Threats from Within: Four Challenges Inside the NATO Alliance

Abstract

Common wisdom is that NATO's future hinges solely on the outcome of the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan. While the state of Afghanistan will impact the future of the Alliance for better or for worse, it will not be the sole or even primary factor to influence the future of NATO. In many ways, Afghanistan has become an excuse for the Alliance to ignore some of the in-built problems of the organisation. The allies' inability to define clearly the nature of the Alliance and its core missions, a lack of capability and poor funding, topped off by exceedingly weak and troubled relations with other international organisations, particularly the European Union, all pose significant challenges that the alliance must address to remain relevant, coherent, and equipped to engage effectually in future operations.

Notes

¹See http://www.armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/l0136.html for more figures detailing training costs.

²There are eight UN Security Council Resolutions pertaining to ISAF alone–1386, 1413, 1444, 1510, 1563, 1623, 1707 and 1776.

³This is how the meeting was described on the UN website prior the Bucharest Summit.