ABSTRACT
In the aftermath o f the 11 September attacks, the Bush Administration signaled its intention to develop the kind o f broad-based coalition o f nations that the United States had arrayed against Iraq during the Persian Gulf War o f 1991. At the core o f this coalition o f states was the NATO Alliance. For officials on both sides o f the Atlantic, the centrality o f NATO to any military operation against the Taliban and A1 Qaeda was the key to preserving the Alliance as the cornerstone o f the transatlantic security regime. For the Europeans, the attacks o f 11 September provided an opportunity for NATO to demonstrate its utility to the United States and the organization’s ability to counter new security threats. For the Americans, NATO participation provided any military operations with an enhanced degree of legitimacy and reaffirmed the transatlantic link in the face o f new competition from emerging security structures in Europe such as the ERRF.
