Chicago Tribune (August 18)
George Will writes it is “a different world.” European nations have less to offer NATO. “Since the Cold War’s end, the combined gross domestic product of NATO’s European members has grown 55 percent, yet their defense spending has declined almost 20 percent.” For example, the UK is scheduled to cut military personnel by 10%, tanks and artillery by 40% and decommission its only aircraft carrier.George Will writes it is “a different world.” European nations have less to offer NATO. “Since the Cold War’s end, the combined gross domestic product of NATO’s European members has grown 55 percent, yet their defense spending has declined almost 20 percent.” For example, the UK is scheduled to cut military personnel by 10%, tanks and artillery by 40% and decommission its only aircraft carrier.
Wall Street Journal (March 24)
Nato’s efforts in Libya are in disarray. There is no consensus about how operations should be conducted or who should lead them. Already tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. really does not want to lead the Libyan coalition. It may have to. “In the absence of U.S. leadership, everyone else quarrels, frets and cavils, and we get a concoction like a “political steering committee” to run orders of battle.”
Tags: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Nato
