DATE=3/11/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42828
TITLE=U-S / NATO / ROLE
BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA 
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AS NATO PREPARES TO CELEBRATE ITS 50TH BIRTHDAY, THE 
WESTERN ALLIANCE IS TRYING TO REDEFINE ITS ROLE IN A WORLD  NO  
LONGER DOMINATED BY TWO SUPERPOWERS . IN THIS REPORT FROM THE 
PENTAGON, V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA LOOKS AT NATO'S 
NEW ROLE AND ASKS WHETHER THE U-S ROLE IS ALSO CHANGING.

TEXT:  THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION -- OR NATO -- WAS 
CREATED 50 YEARS AGO ESSENTIALLY AS A RESPONSE TO THE GROWING 
POWER OF THE SOVIET UNION AND THE MILITARY THREAT IT COULD POSE 
TO WESTERN EUROPE.  WITH THE UNITED STATES AS THE DOMINANT PLAYER
IN NATO, IT MEANT COMMITTING U-S POWER TO PRESERVING STABILITY 
AND SECURITY ON THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT FOLLOWING THE RAVAGES OF 
WORLD WAR TWO.

SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND THE DEMISE OF THE SOVIET UNION,
NATO HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF REINVENTING ITSELF. NATO PLANNERS
ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A NEW STRATEGIC CONCEPT  AND NEW 
MISSIONS FOR THE WESTERN MILITARY ALLIANCE, NOW THAT MOSCOW  NO  
LONGER POSES A DIRECT MILITARY THREAT. 

IVO DAALDER IS A NATO EXPERT AT THE (WASHINGTON-BASED) "BROOKINGS
INSTITUTION." HE BELIEVES NATO'S NEW PURPOSE SHOULD BE TO EXTEND 
THE SECURITY AND STABILITY ITS MEMBERS HAVE ENJOYED TO OTHER 
COUNTRIES IN EUROPE.

                        // DAALDER ACT //

         IT WILL DO SO  NOT  NECESSARILY BY PRESENTING A MILITARY
         ALLIANCE AGAINST AN IDENTIFIABLE THREAT, BUT RATHER BY 
         OPENING UP ITS DOORS TO FUTURE MEMBERS AND BY BECOMING 
         AN INSTRUMENT TO ENFORCE THE RULES, NORMS AND KINDS OF 
         CODES OF CONDUCT, OF BEHAVIOR IN EUROPE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
         SIGNED UP TO, BUT  NOT  NECESSARILY ADHERED TO OVER THE 
         YEARS -- AS WE ARE SEEING IN THE BALKANS RIGHT NOW. 

                         // END ACT // 

MR. DAALDER SAYS NATO IS CLEARLY MOVING FROM A COLLECTIVE DEFENSE
ALLIANCE GEARED TO DEFEND TERRITORIES AGAINST AN IDENTIFIABLE 
THREAT TO AN ALLIANCE THAT IS ABLE TO PROJECT MILITARY POWER -- 
INCLUDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS. 

NATO PEACEKEEPERS ARE ALREADY IN BOSNIA AND COULD BE SENT TO 
SERBIA'S ETHNIC ALBANIAN REGION OF KOSOVO.  DESPITE AMERICA'S 
LEADING ROLE IN NATO, THE KOSOVO FORCE WILL ESSENTIALLY BE MADE 
UP OF EUROPEANS.  PAUL BEAVER -- SENIOR ANALYST WITH THE BRITISH 
PUBLICATION "JANES'S DEFENSE WEEKLY" -- SAYS THE PROJECTED FIVE 
BRIGADES WILL BE LED BY A BRITISH SENIOR OFFICER --  NOT  AN 
AMERICAN.

                        // BEAVER ACT // 

         THE AMERICANS ARE  NOT  THAT EXPERIENCED IN PEACEKEEPING
         OPERATIONS. THEY DO  NOT  HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE IN THE
         BALKANS AS THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH.  WE ARE VERY 
         HAPPY TO BE RUNNING THIS. THERE IS A FEELING THE 
         EUROPEANS SHOULD BE TAKING THEIR SHARE. THE AMERICANS 
         HAVE DONE A LOT IN OUR BACKYARD.  WE FEEL THAT WE NEED 
         TO PULL OUR WEIGHT HERE AND THAT IS WHY IT IS A 
         PREDOMINANTLY EUROPEAN OPERATION WITH THE GERMANS, THE 
         ITALIANS, THE FRENCH AND THE BRITISH IN THE FOREFRONT.

                          // END ACT //

MR. BEAVER BELIEVES AS NATO'S NEW STRATEGIC CONCEPT IS FASHIONED,
THE ROLE OF PEACEKEEPERS WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT. 

MANY ANALYSTS BELIEVE WHILE THE ROLE OF NATO IS CHANGING, SO IS 
THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MILITARY ALLIANCE.  
SIMON SERFATY -- DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN STUDIES AT THE 
(WASHINGTON-BASED) "CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL 
STUDIES" -- SAYS THAT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WASHINGTON IS NOW 
AN INTEGRAL PART OF EUROPE. 

                       // SERFATY ACT // 

         WE HAVE IN A SENSE BUILT A PRESENCE IN EUROPE OVER THE 
         PAST 50 YEARS WHICH IS FRANKLY COMPARABLE TO THE 
         PRESENCE OF THE LARGEST -- OR SOME OF THE LARGEST -- 
         EUROPEAN STATES ON THE CONTINENT. WE HAVE BECOME A POWER
         IN EUROPE AND TO THAT EXTENT OUR ROLE HAS CHANGED: IT 
         HAS BECOME MORE ACTIVE, IRREVERSIBLE, BECAUSE OUR 
         INTERESTS HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED SO VERY DRAMATICALLY -- 
         ECONOMICALLY, POLITICALLY, SECURITY-WISE. // OPT // I 
         THINK IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT THE COLD WAR HAS MADE AN 
         AMERICAN WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPE UNTHINKABLE -- AND IN 
         FACT, WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPE FOR THE UNITED STATES WILL 
         NO  LONGER BE MEANINGFUL, PRECISELY BECAUSE WE HAVE 
         LITERALLY MOVED INTO THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT WHILE THE 
         EUROPEAN STATES THEMSELVES -- ECONOMICALLY AND OTHERWISE
         -- WERE MOVING UNTO THE UNITED STATES.  // END OPT //

                          // END ACT //

AS NATO PREPARES TO CELEBRATE ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY, ANALYSTS SAY 
THE "LOOK" OF THE WESTERN ALLIANCE IS FAR DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT 
WAS HALF A DECADE AGO.  BUT AS NATO REDEFINES ITS ROLE AND FINDS 
NEW MISSIONS FOR ITSELF, MANY ANALYSTS ASK WHETHER THAT NEW ROLE 
AND NEW MISSIONS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE WESTERN 
ALLIANCE INTO THE FUTURE. (SIGNED)

NEB/ADEN/ENE/KL

11-Mar-99 12:55 PM EST (1755 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.