The Roleof NATO in the 21st Century Point Paper Final Student Name Contemporary International Problems-POL300 Date The Role of NATO in the 21st Century Brief Background After World War II ended, most of Western Europe had been reduced to ruin. In an effort to protect itself from possible future invasions, the Western European Union (WEU) was founded by the following countries: Britain, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. When the city of Berlin was blockaded in 1948 by the Soviet Union, members of the WEU decide that a wider foundation of cooperation is needed-one that involves the United States. The United States and WEU formed a new alliance called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, in response to the Communist aggression in Eastern Europe, Korea, and Czechoslovakia. In 1990, the reunification of East and West Germany began to splinter the once-solid Communist bloc of Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact (the Soviet equivalent of NATO) was officially disbanded in March 1991 and the Soviet Union collapsed in December of that year. Since that time, several former Soviet states have become NATO members and others are partner countries. Current Issues within NATO NATO’s original objective has been completed. The Alliance must now decide what its future role should be. There are several challenges facing NATO which are causing internal disagreements between members and threaten the future of the Alliance. Issue 1: There are acute discrepancies between the United States’ and Europe’s contributions to NATO including economic and military technology. ? Economic contributions. The United States provides a greater financial contribution to NATO than many of the countries in Europe. Figures from the Congressional Budget Office report that the United States accounted for 25.2% of NATO’s common budget in 1999 (24). The second greatest contributor to NATO’s budget was Germany with 19.6%. ? Military technology. The United States provides greater technology for military conflicts than European nations. This became evident during the Kosovo air strikes in 1999. According to the Congressional Budget Office, “the European allies were struck by the wide divergence between the United States’ and ? Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The SCO is an organization between Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. There is also the possibility of adding members India, Pakistan, and Iran. “One initiative that core members Russia and China agree on, experts say, is to squeeze the US influence-which peaked after 9/11- out of the SCO’s neighborhood” (Weir 1). ? Russia’s Return as a Superpower. There are concerns that Russia may once again “reassert itself militarily” (Wood 7). After the original fall of communism in 1991, Russia seemed to be on a path to democracy. Currently the notion of a democratic Russia seems to be fading as Russia “has been centralizing more and more power in the Kremlin” (Putin 2). Regional governors, who were once elected by the people, are now being appointed by Moscow. ? Potential European Superpower. The possibility that one nation can rise to the same strength (both economically and militarily) as the United States could threaten European peace. The United States “does not want a peer competitor. Instead, it wants a balance of power in Europe” (Matthews 108). Issue 4: NATO has a limited scope. ? The original treaty for NATO states that “an attack on one was an attack on all”. However, Article 5 has only been enacted once in its history-on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks on the United States. Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and the former Yugoslavia are considered off-limits. “This first appeared in the Balkans in the early 1990s but got much worse with the Persian Gulf. West Europe said it would take the lead in stopping the horrors in Bosnia but then shrank back” (Roskin and Berry 256). Possible Outcomes A. Complete Dissolution of NATO If NATO were to dissolve, it may simply reappear in a different form. It is almost certain that the United States would still be aligned with Great Britain and several other European Union countries. Some of the smaller new republics of Eastern Europe may also seek out alliance with the U.S., if only for protection from Russia. Other countries in Europe may find themselves vulnerable to terrorist attacks or invasions, especially since the military of the EU is minor compared with that of the United States. Iceland, a current member of NATO, has no military whatsoever. B. The United States withdraws from NATO This resolution forces European allies to decide for themselves the future of the alliance without the U.S.’s financial or military involvement. If the United States were to withdraw from NATO, it may stimulate “serious economic reform in Europe.