On European defense and NATO...a letter to NATO leaders.

On European defense and NATO...a letter to NATO leaders.
by ESLaPorte
Sat, Oct 18 2003

Slightly edited for this post from the one faxed to NATO leaders...

Once again, there is "concern" for the European Union's attempts to have an
independent defense capability. Well, what we could do is stand off and see
if the Union has the political will to spend anything for a meaningful
defense and move be on just "paper armies." Second, the Greens, "food not
bombs" pacifists and the "citizen weapons inspectors" lunatic fringe (...of
which there are more in Europe than anyplace else on Earth...) in European
politics could place stumbling blocks in the way of a more "robust" European
defense. "Decoupling" of our transatlantic relationship and a European
defense that can replace NATO are a long ways off.but there are other ways
to maintain and enhance our Alliance without a mortal fear of an
independent, European Union defense capability. The greatest danger to the
transatlantic relationship is not European Union defense, but in the mindset
of NATO as a "Cold War military-alliance" only, without any other roles or
functions.

European defense can be another relationship that could be devolped between
Europe and North America (include Canada also) and that is one of
complimentary cooperation and the two-pillar approach. Robert Hunter in his
book "The European Security and Defense Policy: NATO's Companion - or
Competitor?" (2002, RAND Europe) advocates a balancing of the Atlantic
Alliance's two pillars by encouraging the Union to develop its defense
capabilities in a fashion that are not redundant in NATO and would
compliment our transatlantic security. Hunter advocates a complimentary
security arrangement, not a competitive relationship between the Union and
NATO on defense.

The Union, as NATO is currently, should also develop security capabilities
that are more suited for the war on terrorism and not some organized
military invasion, as was the thinking during the Cold War. For example, I
believe that there could be a civilian security/law enforcement committee
created in NATO. As you know, such a committee would be under the control of
the North Atlantic Council (as well as create it) and still maintain our
tradition here in the Atlantic Community of the separation of the military
and civilian authorities. Such a committee on civilian security in NATO,
fostering civil cooperation between North America and the Union in the war
on terrorism, could be highly effective and enhance our transatlantic
relationship, as well as protect our collective civilization from non-state,
terrorist-actors. We are already doing something like this in NATO with our
EAPC Partners in Eastern Europe.

NATO should be mulitfunctionalized and an equal, cooperative relationship
should be sought between North America and the European Union. Wesley Clark
advocates the mulitfunctionalizing of NATO - and that is the main reason why
I am involved in our former SACEUR's presidential bid in my local community.
We need not decouple our transatlantic alliance, but mulitfunctionalize it
and make it a complimentary relationship across the Atlantic Community. Part
of this solution is ridding the NATO Alliance -once and for all- of the Cold
War notion that it is a military-only alliance and cannot take on any other
roles and functions. The Union and America's Allies should not occupy a
second class status to America in a two pillar system, but be equals in a
real "new NATO" that has role functions other than just Cold War,
military-defensive.

It is my fear that, given the current presidential administration's penchant
for global bullying and unilateralism, the perceived "need" of the Europeans
to have an independent military defense from NATO will "only get worse." One
of the major failings of the Bush administration was the failure to harness
the European sympathies into a cooperative force against terrorism and
create an unbreakable transatlantic relationship based on America as an
equal and not a task-master. We could've had our European Allies as equals
in a NATO that has been purged of the Cold War mindset and has roles and
missions that are more than just the military-defensive - and this could've
been an awsome sight against our enemies.

-- 
Erin LaPorte
The NATO Citizen - www.pronato.com
P.O. Box 371162
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA 53237-2062
"In service of peace and freedom!"