Recasting NATO's Strategic Concept: Possible Directions for the United States (Occasional Papers)

The revision of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization1s strategic concept offers an excellent opportunity to build an alliance capable of addressing the shared problems that its member states face. To spur debate over concrete problems, this paper examines five possible future directions for the alliance. To Address Its Security Challenges, The United States Needs The Active Support Of Its Allies. This Means, In Particular, Ensuring That The States Of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (nato) Remain Able And Willing To Make A Contribution To Resolving Their Common Security Problems Wherever Possible. The Revision Of Nato's Strategic Concept Offers An Excellent Opportunity To Further This Aim. It Is A Chance To Build Consensus About The Future And Thereby Steer The Alliance In A Direction That Will Help Keep It Relevant. This Paper Examines Five Possible Directions--refocus On Europe, New Focus On The Greater Middle East, Focus On Fragile States, Focus On Nonstate Threats, And A Global Alliance Of Liberal Democracies--the Alliance Might Adopt, Assessing Them Against Certain Key Political And Military Criteria. It Offers Those Involved In The Rewrite Both A Range Of Potential Options And A Preliminary Assessment Of The Feasibility And Potential Implications Of Each. The Purpose Is To Encourage Debate Around The Major, Concrete Problems That Member States Face.--rand Web Site. Introduction -- Direction 1: Refocus On Europe -- Direction 2: A New Focus On The Greater Middle East -- Direction 3: A Focus On Fragile States -- Direction 4: A Focus On Nonstate Threats -- Direction 5: A Global Alliance Of Liberal Democracies -- Conclusions. Christopher S. Chivvis. Prepared For The United States Air Force. Rand Project Air Force. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 33-36). Also Available Via The Internet. Sponsored By The United States Air Force Fa7014-06-c-0001 To address its security challenges, the United States needs the active support of its allies. This means, in particular, ensuring that the states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remain able and willing to make a contribution to resolving their common security problems wherever possible. The revision of NATO's strategic concept offers an excellent opportunity to further this aim. It is a chance to build consensus about the future and thereby steer the alliance in a direction that will help keep it relevant. This paper examines five possible directions? refocus on Europe, new focus on the greater Middle East, focus on fragile states, focus on nonstate threats, and a global alliance of liberal democracies? the alliance might adopt, assessing them against certain key political and military criteria. It offers those involved in the rewrite both a range of potential options and a preliminary assessment of the feasibility and potential implications of each. The purpose is to encourage debate around the major, concrete problems that member states face Cover ......Page 1 Recasting NATO’s Strategic Concept......Page 2 ISBN 978083304873 8......Page 3 Preface......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Tables......Page 8 Summary......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Abbreviations......Page 16 Why Rewrite the Strategic Concept?......Page 18 Outline of This Paper......Page 19 Basic Military Implications......Page 22 Assessment......Page 23 Basic Military Implications......Page 26 Main Challenges......Page 27 Assessment......Page 28 Basic Military Implications......Page 30 Main Challenges......Page 31 Assessment......Page 32 Basic Military Implications......Page 34 NATO and Cyberwar: Illustrative Requirements......Page 35 Assessment......Page 36 Basic Military Implica......Page 38 Assessment......Page 40 Refocus on Europe, Focus on Nonstate Threats, and Focus on Fragile States......Page 42 Refocus on Europe, Focus on the Greater Middle East, Focus on Fragile States, and Focus on Nonstate Threats......Page 43 Moving Forward......Page 44 APPENDIX Summary Tables......Page 46 Bibliography......Page 50 Why rewrite the strategic concept? Balancing strategic flexibility and coherence Outline of the report Direction I: Refocus on Europe Direction II: A new focus on the greater Middle East Direction III: A focus on state fragility Direction IV: A focus on non-state threats Direction V: A global alliance of liberal democracies Conclusions Appendix Summary tables.