NATO+2

NATO, Disbanding of   Summary: Should NATO be disbanded? Introduction James Acton James Acton is currently studying for a physics PhD at Cambridge. He is a worlds quarter fir coaches debating at the university. NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is an international military b consisting of nineteen European and North American states. It was set up during the c counter balance against the Warsaw Pact (comprising the Soviet Union and Eastern E communist countries). NATO's doctrine, developed during the cold war, was based an collective security; an attack against any one member country would be viewed as an member countries, which would then be obliged to defend the attacked state. This doc to NATO's strategic thinking although its role has dramatically changed since the end i many senses NATO is now a 'European Policeman', in theory, able to provide rapid re In this new role it has intervened in Bosnia and Kosovo.  Arguments  Pros NATO is a relic of the Cold War. It may have been necessary in then but it is now an anachronism. Much of NATO's thinking is based around an outdated Cold War philosophyjfft is trying to carve a role for itself as 'Europe's Policeman' but it has no authority to fulfil that role.^lndeed, it does active harm in this role by undermining the United Nations. The member countries of NATO would be better deploying their military strength through the UN, which has the legitimacy to authorise the use offeree where necessary. The very existence of NATO and its current expansionist policies are threatening toward Russia. Many ultra nationalist parties have gained popular support in Russia by running on an anti-Western agenda generally and anti-NATO policy specifically. Ironically NATO, which helped to end the Cold War, is helping to bring about a Russian administration hostile to the West. NATO expansion has also been an enormous barrier to trade between Russia and the West. Furthermore, there is a strong need for close cooperation between Russia and the West over the safe disassembly of Russia 's nuclear weapons. This programme has been hindered greatly by NATO expansion. NATO is currently ineffective. It is governed by the council, which makes all its key decision. The current size of the council hinders fast decision-making, preventing it from fulfilling the role it has created for itself. Its doctrine of collective security is also outdated, It is inevitable that the whole of NATO would be dragged into a war effecting just one of its members. Many of NATO countries (e.g. Turkey, the Czech republic and Poland ) border on unstable areas. It seems absurd that the whole of NATO should be brought into a war over a Turkish border skirmish. There are also big disparities within NATO between the military capabilities of its various member states e.g. USA and Poland. This results in tactical difficulties deploying military units from different countries together. CONS  NATO has undergone a mammoth | reform. The boarder areas around E unstable and it is in everyone's intei stability is maintained. This is not or physical safety of Europeans but al; prosperity of the region. Due to its c is a legitimate body to act in Europe NATO has cooperated carefully witt that its expansion has not caused rr Act, signed with Russia in 1997, laic framework in which Russia and NA" cooperate. The agreement not only cooperation but economic cooperati is being seen as less and less of a t For example, the Russian Duma ha START II in spite of its earlier refuse of NATO expansion.
 * Created: ** Wednesday, November 01, 2000 ** Last Modified: ** Monday, July 24, 2006

It is no coincidence that since the ei the number of smaller regional confl dramatically. The rigid system of alii states to either the Western or East during the cold war have now collap example, the break up of and subse the former Yugoslavia. International such crises is necessary. NATO car quicker than the UN and is the only the ability to successfully intervene i     of conflicts. Its interventions in Bosn were both successful. The NATO trc have helped ease ethnic tensions ai helping to restore the ethnic balancf as policing the region, 