I am reading
 |
|
/ 256 Pages
|
Image via Wikipedia
With one conflict drawing to an end, the 28-nation alliance will also take stock of the war in Afghanistan, which marks 10 years on Friday amid plans by NATO allies to withdraw combat troops by 2014.
“Our operation to protect civilians (in Libya) has been a great success,”said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
While the mission is “close to an end,” the ministers will not terminate it this week because Gaddafi forces are still attacking civilians, he told a news conference on Monday.
NATO warplanes prevented Gaddafi from crushing a rebellion that erupted in February while daily bombing runs left the fugitive former leader’s military in tatters, allowing the ragtag rebel army to take over the country in August.
It is also the first NATO operation with Europeans in the driver’s seat while the United States took a backup role.
But Operation Unified Protector revealed shortcomings within the 28-nation alliance, with some allies refusing to participate while those who did relied heavily on the United States for key intelligence and logistics support.
Only eight NATO states took part in bombing missions — France, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Italy and the United States — while Germany and Poland irked allies by staying out of the fight.
The US military is facing its own budgetary constraints, under orders from President Barack Obama to find about $350-400 billion (265-300 billion euros) in cuts over the next 10 years.
“The time and era in which Europe could rely on the United States to do everything, that era, if it ever existed, is now clearly coming to a close,”said a senior NATO diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a parting shot to European allies, Robert Gates warned in June before retiring as US defense minister that their cutbacks risked driving NATO towards a “dismal” future. His successor, Leon Panetta, is expected to deliver a softer message when he attends his first NATO ministerial meeting this week, an alliance diplomat said.
Despite the deep gaps between the United States and Europe, defense analyst Jan Techau said the Libyan operation could serve as a blueprint for what NATO will look like in the future.
Via AFP
