Secretary General Rasmussen discusses 'NATO Today' with former US Ambassador to NATO, Ivo H. Daalder

By Nigel Chamberlain, NATO Watch

Speaking at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on 30 September, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen told the audience that the United States must resist any "tendency to retrenchment" from world leadership. He warned that if Washington pulls back, other powers "that don't necessarily share our values" will move into the vacuum.

He asked, rhetorically, if Americans would prefer to fight terrorists overseas or at home. He stated there wasn't really an option as a superpower like the United States, with its 'global reach,' is affected by any crisis, no matter where it occurs. Adding that NATO shares this global role, he said: "Effective protection may start far from our borders. This is not a global NATO but a NATO with a global perspective."

Rasmussen said the withdrawal of all NATO combat troops from Afghanistan and the NATO summit in Britain would provide opportunities to rethink and refinance this commitment “to take on our global responsibilities”. He said that NATO must shift to a “ready, robust and rebalanced” Alliance and the 2014 Summit will focus on three priorities: future capabilities, enhancing partnerships and rebalancing the relationship between European and North American Allies.

Diplomatic advances don't work unless they're backed by hard power and a believable threat to use it, as has been the case with regard to the agreement on Syrian chemical weapons. The Secretary General said that gaps in hard power, especially in Europe, need filling. Post-2014, he sees resources freed up by the withdrawal from Afghanistan being utilised for missile defence, for cyber-defence and for strengthening NATO relationships with partners outside Europe.

This transition will present an opportunity "to re-affirm the transatlantic bond," as Europeans want the US to re-affirm its commitment to European security and the US wants the Europeans to share more of the defence spending burden with Washington. Daalder questioned whether Europeans really will reinvest their Afghan peace dividend in new equipment, especially in view of struggling economies and domestic needs there. Rasmussen suggested there would be investment in drone surveillance, in air-to-air refuelling and in heavy transport capacity.

Crises in the Middle East have left NATO caught "between disengagement and nation-building”. Part of NATO's future, he said, lies in helping such "countries in transition" without committing to "boots on the ground”. He also suggested that NATO could offer help in stabilising security forces, such as they are doing in Libya.

Asked about NATO's relations with Russia, Rasmussen noted ongoing cooperation to fight drug trafficking, terrorism, and piracy. He added, Real cooperation on missile defence "would be a game-changer”.

NATO Watch is indebted to Richard C. Longworth for his summary of the discussion which has been promptly published on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs website.

Further reading on this subject:

US support for NATO's Response Force, from afar
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February this year, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen outlined a near global ‘Arc of Crises’, which “we must stand ready to deter, and defend against, any threat”. He suggested that: “NATO Response Force should become the engine of our future readiness”.