NATO’s Last Mission?

With disagreement erupting among its 28 member states, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation in Libya strains the alliance started in 1949 for mutual defense against external attack. Similar disagreements emerged with interventions in Kosovo and Afghanistan. For each military operation, allies impose conditions on their involvement. The US, once critical of such conditions, now leaves the bulk of fighting in Libya to France and Great Britain, making clear that Europe can no longer depend on an aggressive US lead in such security matters. Disagreements over how to assist Libyan rebels and limits on participation point to a division over NATO’s objectives, and its rationale since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Writing for Slate, Fred Kaplan questions whether the organization, amid the bickering, is “mere symbol, a fig leaf of multinational legitimacy.” To be an effective alliance, NATO must rebalance, determining its long-term goals. As new security threats emerge, NATO must adapt as well. – YaleGlobal