ABSTRACT
As the military operations in Afghanistan progressed, questions arose over the military utility of the Alliance. The overwhelming majority of the military missions during the campaign were undertaken by the United States. While a number o f the NATO Allies offered various types o f security assistance, only a few states were actively engaged in the operations at a substantial level. There was close collaboration between the United States and the United Kingdom, but many policymakers on both sides o f the Atlantic perceived that Operation Enduring Freedom reinforced the security primacy o f the United States and demonstrated the limited capabilities o f most o f the Western European Allies. The Europeanist states within the Alliance saw the American domination o f the Afghan campaign as further proof o f the necessity to develop autonomous security capabilities for the European Union. On the other hand, the more ardent supporters o f NATO, the Atlanticist states, stressed the direct and indirect contributions o f the Alliance to the boarder framework o f transatlantic security and the comprehensive effort to combat international terrorism.
