NATO overreaches

The emerging realities as discerned by NATO can be summed up as follows. With the end of the Cold War, the ideological confrontation and the military stand-off between the Western democracies and the communist and socialist countries have come to an end. A new world order is emerging, based on international consensus, a commitment to democracy and human rights, and to ensure that democratic governments come into being in all the countries, that liberal free market economies come into being in as many countries as possible, and that horizontal proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction is prevented.

Despite the end of the Cold War, political instability and potential conflict situations affect different parts of the world. Such instability and conflict situations can affect the security, political and economicstability of countries in other parts of the world. Therefore NATO, the UN and other regional groupings have a responsibility to ensure that these situations do not get out of hand.

NATO is the most longstanding and successful regional grouping of the Western democracies and therefore has a responsibility to work effectively to respond to these objectives. The question is the extent to which NATO intends to move beyond its present geopolitical jurisdiction to meet these objectives. The general perception after the Washington summit is that NATO intends to globalise its role. Those knowledgeable about the details of these discussions say that this is not so and that NATO remains focused on the Euro-Atlantic region. It would be pertinent, therefore, to go to the text of the document on the New Strategic Concept.

It says: 8220;The dangers of the Cold War have given way to more promising but also challenging prospects, to new opportunities and risks, a new Europe of greater integration is emerging and aEuro-Atlantic security structure is evolving in which NATO plays a central part. The alliance has been at the heart of efforts to establish new patterns of cooperation and mutual understanding across the Euro-Atlantic region and is committed itself to essential new activities in the interest of a wider stability. The alliance has an independent role to play in consolidating and preserving positive changes of the recent past and in meeting current and future security challenges. NATO8217;s enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means, based on common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The Alliance embodies the trans-Atlantic link by which the security of North America is permanently tied to the security of Europe. This is the practical expression of effective collective effort among its members in support of their common interests.8221;

The document goes on to say that NATO will deter and defend against any threat of aggression toany NATO member state. In order to enhance the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area it will stand ready, case by case and by consensus, to contribute to conflict prevention and to engage actively in crisis management, including crisis-response operations. The document also 8220;acknowledges that the UN Security Council has a primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and as such plays a crucial role in contributing to security and stability in Euro-Atlantic area8221;. It adds that the concept of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area includes uncertainties and instability even around this region. Regional crises on the periphery of the Alliance would evoke a NATO response.

It is in the context of this last point that NATO operations in Yugoslavia are rationalised. It is emphasised that the summit decisions have not changed NATO8217;s geostrategic terms of reference and that it remains focused on the Euro-Atlantic region and that there is no intention on NATO8217;spart to assume an interfering role in other parts of the world.

What is one to make of NATO8217;s intentions in the context of its ongoing operations in Kosovo and the summit decisions? In terms of declaration of policy and terms of reference, there could be some merit in the argument that NATO is still focused on Europe though it is an extended Europe including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in NATO. Is it not a legitimate concern of the rest of the international community when NATO declares its intention on crisis management, on a case by case basis, if it affects the security of countries in the NATO region?

While the Strategic Concept Document acknowledges the UN8217;s importance, NATO8217;s credibility would increase if the criteria by which decisions are taken on international action for crisis management are discussed and decided by the UN. If the formal positions stated in the NATO document remain the substance of NATO policies, the world at large could perhaps look upon its recent activities withobjectivity. But if the interventionist role crosses a threshold, there will be a critical response which can affect NATO8217;s credibility.

The alternative is for NATO to stick to its regional terms of reference to function as part of the UN in maintaining international peace and stability.