NATO and the EU: managing the frozen conflict. Test case Afghanistan

Summary:

The new, global international security threats of the twenty-first century, including terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), failed states, energy security, and cyber terrorism, among others, have drastically affected, challenged, and changed the transatlantic relationship that existed during the Cold War. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the future role and relevance of the major forum for transatlantic security policy and relations (and the primary instrument for strategic consensus-building within the transatlantic community), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), was called into question; however it was able to find a new mission in integrating the former communist countries of Eastern Europe into the West.

Following the 9/11/2001 attacks on the United States (US), the future of NATO was once again called into question as the Bush administration downplayed the importance and role of NATO for US policy. More recently, however, the Bush administration has sought to reconcile differences and strengthen transatlantic relations by demonstrating its commitment to the Alliance, especially its support for the critical United Nations (UN) mandated NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.