DATE=5/12/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40359
TITLE=WHAT NOW FOR NATO?
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AFTER THE U-S SENATE VOTE TO EXPAND NATO, FOREIGN POLICY 
SPECIALIST GATHERED AT A MEETING OF THE U-S INSTITUTE OF PEACE IN
WASHINGTON (TUES., MAY 12) TO DISCUSS ITS IMPLICATIONS. THEY NOT 
ONLY DIFFERED ON WHAT THESE MAY BE BUT ON THE ROLE OF NATO 
ITSELF. THEY CONCEDED THERE IS MUCH CONFUSION. V-O-A'S  
CORRESPONNDENT ED WARNER REPORTS

TEXT:  A GENUINE DEBATE WOULD HAVE HELPED, SAID RICHARD SOLOMON, 
REFERRING TO THE U-S SENATE VOTE TO EXPAND NATO: 

                              // SOLOMON ACT //

         AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WATCHED POLICY DEBATES IN THIS TOWN 
         FOR A LONG TIME NOW, THE DEBATE OVER NATO EXPANSION 
         REALLY WAS A VERY STRANGE PROCESS, ALMOST AN INVISIBLE 
         PROCESS I THINK FOR MOST OF THE COUNTRY ON AN ISSUE THAT
         REALLY DOES HAVE PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NEXT 
         PHASE IN OUR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

                                // END ACT //

MR. SOLOMON, PRESIDENT OF THE U-S INSTITUTE OF PEACE, SAID A 
LIMITED NUMBER OF SPECIALISTS MAY HAVE EXPLORED THE IMPLICATIONS 
OF NATO EXPANSION, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS NO IDEA OF HOW IT 
MAY IMPACT, FOR EXAMPLE, ON RUSSIA.  WILL IT ENCOURAGE RUSSIAN 
NATIONALISTS AND HURT THE CAUSE OF REFORMERS?THAT COULD HAPPEN, 
SAID CHARLES KUPCHAN, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT 
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY. HE WAS OPPOSED TO NATO EXPANSION BUT NOW 
THINKS IT SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL IT ABSORBS RUSSIA:

                              // KUPCHAN ACT //

         IF YOU START MOVING WEST TO EAST, YOU LEAVE RUSSIA AT 
         THE END OF THE QUEUE, WHICH STRIKES ME AS AN 
         UNSATISFYING WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS, AND A DANGEROUS WAY 
         TO GO ABOUT IT. RUSSIA MAY NOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE
         QUEUE TO BUILD A GEOPOLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH IT IS
         COMFORTABLE. 

                                 // END ACT //

WHY ALL THE ALARM ABOUT RUSSIA? ASKED MICHAEL HALTZEL, STAFF 
DIRECTOR ON EUROPEAN AFFAIRS IN THE U-S SENATE. FAR FROM 
ISOLATING RUSSIA, HE SAID THE UNITED STATES HAS BROUGHT IT INTO 
VARIOUS GROUPINGS LIKE THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE AND CONTRIBUTED 
TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ITS REVIVAL:

                              // HALTZEL ACT //

         FROM THE EIGHTEENTH TO THE TWENTIETH OF MAY, THERE IS A 
         PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE EXERCISE THAT IS GOING TO BE HELD 
         IN DENMARK. SEVENTEEN COUNTRIES ARE TAKING PART, 
         INCLUDING FOR THE FIRST TIME RUSSIAN GROUND TROOPS. IT 
         DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A COUNTRY THAT IS BEING ALIENATED.

                                // END ACT  //

MR. HALTZEL SAID DESPITE ITS COMPLAINTS, MOSCOW HAS COME TO TERMS
WITH NATO EXPANSION.  BESIDES, HE ADDED, THE ALLIANCE HAS BEEN 
TRANSFORMED FROM ITS COLD WAR ROLE. 

ALEXANDER GEORGE, AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ON FOREIGN POLICY,  
ELABORATED ON THAT THEORY:

                              // GEORGE ACT //

         IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO THINK OF NATO SOLELY AS A 
         DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE AGAINST THE THREAT OF AGGRESSION FROM
         THE RUSSIANS. PARTICULARLY AS WE MOVE BEYOND THE COLD 
         WAR, I THINK WE NEED TO PAY MORE AND MORE ATTENTION TO 
         THE FACT THAT NATO AND ASSOCIATED INSTITUTIONS IN 
         WESTERN EUROPE - THE EUROPEAN UNION - REALLY HAVE 
         PROIVDED A COLLECTIVE SECURITY COMMUNITY.

                                 // END ACT //

BY THE END OF THE DISCUSSION, THE SPEAKERS COULD AGREE ON THE 
CONTINUED IMPORTANCE OF NATO BUT NOT ON WHAT IT REALLY IS TODAY -
IN MARKED CONTRAST TO ITS CLEAR MISSION IN THE COLD WAR.  
(SIGNED) 



NEB/PT

   





12-May-98 10:15 PM EDT (0215 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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