NATO: ‘West is best’?

Internal adaptation is NATO-speak for the restructuring and reforms that have focused on rebalancing relations among the member states. Much the most important elements of the internal adaptation process have been the discussions and studies focusing on the possibility of creating procedures and structures whereby European members of the alliance might undertake military operations without the frontline participation of US forces. All members have been committed to this in principle since January 1994 when, at a summit meeting in Brussels, outline agreement was reached to establish so-called ‘Combined Joint Task Forces’ (CJTF). The idea, as expressed in official NATO statements, was that flexible forces could be deployed on ‘non-article five operations’2 by a ‘coalition of the willing’. What this would mean in practice is that not all NATO members would take part, although there was a presumption that all would approve the overall political and strategic goals of the operation.