkans with the invitations to Croatia and Albania, but the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s “intransigeant stance and its actions of an irredentist and nationalistic logic” are unacceptable.
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Anna Nadgrodkiewicz: When in Washington, Tusk will need to address the role of Polish troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the necessity of easing visa requirements, and the proposed missile defense shield. Most importantly, Tusk should use his visit to build name recognition and focus on issues important to Poland.
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D. Korski & M. Williams: NATO’s members need to take action if the 60 year old alliance is to survive as a useful organization.
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Dieter Farwick: The NATO defense ministers’ meeting should conclude with an agreement to send additional forces to Afghanistan. The troops can win if given the necessary resources and operational freedom.
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Volker Perthes: I admit that there is no simple checklist to determine how, when, or where German troops should be deployed abroad. But there are a number of valid questions that can be posed before soldiers are sent to peacekeeping and peace-enf
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Memo 4: Members of the Atlantic Community are mostly optimistic about the future of Kosovo and conflict resolution in the Western Balkans. The EU has a key role in this region and policy is in the right track, but, of course, big challenges still lie ahead.
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Dr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg: The latest survey of Afghan attitudes toward ISAF activities stresses the need for continued German engagement in Afghanistan.
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Thomas de Waal: The simmering conflicts in Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia could easily flare up. Although they are driven by unresolved regional disputes, both the US and Russia loom large in the background.
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Alexander Bernhard Bitter: Missile defense for Europe is coterminous with NATO’s mission. The European policy of waiting for a new US administration is flawed, as the financial burden of the endeavor could shift heavily toward Europe.
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Dominique Moisi: I considers how likely it is that France will return to NATO’s military command. Regardless of Sarkozy’s decision, the issue represents a new strategy: “to link progress in building a common European defense and security structure with a redefinition of NATO.”
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Andreas Beckmann: The general public does not understand the advantages of a US ground-based missile defense system in Europe. Western politicians should be wary of making confusing public statements that could facilitate Russian and Iranian efforts to divide the Alliance.
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Marco Overhaus: 2007 and 2008 could be decisive years for the region. A difficult balance must be struck, between a renewed and robust EU engagement in the Western Balkans and the need to make reform efforts locally self-supporting.
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Christoph Bertram: If European governments today distance themselves from America, they will both antagonize and further weaken the US. This will in turn undermine European foreign policy influence around the world.
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Hans Binnendijk: The consequences of failure in Afghanistan would be severe. I offer three points to help European governments make the case for continued participation in the NATO ISAF mission.
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Memo 3: Members of the Atlantic Community question German participation in OEF, support ISAF and want increased emphasis on social issues in Afghanistan. In this Executive Summary, Annette Poelking of the Atlantic Initiative has more on members’ ideas for Afghanistan and an update on the ongoing debate.
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Nikolas Kirrill Gvosdev: I reject Rudolph Giuliani’s call to expand NATO membership to other, non-Western democracies. Adding states like Australia or India to “globalize” NATO would undermine its original and enduring purpose: collective security through Article 5.
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Hans-Ulrich Klose: We need a new philosophy of deterrence against Iran. A tough containment policy, including Russia, and strong defense of Israel could bring about a changed security architecture in the Middle East that might finally include Tehran.
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Atlantic Happy Hour: NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer came to Berlin on a mission to get more German troops into the south of Afghanistan. As the guest of honor at an event run by the Atlantic Initiative, publisher of the Atlantic Community, Scheffer appeared with representatives from five of Germany’s political parties to respond to questions on the future of operations in Afghanistan.
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John Koenig: The transatlantic relationship is more complex—and more vital—than ever before. Responding to Egon Bahr’s article, I note that NATO is and should remain rooted in the transatlantic community.
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Markus Kaim: I advocate merging the military capabilities of Germany’s three current mandates under the ISAF umbrella to bring transatlantic equilibrium to the burden-sharing in Afghanistan. Military participation in Operation Enduring Freedom should end, and ISAF Aerial Reconnaissance and Surveillance should be integrated into a single ISAF directive.
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Egon Bahr: Europe must emancipate itself from the United States and take a stand for multilateralism. I see NATO expansion as an invitation for the US to continue to dominate the alliance—Europe should oppose it.
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David G. Haglund: I blame disagreement over Afghanistan for the disappearance of the golden relationship between Berlin and Ottawa. Canada’s “perfect peacekeepers” want Germans to shoulder their fair share of the NATO burden.
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Thomas Speckmann: Iraq’s label as a “second Vietnam” for the United States does not hold up to scrutiny. Recent changes to US military strategy on terrorism— building infrastructure, winning hearts and minds—come straight out of the Bundeswehr handbook, and they’re working. So why not take them to Kabul?
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Margarita Mathiopoulos: The West cannot afford a globally weak or inept United States. The recent political changes in France, Japan, Britain and Germany present an opportunity to start fresh with a new US administration in 2008.
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Ulf Gartzke: I warn of a looming “nightmare scenario” when EU member states could split from the US and each other over independent status for Kosovo. Results from the latest Bush-Putin summit could raise the stakes.
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Michael John Williams: The EU Battlegroups, though small, are a step in the right direction. The United States can and should play a role in promoting further advancement of European expeditionary capability.
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Memo 1: Members of the Atlantic Community commented on the appropriate role for the EU in Afghanistan.
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Karsten Voigt: Shifting German troops out of the north of Afghanistan would be detrimental to the country. The troops should stay with their original mission, as they are providing significant support to the allied forces.
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Heiko Borchert and Karina Forster: Energy infrastructure security requires a serious military commitment. The EU should pool resources with NATO through joint research in security and technology, military cooperation with key energy partners such as Africa, and mutual education through exchange of lessons learned.
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Heiko Borchert and Karina Forster : We see hard power as integral to the preservation of energy infrastructure. EU-NATO cooperation is therefore key to preserving this vital element of energy security.
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Julianne Smith: I want the EU to take a stronger role in Afghanistan. The EU should act as a coordinating body for the reconstruction and development of the country. This would also strengthen Europe’s standing with its partners.
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Eckart von Klaeden: Europe will soon be vulnerable to medium-range ballistic missiles. The time to act is now. Europe, Germany and NATO must agree on an anti-missile shield to protect against threats from Iran and others.
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Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board: members discuss the most important issue facing the transatlantic relationship today. Rudolf G. Adam, Christoph Bertram, Philip von Boehm-Bezing, John Hulsman, Eckart von Klaeden, Hans-Ulrich Klose, and Norbert Otten find that the West continues to be a political power player.
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Jan-Friedrich Kallmorgen and Andreas Beckmann: Germany should support the proposed US missile defense plan and broaden the plan through NATO. Though this issue is rarely understood in Germany, it is evident that the world faces a massive security problem as a result of Iran’s developing nuclear program.
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Eckart von Klaeden: Europe and Germany need missile defense against the threat from Iran. Europe has long neglected the new strategic threats arising from missile proliferation.
This is the first of a two-part series from the Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board Member.
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Karsten Voigt: I cannot foresee an end to the German and Allied commitment in Afghanistan as long as the Taliban pose a threat to the country’s stability. We cannot allow pro-terrorist groups to take over, and that good governance is a priority.
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Wess Mitchell: I recommend a security agreement with Prague now to set precedent for missile defense negotiations with other NATO members later, starting with Poland. Bilateral agreements with Eastern European countries would reinforce Washington’s strategic commitment to the region and would not undermine NATO in the least.
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Global Must Read Articles
Discussions on Turkey’s EU membership tend to neglect the fact that the country’s strategic significance has skyrocketed since the end of the Cold War. From the standpoint of Western interests, Turkey plays a key role in conflict resolution from the Balkans to the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia, to the Persian Gulf region. It is hence essential that the United States and the
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The time has finally come to invite Russia to join NATO. ++ “Trans-Atlantic security needs have changed fundamentally in the last two decades. The East-West confrontation has ended, and Moscow now shares many interests with NATO.” ++ In this context, the inclusion of Russia in the organization would mark the “logical consummation” of a Euro-Atlantic security order of which
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The anti-Europe discourse is fashionable again these days in American tribunes. ++ “Pacifist Europe” progressively withdrawing its commitment from NATO’s engagement in Afghanistan fuels scepticism towards the everlasting European partner. ++ In spite of this overall pessimistic tone, the Obama’s administration should publicly support the transatlantic partnership because the United States and
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At the Munich Security Conference, NATO SecGen Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that the organization will widen its scope to include relations with China, India and other global players. ++ It’s time for NATO to adapt to the new realities of an increasingly globalized world. ++ “It makes sense for the Western alliance to start serious talks on security cooperation with the Asian
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The new Commander Emergency Response Program (CERP) aims to counter the corruption of predecessor programs in Afghanistan by awarding aid funds for ‘village development,’ avoiding direct cash payments. ++ NATO hopes that by “siphoning off low-level recruits it can force the Taliban to negotiate from a weaker position.” ++ Right now, more than their Western counterparts,
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Apart from Pakistan, President Obama did not talk about the role of any other stakeholders in the region in his speech. ++ It was an unwise decision not to mention Iran, considering the role it has to play in tackling regional drug traffic. ++ Afghanistan’s narco-economy should be considered as important a problem as terrorism. ++ With the majority of the Afghan drug trade passing through Iran, a
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Obama’s prolonged deliberation about Afghanistan risks undermining his commitment to whichever decision he ends up making. ++ As there is unanimity in the Pentagon and considerable agreement in Congress and among NATO allies about the need for additional American and NATO troops, it is remarkable that Obama has requested yet another study. ++ “It is not enough for a president to be seen as having
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From arms reduction to Afghanistan to Iran, it is in Washington’s best interest to ensure cooperation with Moscow on a wide range of issues. Policy-makers in Washington now have to choose between different options for dealing with Moscow: rely on either the EU or on Germany as a focal point for dealing with the Russians, or conduct relations bilaterally.
Washington, however, is unlikely to
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The US needs to reduce its footprint in Afghanistan and start focussing on nation-building at home. ++ The US “does not have the Afghan partners, the NATO allies, the domestic support, the financial resources or the national interest to justify an enlarged and prolonged nation-building effort in Afghanistan.” ++ Although withdrawal may create new threats, so will staying and a stronger America
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) today represents the strongest military and political alliance in the world. Its member states on both sides of the Atlantic are situated in the planet’s best developed areas, in terms of social modernization and political democratization, technological advancement, economic prosperity and productivity. The 900 million people living in North America
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NATO should draw Russia into a closer association to consolidate security in Europe and indirectly facilitate “the fading of Russia’s lingering imperial ambitions.” ++ Improved NATO-Russia relations could pave the way to more cooperation with leading Asian powers like China, India and Japan. ++ NATO shall become “the hub of a globe-spanning web of various regional
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Withdrawal from the CIS for Georgia represents a continental shift away from Russia and other former Soviet republics. ++ President Saakashvili should not have left so quickly as it frees Moscow from the obligation of viewing the territorial integrity of Georgia. ++ “Georgia’s actions, because it is unlikely to be accompanied by any cataclysmic consequences, may make it easier for
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Opponents of missile defense argue unpersuasively that “there is no near-term, long-range Iranian missile threat and the proposed US system could not defeat such a threat anyway.” ++ Yet Iran continues to buy crucial materials and make progress in their missile tests. ++ The US plan includes state-of-the-art radar and interceptors, and there is no reason to believe they would not work
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German politicians must address public questions about NATO involvement in Afghanistan. ++ They must recognize that the war entails risks, and costs - including German lives - and communicate to Germans that they owe their soldiers respect, empathy and support. ++ Finally, they must admit that wars are not won half-heartedly: keeping the number of troops low increases the necessity for air
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The road to more
security and stability in Afghanistan runs exclusively through Pakistan. Only
if the Pakistani leadership manages to avoid the collapse of political order
and the stem the march of the Taliban out of the northwest of the country will
peace in Afghanistan have a real chance. US President Obama and his foreign
policy team have finally realized this reality. Supporting the
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Since the end of the
Cold War there have been regular prognoses concerning the absolution of NATO.
In fact since then the Alliance has undergone scores of tests: Bosnia, Kosovo,
9/11, Iraq and most recently Afghanistan. In addition to these trials came the
eight years of the Bush administration, whose indifference toward consensus and
diplomacy had corrosive effects on NATO. However, the
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The US and the EU must take a coordinated approach when trying to bring around reform in “Europe’s last dictatorship,” Belarus, which will be a slow and tough process. ++ The US should consider lifting sanctions only on the basis of strict conditionality. ++ Belarus must be pressured to have more independent media, to investigate the cases of missing dissidents, and to end the practice of jailing
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NATO, so far the most successful regional security alliance, needs to define its strategic focus.++ While Afghanistan remains the pressing issue, NATO needs to move beyond a focus on the topical hotspots towards long-term strategic thinking.++ With the number of non-traditional threats rising, reality is that NATO won’t be able to address every challenge.++ Thus, a consensus on the scope of
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Gen. Petraeus faces a tougher fight in Afghanistan then Iraq in applying his counterinsurgency tactics; to first hit the insurgency hard to then strip away the moderates.++ His asset of strong diplomatic support to enable a regional approach, is upset by two current difficulties: instable Pakistan, crucial to military success, is sceptical of cooperation, and there remains a lack
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The launch of NATO military exercises in Georgia – the latest effort in Tbilisi’s campaign for membership of the alliance - has angered Russia. ++ Georgia believes NATO is pivotal to its security and independence, but Russia has labelled the exercises as “dangerous” and “provocative”. ++ Many Georgians were disappointed NATO has not yet granted the country
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The global community is slowly realizing the magnitude of the dangers the current problems Pakistan and Afghanistan carry for the world. ++ France has taken an active role, “committed to contributing its full weight to help settle these conflicts.” ++ Efforts to stabilize Afghanistan will fail if Pakistan does not participate fully in the fight against terrorism. ++ The solution
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There are 3 truths about the piracy problem: the lawlessness of Somalia creates a safe haven for criminals; the consequences of an attack are significant for shipping companies, its ships and crews; the coalition naval forces are under resourced to patrol the space.++ A public-private collaboration would allow for burden sharing.++ A strategy of water-based security outposts, through the
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The latest strategy to deal with the Taliban has drawn praise from NATO but the lack of infrastructure in Pakistan casts doubt on its chances of success. ++ Indians welcomed the announcement from Richard Holbrooke that India “is the absolutely critical leader in the region” in relation to its role in Afghanistan. ++ They also have a significant role to play in Islamabad. ++ The instability in
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Future strategy in Afghanistan is being debated more strongly than before: more money, more soldiers, stronger European involvement, and negotiations with moderate Taliban. But the allied troops on site have to solve completely different problems first: obtaining fresh supplies has recently become the Achilles’ heel of the international troops in Afghanistan. More and more often Taliban forces
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On April 4 the Atlantic Alliance will celebrate its 60th birthday. ++ An apt occasion to review its tasks and raison d’etre with a changed décor and security challenges. ++ There are several issues to tackle. ++ It is clear is that Article 5 should remain at the core of NATO and new tasks and memberships should only take place if accompanied by an effective increase in the security
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After 43 years of abstinence France is returning to NATO. ++ President Sarkozy decided that France should “reintegrat[e] into all structures of the Atlantic alliance.” ++ The move brings France closer to the US and undoes de Gaulle’s refusal “to allow the French armed forces to submit to US command,” stirring criticism from both “old-guard Gaullists”
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Secretary of State Clinton’s European trip set out the seriousness of the Obama administration’s commitment and marked a new era of transatlantic relations. ++ The tête à tête between Clinton and Lavrov — symbolized by a button representing the resetting of soured relations given to the Russian Foreign Minister — confirmed that both countries want to cooperate on the Iranian,
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Youth Atlantic Treaty Association delegates interviewed at their General Assembly held in Berlin in November 2008. The topics range from Russian relations to what Obama will ask Europe to do.
In this series of exclusive videos, atlantic-community.org has interviewed delegates and representatives of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA), an association with 39 member organizations on each
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The argument that France would lose its diplomatic freedom and image of independent power by re-integrating into the military structure of NATO is unfounded. ++ It would assure France a better defense of its national interests. ++ NATO is a consensus based alliance and every country’s view is considered in the decision-making process. ++ More importantly, NATO is about to delineate a new
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The small glimpse of hope of potential Russian-US cooperation on curtailing Iran’s nuclear plans disappeared after an unsuccessful meeting between Russia and the US. ++ Obama stated that Russia would not determine America’s missile defense plans. ++ Although a setback, the statement is not without purpose; if not said Russia would have achieved its aim of creating a wedge between
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When France left NATO’s permanent command structure 43 years ago, it was confident in its decision. ++ Contemporary realties —the financial crisis and the need for transatlantic cooperation in light of a slowly emerging multipolarity— combine to call for a stronger French presence. ++ France’s return to NATO would better serve French domestic interests, advance the
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The deployment of an additional 17,000 US troops in Afghanistan is a welcome response to the enduring threat of the Taliban. ++ Military might alone, however, is no solution: “defeating the insurgency means understanding it.” ++ State-building and incentives to deter opportunistic insurgents are needed. ++ Pakistani talebanization must also be urgently addressed and the government’s
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As Kosovo celebrates one year of independence, progress in the new state can be best summed up with a “so-so.” ++ While violence has been held at bay, reconciliation between Serbs and Kosovans remains a long way off. ++ NATO and EU troops continue to maintain security, unemployment is high and economic development is stunted. ++ All of Europe should recognize Kosovan independence; after that,
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Sarkozy’s decision to rejoin NATO’s military command is the wrong response to the new era Obama has ushered in. ++ NATO remains an organization designed for the Cold War era without the legitimacy to take on a universal role. ++ Sarkozy is sending out a signal that France wishes to remain part of the “western family,” locked in a defensive mindset of yesteryear. ++
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NATO’s effectiveness is being jeopardized by a series of disputes over its purpose. ++ Proposals for a European army, supported by UK Defense Sec. Hutton, would deplete NATO and undermine its efforts. ++ The alliance is also threatened by disagreement over troop deployments in Afghanistan and the big question about eastward expansion and the accession of new states. ++ The organization
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The Munich Conference on Security Policy needs renewal. ++ In 2007 Putin declared the end of unipolarity here. ++ This year NATO seeks discreet dialog with Russia, but the focus will be on the seating of US and Iranian delegations. ++ The first contact between them for three decades may take place over dinner. ++ “You only see old men there,” says a female NATO diplomat. ++ The conference
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This year the international community could achieve a major breakthrough in the anti-drug war being waged in Afghanistan. The last two years have witnessed large surpluses in drug production resulting in falling prices and stockpiling of poppy seeds. A decline in poppy cultivated areas is expected for this year. James Townsend, UN advisor in Afghanistan, sees this a unique chance: strengthened
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A recent Taliban bridge bombing in Pakistan which cut off supply lines to NATO forces in Afghanistan has once again highlighted the vulnerability of passing through Pakistan. ++The US is, however, running out of luring alternatives; considering Russia as a substitute would require the US “to pledge that it will respect the Russian sphere of influence in the former USSR,” a guarantee Obama is
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NATO has become “a military alliance without any political clout” and is in the midst of an identity crisis. ++ The campaign in Afghanistan is suffering because of NATO’s lack of a political voice and a lack of cohesion between Brits and Americans ++ Its vacillation over granting MAPs to Georgia and Ukraine for fear of upsetting Russia is further evidence of its
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Two attacks against US and NATO convoys near Peshawar in Pakistan have taken place in the last week. ++ The Pakistani army appears to be testing Obama’s will. ++The US and NATO must take adequate steps to respond to these incidents. ++ It is an opportunity for them to acknowledge that the recent attacks in Mumbai were of global proportions and that it was a major mistake to fight the war
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A battle over ex-Soviet republics is taking place between Brussels and Moscow. ++ This quarrel is the subtext to the laborious negotiations over Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO and the EU. ++ The EU has shown a clear desire for greater “association” with its neighbors but refuses to start real talks for fear of angering Russia. ++ A European presence in the region is necessary to
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The British military are increasingly angered by the poor international effort to win over hearts and minds in Afghanistan. ++ British generals have been arguing for years that getting the population on side is the key to success. ++ A top official has called the UN’s support “wholly inadequate.” ++ Meanwhile, the Taliban are “winning the information war.” ++ As NATO screams for more
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NATO ministers meet this week to discuss a Membership Action Plan for Ukraine. ++ “Ukraine’s desire to join NATO is an aspiration to become part of the most effective system of collective security and to share joint responsibility for common space.” ++ Despite protest from Russia, Ukraine must be accepted as a vital ally - peacekeeping missions in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and
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Terrorism is not the key strategic threat facing the US and Obama’s focus on Afghanistan is misguided. ++ NATO’s overemphasis in 2005 destroyed the stable situation of 2004 and the more focus Afghanistan gets now, the harder it will fall after an inevitable withdrawal. ++ Troop increases distract attention from other pressing issues: monetary aid is wasteful and counterproductive,
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Western oriented, business friendly, and governed by smart, young people, Georgia is a country on the rise. ++ NATO should not be her final resting place, though. ++ Georgia doesn’t meet NATO requirements for full control of its territory and a closer look reveals its media is like Russia’s: state run and laden with propaganda. ++ “Georgia’s future is economic
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The hijacking of a Saudi-owned oil tanker is unprecedented but only part of the recent, dramatic rise in piracy. ++ Capturing pirates in not a major problem, but due process makes dealing with captive pirates more complex than in the 1700s. ++ Universal jurisdiction should be applied in this case, allowing any state to try and punish pirates. ++ States should then try them in military courts. ++
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One of Obama’s most trying tasks as president will be to redefine NATO, which lacks “a clear mission” and has “outlived its original purpose.” ++ The thorny issue of Ukrainian and Georgian accession will need to be negotiated with other NATO members. ++ NATO’s mission in Afghanistan is an “out-of-area conflict,” allowing members to decide what role,
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Seven years after the advent of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Taliban, al- Qaeda and various insurgents have regained strength particularly on Afghan and Pakistani soil. The fight for
security in the Middle East has spiralled downward as the Taliban have “established a new “safe haven” in Pakistan. Serious efforts to build a transparent, secure Afghan state with an intact justice system will
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Obama’s proposed “mini-surge” in Afghanistan of some 15,00 troops will not provide enough personnel for the job. ++ Iraq, a smaller country than Afghanistan, required 700,000 soldiers and security forces; there are only 200,000 in Afghanistan. ++ Robert Gates will aid the Afghans in doubling their military size to 200,000, yet more will eventually be needed. ++ Investing American money, beyond
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“The ‘Great Game’ is no fun anymore.” ++ A timeout is needed in Afghanistan so that the players, including Obama, can draught a new deal. ++ A global effort to secure Afghanistan’s stability should be above other objectives. ++ Due to the complex global conflict, a solution cannot be reached without a “regional grand bargain,” which must include a comprehensive
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NATO countries disagree about the floundering mission in Afghanistan, but it is obvious the hardwearing Taliban cannot be crushed by military means alone. ++ More troops would not help keep control in rural areas, where the insurgency is strong. ++ This would prolong the use of air-to-ground bombing to target high-ranking insurgents, resulting in high numbers of civilian casualties. ++ Because
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“Old” and “new” Europe parallel the blue and red state split in the US. ++ In old (western) Europe Obama is viewed as a “ray of hope;” new (central and eastern) Europe raises the question, “Who is Obama?” ++ This can be attributed to a difference in threat perceptions. ++ Nowhere is this exemplified more than in Germany. ++ There, a proto-Kantian
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Russia’s invasion of Georgia is not an aberration - it demonstrates a pattern of aggression, one that now threatens Ukraine as Moscow embraces PM Yulia Tymoshenko. ++ Russia’s relations with Tehran, Syria, OPEC and most recently Venezuela all threaten US interests. ++ Western weakness, especially in Europe, is not an option. ++ Georgia and Ukraine must be brought into NATO; military cooperation
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Americans believed that imperialism could trump nationalism but the Afghans proved them wrong. ++ Foreign occupation of Afghanistan is triggering a backlash inside of the country, as well as destabilizing Pakistan. ++ There is a cascading opinion among US allies that this war cannot be won. ++ The Afghans have suffered enough and the US simply cannot afford an open-ended war. ++ Sometimes a war
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Violence, corruption and lawlessness keep pushing Afghanistan into a “downward spiral.” ++ Foreign troops are part of the problem; the US and the NATO focus on air attacks, “putting the life of occupation troops before civilians.” ++ A growing number of civilian victims intensifies the risk of terror attacks and hinders the country from establishing a stable system. ++ An
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Viktor Yuschenko, president of Ukraine, has called for another parliamentary election in hopes of settling internal divisions symbolized largely by Ukraine’s leading three politicians - Yuschenko, Tymoshenko, and Yanukovich. ++ This must be a Ukrainian election for Ukrainians. ++ Both Russia and the US (NATO) must keep their hands off. ++ Instead the EU should make Ukraine’s membership in the
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The West is “pushing away” Russia, not the other way around. ++ The US needs to see Russia’s point of view for a change. ++ At the end of the Cold War, there was “no move to meet Russia partway;” instead, the US “talked away” Russian attempts at integration with Western institutions. ++ Yeltsin looked like a puppet for trying to gain acceptance and Putin came to power as a result. ++ It’s time
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Even President Bush has now come to realize that Afghanistan is “the real frontline in the war on terror.” ++ America’s sixteen intelligence agencies agree that Afghanistan is on a “downward spiral.” ++ Sobering estimates say it will be five to ten years before Afghanistan is stabilized. ++ More troops are needed and if NATO allies are unwilling to send them, they should contribute monetarily.
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The Taliban are losing battles in Afghanistan but are winning the war. ++ The situation looks grimmer now than ever before. ++ The war looks it can’t be won, but we must keep trying. ++ NATO can’t win alone, but it should help the Afghan army defend its government - if it’s willing. ++ A civil war could possibly be a key step before being able to reach any kind of agreement
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NATO has lost itself in the in Caucasus conflict. ++ Medvedev has repeatedly outlined his plans for a EU security architecture - he views his country’s security interests neglected. ++ The EU has almost disqualified itself from diplomatic talks by blindly solidarizing with Georgia. ++ The acceptance of Georgia’s wish for future membership in NATO might be a slight to Russia ++ If NATO
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The British commander admitted that winning in Afghanistan is unlikely - reducing the Taliban insurgency to a manageable level may be the only realizable goal. ++ Northern ethnic groups, which account for 60% of the population, are backed by the US, but the Taliban are still the major political force for the Pashtuns constituting 40% of the people. ++ Foreign forces are fighting Pashtun
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US incursions into Cambodia, which led to its destabilization and the rise of the Khmer Rouge, should be remembered. ++ The same mistake is being made in Pakistan, where the dangers are far greater. ++ Undermining Pakistan does not help Afghanistan. ++ A new soft power approach is needed, as “Afghanistan cannot be transformed along Western lines” - a major factor, along with increased bombing
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Obama’s foreign policy proposals are too vapid; far from incipient or novel, we are subjected to his recycled ideas - which, albeit, were fresh when first espoused in the face of Bush dogmatism. ++ “These ideas have lost their oomph among discerning voters.” ++ Catching Bin Laden, sending more troops to Afghanistan, and unconditional support for Georgia are all calls from the neocon playbook.
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NATO is facing a wily and pitiless enemy in Afghanistan. ++ Taliban forces have reconstituted themselves into a formidable foe. ++ The transfer of nearly 5,000 troops from Iraq - where the situation is more dire than the Bush administration admits - to Afghanistan is “too few, too late, too slow.” ++ The British were unable to control Afghanistan in the 19th century, the Russians in
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Military victory in Afghanistan is achievable, but are we “willing to pay the high cost?” ++ Chura Valley in Uruzgan province is secure thanks to a Dutch reconstruction team, while in a nearby valley snipers reign. ++ This is a microcosm of Afghanistan. ++ ISAF is facing a new, resilient Taliban, drawn from diverse sources. ++ A military surge is needed to quell restive regions,
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If the US goes ahead with its plan to take the war on terror into Pakistan, Pakistani army will loose its credibility and may end up caught up between American troops and al-Quaeda.++ Weakening Pakistani army would backfire on the campaign against terror and make further attacks inside America much more probable. ++ Only the government in Islamabad has a full understanding of the situation on the
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In July President Bush decided to increase attacks by US forces against the Taliban in tribal areas. ++ This increase is in response to the Taliban’s growing strength in Pakistan, more attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan, and an increase in terrorist threats. ++ The US must find a way to balance its relations with President Zardari of Pakistan, and also continue its attacks against the Taliban
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International organizations are stretched to their limits and need reform. ++ NATO struggles to produce an effective strategy in Afghanistan, UN peacekeepers are dispersed over the globe, and the EU can only offer fledgling military support in any operation. ++ Yet, the EU and UN are in the best position to lead the much-needed reform of international organizations. ++ The UN has a critical
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The war in Afghanistan stands at a critical juncture; the Taliban-led insurgency is gaining in effectiveness and influence. ++ The US troop surge planned to counter this threat is no remedy in itself. ++ NATO should develop a national reconciliation program which would bring ex-Taliban moderates into politics. ++ It is also crucial that the number of Afghan soldiers doubles, their salaries rise,
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NATO’s failure to provide Georgia and Ukraine with a concrete Membership Action Plan was a grave mistake, as demonstrated in part by recent events in Georgia. ++ Both NATO and the EU, the latter meeting today to discuss circumstances in Georgia, must avoid further empty promises, and instead pursue concrete action. ++ The West should not isolate Russia, i.e., exclusion from the G8, but must
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A sharp consensus between Europe and the US emerged at the NATO summit that they can not deal with Russia as usual. ++ Regarding the question what to do instead, one answer could be: concentrate on Russian oligarchs. ++ They have close ties with Putin, but also operate globally and depend on Western capital markets, Western consumers and foreign bank accounts. ++ Beside measures such as denying
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Instead of demonstrating the noble character of NATO, the so called “good war” in Afghanistan is running out of control. ++ The death toll is rising inexorably, the security situation for aid agencies and women deteriorates and the local population is turning more and more against the Alliance. ++ The only way to resolve the conflict is to withdraw the foreign troops and start negotiating a
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NATO foreign ministers are meeting tomorrow in Brussels to decide on further actions regarding the crisis in Georgia. ++ To prevent further instability, they should reassure those members who fear Russia that atlantic mutual-defence commitments are real and make new defense arrangements that would deter Russia. ++ They must also speed up the enlargement process and bring in Ukraine and the
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The EU’s attempt to develop a European Security and Defense Policy doesn’t mean it will compete with NATO. ++ Instead, NATO and EU complement each other. ++ Some countries in Africa or the Middle East would rather ask the EU for assistance. ++ On the other hand, NATO has the better capacities to manage certain long-term crises, e.g., when provoked by terrorism. ++ Military resources are only one
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This week’s events in Georgia proved the failure of the Western policy of belligerence towards the Kremlin. ++ It failed to take into account the complexity of the ethnic, religious, and nationalist structures in Georgia and even encouraged Saakashvili to challenge Putin. ++ As a result, the plans to enlarge NATO experienced a backlash, Russian neo-imperialism is strengthened and Georgia has
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Western support of Kosovo’s declaration of independence and NATO’s assurance of Georgia and Ukraine’s eventual Atlantic Alliance membership erode Russian influence on former states of the USSR. ++ Georgia pays a high price for adopting a pro-Western foreign policy and choosing new allies. ++ This intervention is a clear message to the West to stay out of what Kremlin sees as its
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Admitting Georgia and Ukraine to NATO could spoil the cooperation between Russia and the West. ++ If NATO decides to take in the two former Soviet republics, Russia might reciprocate by freezing its relations with the alliance which would be a lose-lose situation for all the parties involved. ++ We must not let this issue cool the relations between NATO and Moscow. ++ NATO, Russia and the OSCE
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The recent escalation of violence in Afghanistan and the calls to divert the US troops from Iraq make the question of ending these long and costly wars even more urgent. ++ There is only one organisation that can provide the leadership necessary to defeat the insurgencies and bring peace and stability to both countries: the UN. ++ US and its allies can never achieve these goals alone. ++ Only the
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Hopes for friendly relations with Russia, running high in the 1990s, were ruined by the Bush administration. ++ NATO membership offer to Georgia and Ukraine and plans to install elements of missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic have fuelled Russian paranoia about strategic encirclement. ++ We need to understand that Russian foreign policy is shaped by their hunger for respect
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Rather than focusing on force levels, debates about burden-sharing within NATO should look at “defense transformation, operations, and the wider context of the international community’s efforts.” ++ While burden-sharing faces many challenges, more equality is possible through common funding, “transformation efforts to increase the pool of usable and deployable forces,” and increased multinational
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Despite the presence of over 50,000 NATO troops and some 140,000 Afghan troops and police, the Taliban and al-Qaeda have gotten stronger over the past two years. ++ The Pentagon invested about US$16.5 billion in Afghanistan, but it still lacks a “sustainable strategy” for the development of an Afghan Army and the country’s police force. ++ Only two of 105 Army units, and not a
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France issued a White Paper on military reforms to meet the new challenges of transnational terrorism and nuclear proliferation. ++ Alongside the modernization and rationalization of its armed forces, France seeks to return to the NATO command structure and revive the idea of a common European defense policy. ++ The US no longer rejects the plan and has thus cleared the way for the formation of
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While the US and Germany would welcome full French participation in NATO, Sarkozy faces stiff resistance to the notion domestically. ++ The fact that French military representation in NATO “far exceeds” analogous French efforts in ESDP should be addressed. ++ The US should emphasize its role as partner rather than leader with regards to NATO, and “positional bargaining” needs to be avoided by all
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Some may be tempted to ignore Bush during his final tour of Europe, a US President on his way out does not need the same attention as one on his way in. ++ Bush’s presidency, however, has marked an epoch-making shift: the emphasis of US diplomacy moved away from stability concerns and toward the spread democratic freedom; an emphasis that is strengthening the Atlantic
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US diplomats will not exceed their offer - worth billions - to modernize Poland’s armed forces in exchange for the hosting of the anti-missile shield base on Polish soil. ++ Poland’s expectations are higher than what the US is prepared to offer and talks are now threatened with collapse. ++ Poland’s room for maneuver is limited by Russia’s easing of its position against the missile shield, NATO’s
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Russia is increasing military means in Georgia that show striking parallels with Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. ++ NATO members argue Georgia’s state of democratization needs to improve before they are willing to risk souring relations with Russia, but it is overlooked that much more is at stake here. ++ Despite EU and NATO bureaucratic considerations, Western help in general is
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Plans to build a US-proposed missile-defense shield based in Czech Republic and Poland has been met with feisty opposition. ++ NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Sheffer insists that missile defense is crucial for North Atlantic security in a world threatened by transnational terrorism and rogue states. ++ Public opposition in the Czech Republic represented in the government, Poland’s
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While Turkey’s judiciary, with support from its bureaucratic and military elite, threatens to disband the AKP, the US remains reluctant to take sides. ++ The US should realize that these anti-democratic groups are not necessarily more pro-Western, and formulate a clear pro-democracy policy towards Turkey. ++ Staying non-committal will be viewed by the majority of Turks as hypocritical pragmatism,
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The election of Nicolas Sarkozy was a source of hope for the future of Franco-American and transatlantic relations. Sarkozy made no secret of his intention to kick start a new era of French foreign policy and effect a radical break away from a forty year old Gaullist anti-American tradition, loyally held up by his predecessor Jacques Chirac. Now nearly a year has gone by since the proclaimed
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There is more to NATO’s enlargement plans than the official explanations imply. ++ “NATO is just a vehicle and another opportunity to extend its hard power globally” says Dan Plesch. ++ Regional dominance in former Soviet territory countervails potential return of Russian ambition. ++ NATO would gain influence over oil supplies, too. ++ Therefore Russian perception of threat by NATO
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NATO is threatened by growing protectionism, fear of terrorism, and the loss of faith of Europeans in values and institutions. ++ Its weakness prevents it from reforming. ++ Enlargement would enable promotion of western ideals the world over. ++ Since values override geography, Japan, Australia, and Israel should join now and others should be encouraged to, so as to effect democratic development
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European obstructionism of US proposals at the NATO summit exposes the EU’s division, weakness, and indecisiveness. ++ Energy dependency means that Russia has a de facto veto over EU security. ++ Suggesting the EU could mediate between the US and Russia is unrealistic. ++ A revival of Ostpolitik would impede NATO, increase Russia’s leverage, and lead to a deterioration of
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The traditional role of the state in Europe is diminished, therefore the capacity of EU governments to ask their people for sacrifices is reduced. ++ As the debate over using NATO forces in Afghanistan showed, EU governments are not able to live up to their obligations. ++ The European disillusionment with US policies has structural reasons and will continue after Bush’s presidency.
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By duplicating rather than completing the alliance’s functions, the Lisbon Treaty proposals on European defense integration damage NATO. ++ Since supranationalism would only further the EU’s democratic deficit, existing intergovernmental defense planning is preferable. ++ EU defense policy should be placed under NATO umbrella to prevent undermining transatlantic bonds and EU
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Few members at the Bucharest Summit acted to present the strongest military alliance in the world as “purposeful, tough and cohesive.” ++ “The Atlantic Caucus” is left to shoulder the biggest burden in Afghanistan and fill the “Eurogap” left by partners who fail to take the Taliban insurgency seriously. ++ Now NATO also suffers from a credibility gap due to members’ lack of resolve regarding
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Europe needs Russia for its oil and natural gas and Russia needs Europe for revenue from these resources. ++ This reciprocal relationship explains Europe’s opposition to granting Ukraine and Georgia NATO membership. ++ The issue of energy security is one of the few issues where central and eastern European countries agree with the US and are in conflict with Germany and France.
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Troops in Afghanistan amount to a mere 10% of the contingent needed. ++ Quarrelling over NATO policy issues is preventing gathering the necessary means to effectively tackle terrorism and the Taliban. ++ While French, German and Greek troops are comfortably in the North “where the main threat they face is boredom,” their politicians are willing to take charge, but not to shoulder the war’s
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For the sake of NATO credibility, the decision against MAPs for Ukraine and Georgia
needs to be reviewed within the year. ++ If Europeans give in, Russia may be able to prevent former Soviet republics from democratizing and westernizing. ++ But Russia’s victory in Bucharest could benefit transatlantic relations as it highlights the EU and NATO’s desperate need for American military support and
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The fate of NATO’s Afghanistan mission is strongly interlinked with developments in Pakistan. ++ Stability of both countries depends on an effective strategy to fight the Taliban/Al Qaeda in Pakistan’s tribal border areas. ++ Taliban’s capabilities against coalition forces in Afghanistan are a threat. ++ Joint US-Afghan-Pakistan military intelligence centers and counter-terrorism operations are
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The first territorial war of NATO history in Afghanistan will be the hot topic at the Bucharest Summit. ++ NATO’s credibility seems tied to success in Afghanistan, therefore NATO governments should reach a consensus on new criteria for measuring success and failure. ++ Democratization and stabilization can be difficult to achieve and should not be measured on an all-or-nothing basis.
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Without a new strategic concept and comprehensive reform, NATO will continue to decline. ++ Allies need consensus on the use of non-self-defense military force and the meaning of “collective defense.” ++ NATO should be a functioning political organization and bring its relationship with global partners to a new level. ++ NATO members need to be willing to make difficult compromises.
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NATO has always been a two-tiered alliance in which some countries shouldered more burdens than others. ++ This fact will not change, but it also does not invalidate the significance of NATO. ++ A two-tiered NATO even has certain benefits for the US, especially since the Eastward expansion of NATO serves as a safeguard against Russia. ++ NATO’s future, if centered on sea power and not combat,
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Bucharest is the ideal opportunity to extend the NATO membership action plan to Georgia and Ukraine and further negotiations with Balkan states. ++ While rewarding and encouraging their effort of reform, this would enhance the stability, solidarity, and security of the region. ++ NATO integration and EU enlargement are inseparable and crucial steps towards the creation of a stable European
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British skepticism towards EU defense and opposition to “operational headquarters” for EU military missions may jeopardize Sarkozy’s plan to simultaneously increase the EU’s military role and obtain approval at home for full membership to NATO. ++ A compromise in the form of common headquarters for both NATO and the ESDP would put an end to a pointless rivalry while optimizing the work of both
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Most important task for the UN secretary general’s new special representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, is to form a relationship with President Karzai. ++ UN must be the primary coordinator for all organizations in Afghanistan. ++ Military and civilian efforts need to be coordinated, Afghanistan Compact needs to be supported, and Afghanistan’s neighbors need to help stabilize.
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The 100 plus democratic nations need to come together as a “League of Democracies.” ++ NATO and the EU must build an effective military. ++ A strong NATO and EU are in the interest of the United States. ++ Global warming and vulnerability to autocracies are the next international challenges. ++ The US must be a model country, leading the world while listening to and respecting its allies.
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With unilateral pull-outs of the Afghan mission threatening NATO’s existence, Europe’s security is also at risk. ++ EU members lack consensus both on matters of foreign policy and regarding a role for NATO in the future. ++ As a global security actor, the EU should bolster its military capabilities, drop its idealism, and commit itself to real objectives in Sudan, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
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To remain a relevant alliance, NATO needs to adapt to both changes in the international order and evolving threats. ++ NATO requires a comprehensive approach, enhanced coordination with other civilian actors, and cooperation with the UN and the EU. ++ Jaap de Hoop Scheffer speaking at the German Marshall Fund Brussels Forum expects NATO to provide real results by accurately scanning the strategic
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Currently, NATO’s means are solely military. ++ Yet today’s most urgent task is to prevent crises by eliminating reasons for armed conflict, so force should be the ultimate resort. ++ To avoid becoming a hollow transatlantic alliance, NATO should adopt a global rather than a regional outlook, reinforce collaboration with the politically legitimizing UN, and especially work closer with members of
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Kosovo’s independence weakens international institutions, which have been waning in influence since end of Cold War. ++ UN and NATO unable to regulate international conflicts. ++ Weaker countries most likely to support international regulations, superpowers rely least upon international law. ++ Institutions can only function if set up to resolve concrete problems; standards can’t be created with
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Jan Techau and Alexander Skiba of the German Council on Foreign Relations criticize the German Government’s rejection of the US request for more German combat forces in south Afghanistan. There are at least three reasons for Germany to re-evaluate its current position: stabilizing Afghanistan is in Germany’s national interest; strategically it makes sense for Germany to carry more of
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Improved cooperation between NATO and other organizations is necessary in view of new security requirements, says David Yost, professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School.
A more productive joint performance is needed to work towards common goals such as preventing failed states becoming safe havens for terrorists. Yost therefore welcomes the comprehensive civil-military approach endorsed by
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An opinion poll commissioned by the BBC indicates that 54% of Afghans think things are going in the right direction, while 70% described their living conditions as good or very good. According to the poll of 1377 people from all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, 67% support or strongly support the presence of NATO forces.
Most striking was the apparent unpopularity of the Taliban – only 5% of
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The last 16 years provide valuable hindsight into the grand strategic approach of the United States and highlight the need to reshape American foreign policy around the principle of restraint, argues Barry R. Posen, director of the security studies program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Writing for the American Interest, he points out that US policy makers have struggled to
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Russia’s influence once again looms over the Baltic countries, and their position within the European Union and NATO is not mitigating the threat, argues International Herald Tribune journalist Adam Ellick. New Russian investments in media and infrastructure, coercive use of strategic energy sources, and instigation of militancy among Russian minorities have rendered Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has reached out to the United States and is willing to bring France back into NATO, an offer America should seize, writes Dr. Ronald Asmus from the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and member of the Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board.
In 1995 Presidents Chirac and Clinton came close to an agreement, but sudden political changes threw France back
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As a community based on values, the West must strengthen its cohesiveness in order to grapple with the pace of globalization, and face a geopolitical axis actively shifting toward Asia, argues Stephen Szabo, executive director of the Transatlantic Academy, which is a partnership between the German Marshall Fund and the Bucerius Zeit Stiftung.
A division of the West could prove
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Kurt Volker, Prinicipal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs discusses the status of the U.S.-NATO relationship and other transatlantic issues with State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack on October 29, 2007.
State Department
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Officials in Washington are confused and disappointed at British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq and focus more on Afghanistan, reports Con Coughlin of the Daily Telegraph. Brown, who played a key role in the run-up to the Iraq invasion during Tony Blair’s term in office, is now refusing responsibility for the chaos in Iraq. Coughlin warns Brown and
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The US intention to extend parts of its missile defense system to Poland and the Czech Republic has ruffled feathers throughout Europe. The issue has been particularly divisive in Germany, where Merkel has tried to occupy the diplomatic middle ground by proposing a multilateral missile shield project under NATO auspices in its stead - a suggestion that the US has rejected. Daniel Möckli of the
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Higher engagement of the EU and the USA in the Black Sea zone could limit European dependence on Russian energy and bring stability to the region, writes Ronald D. Asmus of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board Member points to recent developments, such as 9/11 and the enlargement of the EU in 2004, which have given the Caspian region and its energy
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The Euro-Atlantic Partnership lacks an effective venue for cooperative policy discussion. The NATO summit has therefore become the default forum for taking inventory of transatlantic outlooks. Franklin D. Kramer and Simon Serfaty of CSIS suggest a convergence of NATO and European Union member states under a unified “council.” The so-called “Euro-Atlantic Forum” would eliminate what the authors
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The creation of a legitimate US missile defense system requires a NATO framework, bipartisan support within the US, and Russian participation, argues Ronald Asmus of the German Marshall Fund. The Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board member sees danger of a new division into “Old” and “New” Europe unless these key elements are resolved. While influential US allies Angela Merkel and Jaap de Hoop
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Efforts to solve the Darfur conflict continually follow the same fruitless pattern, writes Daniel Allot of The Weekly Standard:
- The West pressures the Sudanese government to stop violations, while threatening sanctions.
- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir promises to meet the demands.
- The Sudanese government reneges on its promises without repercussions.
The result: Khartoum no
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Today’s security threats demand global military capability, argue Ivo Daalder of Brookings and James Goldgeier of George Washington University. International alliances should incorporate new partners that can share the increasing demand for troops and meet the new requirements for a secure global community. NATO’s membership should be opened up beyond the original cold war mandate prescribed by
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Former Polish Secretary of Defense Radek Sikorski vows that Poland will not comply unconditionally with the proposed US missile defense system in Central Europe. Russia’s recent deployment of missile batteries along the Polish border has placed Poland at the front lines of this conflict. Meanwhile, the faulty US intelligence during the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the EU’s $120 billion
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NATO troops should adopt three main policies in Afghanistan, says Rory Stewart. First, they should develop a more considerate approach towards tribal communities in order to distinguish between friends and “real” enemies; second, they should concentrate on highly visible infrastructure projects to regain the population’s trust; third, development projects need to be launched (e.g. from UN
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The US-Russian relationship during President Putin’s tenure has seesawed between mutual cooperation and confrontation, says Lionel Beehner of the US Council on Foreign Relations. The three main reasons for these recent tensions are the American intentions to establish an antimissile shield, expand NATO, and encourage the installation of pro-Western governments across Eastern Europe. Putin has
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