ABSTRACT
The history of conventional defense improvement initiatives (CDI) is as old as the Atlantic Alliance itself. This chapter deals with North Atlantic Treaty Organization CDI, a closer examination of actions designed to improve the credibility of Canada's contribution to the Alliance is appropriate. As a result, Canada's security and sovereignty were seriously weakened and both our allies and potential opponents received mixed signals about our reliability as a NATO partner. As one writer points out there is concern that "the new Canadian emphasis on continental defense will be seen in Europe as the first step toward greater North American isolation. Europeans must realize that changes in American policy toward a more isolationist stance would not necessarily be reversed if Europe increased spending, which in fact might be taken in Congress to buttress the argument that Europe simply does not need so much American support.
