The Hindu : NATO set to take in new members

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 21, 2002

International

International

NATO set to take in new members

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS nov. 20. The three-day NATO summit in Prague is an epoch-making event as it takes up the admission of seven former communist countries ending cold-war divisions in the world. But sombre clouds are looming on NATO's political and logistical horizon and it is argued that the growing `unilateralism' of the Bush administration is fuelled by Europe's unwillingness to spend heavily on defence. For example, NATO's 16 European nations spend $500 millions a day on defence compared to the U.S.' $1000 millions or a billion a day. The U.S. defence budget for 2003 has been increased by $48 billions. All this is obviously causing concern about NATO's future. In the opening speech, Mr. Bush will set out America's vision for the western military alliance that has been the corner stone of the trans-Atlantic security since the Second World War. There are many Europeans who still remain perplexed about the real role of NATO in the post-cold war environment of Europe and the world at large, with Russia and even China, now leaning towards new parametres of a democratic way of life. In a recent interview, Mr. Bush has a set a course of `confident action' and said the country's allies would follow an assertive U.S. because "United States is in a unique position right now. We are the leader.'' Such hegemonistic rhetoric has not impressed many Europeans who feel that the NATO summit is either a choice of deep change or further decline. The Prague summit has been described as a "transformation summit'' and participants may initiate radical changes both in the composition and the structure of the alliance. The Secretary-General of NATO, Lord Robertson, last night promised a "major shake-up'' to make a bigger NATO workable and said that after Prague it would become "a slim and more effective structure''.

NATO is currently rated as a slow moving highly bureaucratic organisation where the book does everything. For NATO officials that book is consensus — on political and military decisions, on hiring staff and even on changing the coffee machines. Lord Robertson warns that if the Europeans do not undertake to improve their military capabilities, the U.S. will simply lose patience. Europe will then "remain a pygmy''.

Mr. Bush is hoping to gain more allies in the fight against global terrorism as NATO expands. It is argued that NATO's target is political and the alliance hopes to spread western values among former enemies, who were communist ruled countries. But more than that, the proposed enlargement will help the Bush administration fight global terrorism.

The summit is a high security marathon as 40 heads of state and their Ministers are attending it. The Czech authorities have deployed a huge police force which is aided by the U.S. fighter jets and a local newspaper described Prague as a "giant fortress''. Two years ago, during a meeting of the World Bank and the IMF, the Czech capital witnessed street battles between police and a violent core of demonstrators protesting against globalisation. For the outgoing Czech President, Voclav Havel, the meeting symbolises an integrated Europe. Mr. Havel stressed the symbolism of holding the summit in Prague. He said: "This is the first time NATO is holding a summit beyond the former Iron Curtain and in the city where Warsaw Pact itself was dissolved.''

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