1. THE FUTURE OF TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE:
WILL IT SURVIVE THE TEST OF THE TIME?
Keshav Prasad Bhattarai
London based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in its latest edition of „The
Military Balance ‟ has mentioned that on the current trend defense spending of Asia is likely to
exceed that of Europe during 2012. This, inevitably will bring a global redistribution of military
power that ultimately is ending western monopoly in key areas of defense technology and
weaponries.
Next month in Chicago, the 28 member NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
summit of Heads of State and government, the most powerful military alliance in human
history, will be reasserting its relevance in a new world that is quite different than at
the time when it was formally came into existence on August 24, 1949.
Established 63 years ago, NATO in its Charter had reaffirmed its faith in the purposes and
principles of the UN Charter with the “desire to live in peace with all peoples and all governments
... to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their peoples”, who believe “on the
principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law” and are committed to the united
efforts “for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security”.
Taking this into consideration, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke about the future of
transatlantic security relationship between America and Europe in Brussels in June last year.
According to him, just five of the 28 NATO allies – the U.S., U.K., France, Greece and Albania have
fulfilled their commitment to allocate 2% of their GDP in defense.
During Cold War period U.S. allocations accounted 50 percent of all NATO military spending but
after two decades after the fall of Berlin Wall, U.S share of NATO defense budget rose to more
than 75 percent. And between 2008 and 2011, 20 of the 28 NATO nations reduced their defense
spending and this year for the first time Asian countries outstripped their defense expenditure
than the countries in Europe.

2. Obviously, when Europe is apparently unwilling to devote necessary resources for their own
defense, it would naturally not be easier to have the appetite and patience in the U.S. Congress at a
politically painful time of budget cuts and find money to spend more of American‟s taxpayer‟s money
to compensate the burden left by reductions in European defense budgets.
The future of Trans Atlantic alliance is “dim, if not dismal”. A future that “is possible but not
inevitable” and if NATO alliances wish and are committed they individually or collectively have
means to sustain and strengthen the transatlantic alliance and “produce a very different future”.
Further Gates opinioned the time was “not too late for Europe to get its defense institutions and
security relationships on track” if European leadership themselves are committed to the alliance
and to each other.
“NATO 2020: SHARED LEADERSHIP FOR A SHARED FUTURE”
NATO was created to protect post war Western Europe from the Soviet Union, but after the end
of Cold War NATO had “gone global”. In a uni-polar world, according to Ivo Daalder and James
Goldgeier – NATO is seeking new global role to bring stability to other parts of the world in terms
of both - the geographic reach and the range of its operations from Iraq and Afghanistan to
Darfur. It ran humanitarian assistance program to the victims of tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane
Katrina in the United States and of a massive earthquake in Pakistan.
After Cold War was ended the threat terrorism became more pervasive and rooted in weak and
failing nations. Enveloped ethnic infightings began to develop into mass cleansing. And terrorism
coupled with ethnic infightings began to find a common ground and interconnectivity in their
activities. This altogether forced NATO to expand its ambit in the new global politics as a
stabilizing power.
The economic crisis that led the world in 2008 and that has hit hard to Europe and U.S. exhibited
that NATO has to operate within a much narrow budget limit and a living within a shrinking and
reduced defense capacity in their avowed area of commitment and with an ambition of modest
nature.

3. But recently, NATO‟s energetic, ambitious and de-fatigable Secretary General and former Prime
Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen made a brilliant speech at Brussels Forum followed by
an illuminating question answer session where he explained about his new strategic initiative of
“smart defense” – that will set the right priorities together, encourage the Allies to specialize by
design but not by default and foster better cooperative culture of defense.
Rasmussen has expressed an exceptional level of optimism on NATO‟s future and confidently says
that Chicago will rejuvenate NATO and ensure its strength and capability “by 2020 and beyond”
that would be followed by a declaration on interim missile defense capability.
This according to NATO Secretary General is an important first step in bringing together national
contributions to build an integrated defense against a real and growing threat to its member
countries and the alliance according to him is a unique community of shared values and interests.
Rasmussen with complete enthusiasm claims that”NATO is the primary instrument for safeguarding
our security and our values. That was its purpose when it was created. It remains its purpose today.
And it will remain its purpose in 2020 and beyond”.
As elaborated by Chief NATO official in its last Summit in Lisbon in 2010, they agreed a new
strategic concept identified with the three core tasks: collective defense, crisis management, and
cooperative security.
NATO wants to remain ready for years to come - to respond to the full range of security tasks, put
together all kinds of complex joint operations at short notice with high impact, high precision and
with needed flexibility, rapid deplorability of forces with the right mix of military capabilities.
But for this they also have a plan to share the responsibility to enhance their capabilities and
forces make them work together effectively. This needs a rebalanced transatlantic relationship
where European allies are prepared to assume greater leadership role. That means - the shared
purpose, shared responsibilities – and shared leadership.
Rasmussen confidently says that the Chicago summit will be a “clear demonstration of connectivity
and cooperative security, a strong demonstration of our partnerships with countries across the
globe, including countries that aspire to become members of NATO.”

4. WHY DO THEY NEED NATO?
Europe‟s troubled economy, their political differences over Libyan cases and some of the European
countries unilateral decision in withdrawing their armies from Afghanistan and American pivot to
Asia and Pacific, has left NATO a relatively less cohesive and relevant body.
Richard N. Haass, the President of Council on Foreign Affairs and a noted former diplomat wrote a
provocative essay in the Washington Post dated June 18, 2011 with a title “Why Europe no longer
Matters”. In his essay Haass asked a question and he himself answered - “If NATO didn‟t exist
today, would anyone feel compelled to create it? The honest, if awkward, answer is no.”
Three veteran personalities - one a former U.S. secretary of Defense, another former U.S.
ambassador to NATO and a former U.K. Minister of Defense and Secretary General of NATO -
William S. Cohen, Nicholas Burns, and George Robertson in their joint article –“NATO on the Brink”
published in July last year strongly responded “Yes, we would.” They admitted NATO desperately
needs reform and America cannot live in isolation without allies “in a dangerous, complex and highly
integrated 21st century” and said U.S. would have been a much weaker power without NATO.
NATO was created against Soviet Union, but after the end of Cold War they have become a
partner peace -despite several differences over many global issues. And recently Russia has
expressed its intention to allow NATO to build strategic facility in the city of Ulyanovsk – the birth
place of Lenin in the Volga region.
Russia, that has allowed Afghan-bound NATO transport through its territory since 2009, has
formally expressed its displeasure over America‟s ill prepared troop withdrawal plan that according
to Russia will left Afghanistan exposed to terrorist and drug traffickers – a bigger concern for
Russia.
This shows the new global strategic environment and of late USA and Russia seems moving closer on
Iranian and Syrian case. And for long NATO- Russia council is making a head way in resolving many
of their differences effectively.
The World has changed and so has the NATO. What former NATO Secretary General Manfred
Wörner said two decades ago on December 21, 1991 has set the tone for future of NATO while he
said “When I took office as Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance I could not even
receive the ambassador of any of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in our headquarters.
Our states were adversaries even if our peoples did not have this feeling of animosity. Three and
half years later, here we are sitting around the same table celebrating the inaugural meeting of the

5. North Atlantic Cooperation Council. If ever history witnessed a profound turn around this is such a
unique moment. A moment not only of highly symbolic but also of eminent practical value, Europe will
not be the same after our meeting today.”
kpbnepal@gmail.com
The Reporter „Weekly‟
April 9-15, 2012
www.thereporter.com.np