Post-Cold War American Leadership in NATO

Event Details

Colonel Nelson Drew, architect of the NATO Combined Joint Task Force, gives a lecture on America?s role as leader in NATO. Drew begins by explaining how the Rome summit revamped NATO?s goals as the communist threat no longer existed. He continues to explain the critical importance of the NATO alliance in carrying out the Gulf War. Drew moves then to the breakup of Yugoslavia where the newly defined objectives of NATO were put to the test. He explains that this was difficult not only because it required NATO to take a more active role but also because it demanded consensus. Col. Drew continues to describe the problems with peacekeeping and creating deterrents to ethnic violence. As one of the major proponent of the Combined Joint Task Force, he explains how this bureau allows non-NATO members to participate in peace keeping missions. He concludes his lecture warning that that without the common threat of the Soviet Union the alliance is in a perilous position. Whether the alliance will continue to wield authority or whether its internal rivalries will divide it, largely depends on America?s opinion of the cost/benefit of NATO. During the questioning session he answers questions concerning Greco-Turkish relations, Serbian aggression, Macedonia, America?s future role in NATO, NATO?s relation with the UN, and NATO?s relations with Albania.