ABSTRACT
During the Cold War the security of West Europe was the top regional priority for United States foreign and security policy. Other regions, such as North-East Asia, were deemed vital but Europe was the locale where American and Soviet power met on the ground. Plummeting opinion poll ratings for the President and stunning electoral setbacks for the Democratic Party in the November 1994 Congressional elections changed the White House attitude towards foreign and security policy in two ways. With American strategic attention drawn primarily to the Middle East and North East Asia, questions are raised as to the place of West Europe in Washington's strategic affections in the late 1990s. It is generally accepted in Washington, including the new Congress, that to 'lose' Europe after winning the Cold War would be an historic foreign policy disaster. The leading West European military powers - Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy - need to address this matter urgently.
