By IRNA
London : Nato’s faltering operations in Afghanistan could have wide implications not only for the transatlantic alliance but also for the EU being left without an effective security organisation, according to two European academics.
Benjamin Schreer of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and Asle Toje of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies said that political analysts have already declared Nato as “mortally wounded” in the face of Afghan’s deteriorating security.
“If the Afghan mission ends in a series of unilateral pull-outs, leaving the US and a few staunch allies to stand alone, this may spell the end for Nato as a military alliance,” Schreer and Toje said.
“This scenario is particularly disquieting in the context of the persistent weakness of European security and defence policy, as recent events have demonstrated,” they said in an article for the Financial Times Wednesday.
The two research fellows said that while the debate focuses on Nato’s failure, the EU also has “not been successful when it comes to what is perceived to be its advantage,” naming its provision of non-military means for stabilizing the war-torn society.
“If Afghanistan fails, the EU will have to take its fair share of the blame,” they warned. Back in 2003, they also said that if the EU ended deadlocked in its policy on Iran’s nuclear programme, its credibility as a global security force will be “seriously weakened.” Their latest joint article said that the problem of EU foreign policy is its idealism, “the idea that Europe should be guided by altruism rather than national interest has encouraged token participation without any firm commitment to achieving objectives.” “As a result, the EU has been driven more by a wish to appear to be doing something rather than any genuine will to power,” Schreer and Toje said, suggesting the Europeans needed to recognize that both the Atlantic alliance and the EU are simultaneously at risk.
“Both organisations need to replace idealism with the sort of realism that breeds commitment. Recent events have shown that talking of Europe as a global security actor is one thing, to act as one is quite another,” they said, also referring to Kosovo and Darfur.