An article in today's International Herald Tribune presents a highly complex picture of why NATO appears to be losing momentum, as the USA and Europe skirmish for areas of influence.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/18/news/allies.html
Despite close overlap in the membership of NATO and the EU some discrepancies are causing difficulties that have become obstacles. A formula called "Partnership for Peace" allowed some European countries not in NATO to share military and security information as if in NATO. But Turkey has blocked the entry of Cyprus into this arrangement for tactical reasons of its own.
Probably more significantly, last week Rumsfeld, unchastened by events in Iraq, declared that the US would use "coalitions of the willing" with or without NATO depending on the operation.
Meanwhile during complex skirmishing narrowing their differences on Iran both the USA and Europe are confirming that interference in the internal affairs of other countries is necessary and desirable - it is just about the most appropriate way of doing it!
Is the paradox that NATO can crumble a little as a more complex agenda of Empire emerges and gathers pace? Ukraine has just tipped into the camp of finance capitalist consumer democracy. The Palestinians have been crushed at just the time when a grand coalition has miraculously emerged in Israel to make gestures of a recently unprecedented nature to Arafat's successor. As the Palestinian intafada has finally surrendered, an amazing non-violent Lebanese Intafada for Democracy has emerged, carrying candles demanding Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, shortly after Bush demanded the enforcement of a United Nations resolution demanding it.
These are strange times. Less dramatically than last year, changes may nevertheless be accelerating.
Chris Burford London
