NATO in Afghanistan

Abstract

This article surveys the way in which NATO moved from resisting to accepting involvement in operations beyond Europe in circumstances in which its success or failure could be seen as a test that would determine the alliance’s future utility. It argues that the outcome will inevitably affect the way that NATO is used by the allies in the future as well as challenging relations among them with burden sharing and casualty differential issues. In spite of the transformational nature of the commitment taken on by NATO in Afghanistan, the conclusion of the article is that the United States, Canada and the European allies will continue to see the transatlantic alliance as a critical element of their future security strategies, and will share both the burdens of achieving an acceptable outcome in Afghanistan and the blame for a failure to do so.