NATO’s Durability in a Post-Cold War World

Description

Examines how NATO has adapted and endured after the end of the Cold War, transforming itself to deal with a host of new security challenges. Why is it that despite the end of the Cold War and the almost constant controversies surrounding the alliance’s role in the world, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is still a prominent and vital player in international security? Joe Burton provides an in-depth analysis of NATO’s changing role in the post–Cold War era and its ability to survive, adapt, and meet the needs of its members in an increasingly turbulent, globalized security environment. He offers a historically and theoretically informed account of NATO that isolates the core dynamics that have held the alliance together in troubled times. In particular, he examines a series of processes and events—from the 1990 Gulf War to the rise of the Islamic State—that help explain NATO’s continuing relevance. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 14 Introduction: Explaining NATO’s Durability......Page 18 What Explains NATO’s Durability in the Post–Cold War Era?......Page 19 NATO’s Historical Narrative(s)......Page 20 The Argument......Page 23 Chapter Outline......Page 24 1 The Post–Cold War Environment and NATO Enlargement......Page 26 NATO’s Cold War Foundations and the “New Security Environment”......Page 27 The Changing International Structure......Page 28 The Impact of Globalization......Page 30 The Gulf War......Page 33 From Interstate to Intrastate Conflict......Page 35 The New Strategic Concept and Normalization of Relations with Russia......Page 37 Enlargement: The Genesis of an Idea......Page 40 The Enlargement Debate......Page 46 The Case against Enlargement......Page 47 The Case for Enlargement......Page 52 Conclusion......Page 65 The Primary Sources of NATO’s Durability in the Early Post–Cold War Period......Page 66 2 Learning from Bosnia and Kosovo......Page 68 The US and International Response to the Bosnian Conflict......Page 69 UN Involvement......Page 70 The UN/EU/NATO Relationship......Page 71 NATO’s Growing Assertiveness......Page 75 Lessons from Bosnia......Page 81 The US and International Response to the Kosovo Conflict......Page 84 Operational Problems and International Criticism of the Operation......Page 87 The Effectiveness of the Intervention and its Justification......Page 88 Conclusion......Page 96 The Primary Sources of NATO’s Durability in Relation to the Conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo......Page 98 3 9/11 and the Transatlantic Rift......Page 100 From Multilateralism to Intra-Alliance Crisis......Page 101 Explaining the Transatlantic Rift......Page 103 Healing the Divide......Page 116 Strategic Convergence and Diplomatic Rapprochement......Page 117 NATO’s Relationship with Russia, and the Changing Dynamics of Enlargement......Page 124 NATO’s Institutional Adaptation and Expanded Outlook......Page 129 Conclusion......Page 134 The Primary Sources of NATO’s Durability in Relation to the “War on Terror”......Page 135 4 NATO’s War on Terror in Afghanistan......Page 138 Background to the Conflict and NATO Involvement......Page 139 NATO’s Operational and Political Challenges in Afghanistan......Page 143 President Obama’s Reformulated Strategy: 2008–2012......Page 148 The Overall Effectiveness of the Surge......Page 150 The Stipulation of an End Date......Page 152 Maintaining International Support......Page 153 Support among the Afghan People......Page 156 Support from NATO’s Political Leadership......Page 157 Managing Caveats and National Withdrawals......Page 161 Continued Institutional Adaptation......Page 162 The End of the Combat Mission......Page 165 Conclusion......Page 166 The Primary Sources of NATO’s Durability in Afghanistan......Page 168 5 Libya, Ukraine, and the Rise of ISIS......Page 170 NATO’s Operation in Libya......Page 171 NATO’s “Arc of Instability” and the Rise of ISIS......Page 178 Background of the Conflict......Page 181 Interpretations of the Crisis......Page 183 The New Russian Threat......Page 186 The NATO Response......Page 189 Conclusion: Static Instability Versus Dynamic Instability......Page 191 The Primary Sources of NATO’s Durability as they Pertain to the Ukraine Crisis, Libya, and ISIS......Page 192 NATO’s Values and Its Commitment to Democracy......Page 194 NATO’s Institutional Characteristics and Its Ability to Adapt......Page 195 The Continuity of Security Threats and Shared Interests......Page 196 US Leadership of the Alliance......Page 197 Historical Convergence......Page 198 Implications for Policy Makers......Page 200 Appendix: A Brief Note on Methodology and Theory......Page 204 Notes......Page 206 Bibliography......Page 240 Index......Page 270