From Prague to Baghdad: NATO at Risk.

NORTH Atlantic Treaty Organization; INTERNATIONAL relations; IRAQI foreign relations; UNITED States politics & government, 2001-2009; UNITED Nations

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) long-term potential is virtually limitless, but its cohesion is at imminent risk, largely due to the paradox that member states are feeling controlled by the United States. This feeling stems from President George W. Bush's assertive positions. If there is to be a war against Iraq in the coming months, its justification, conduct, and outcome must vindicate the relevance not just of the United Nations (UN) but also of the US-led alliance. The upcoming November 2002 summit in Prague, Czechoslovakia will dramatize the specific issue of Iraq as a moment of truth for NATO. In planning and executing the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the US cared little for NATO opinion, but many in Canada in Europe worry that the alliance may be fractured if the US acts alone in a war with Iraq. The imperative for NATO to maintain its core capabilities and effectiveness as a military alliance argues for selectivity, especially in the acceptance of new members. Its ability to deal with new threats faces an early test in the Middle East. The Bush administration must make effective, enforceable, UN-authorized inspections the centerpiece of America's Iraq strategy rather than a pretext for unilateral action. In the aftermath of a war with Iraq, NATO troops will have to be at the core of an occupation force. Then, for decades afterward, the international community will need the mixture of hard-power capabilities available through NATO for dealing with future threats.