06/16/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-09948

RUMSFELD ON NATO

Shortly after the September 11^th terrorist attacks on the U.S., NATO for the first time invoked Article Five, which says that an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on all. NATO has been essential to fighting the war on terrorism. Troops from allied countries are currently serving on the seas and in the air and on the ground in Afghanistan. They’re helping to root out remnants of the Taleban and al-Qaida terrorist network. Coalition activities in Afghanistan have been made possible by decades of NATO joint planning and training.

While fighting in Afghanistan, the U.S. and its NATO allies are also looking ahead. The main issue facing the alliance is how to meet the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorist-supporting states. "This threat," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, "is not theoretical; it is real. It is dangerous. If we do not prepare promptly to counter it, we could well experience attacks in our [NATO] countries that could make the events of September 11^th seem modest by comparison."

To counter this threat, NATO countries need to better equip their militaries. The alliance needs to improve its ability to protect against weapons of mass destruction. The fleet of cargo aircraft and ships used to move troops and weapons over long distances needs to be expanded. NATO defense ministers have agreed to draft plans for filling these gaps in time for the NATO summit in Prague in November.

As President George W. Bush said, "Those who despise human freedom will attack it on every continent. Those who seek missiles and terrible weapons are also familiar with the map of Europe." That is why dealing with this threat must be a central task for NATO. As Mr. Rumsfeld said, "The only defense is to take the effort to find those global networks and to deal with them, as the United States[-led coalition] did in Afghanistan."

Fifty-three years ago, a handful of nations came together to create NATO -- a common defense against the threat of Soviet Communist expansion in Europe. Today, the principles of freedom, democracy, and rule of law are again under attack -- this time by terrorists who wish to impose their benighted worldview across the globe. And once again, NATO -- the greatest alliance of democracies ever created -- is on the frontlines.