There are several indications that America wants a transatlantic union. The terms of the deal have been re-shaped. Breaking with the old ‘NATO only’ position, the United States seems to be accepting the ‘Brusselist’ concept suggested by Mr Sarkozy: both NATO and an autonomous European defence identity. So a radical change is under way. Although unlikely to be visible from Bucharest, it should profoundly modify transatlantic relations in the next 15 months.
The New American Line: Yes to an European Defence Identity
The speeches by US Ambassador to NATO Victoria Nuland which feature in this issue of Défense nationale et sécurité collective are unusual, because they represent a clear U-turn in US policy towards a European defence identity. They need to be explained and put into perspective. That will allow an understanding of why the ‘Brusselist’ approach(1) (both NATO and the EU) is taking over on both sides of the Atlantic and how it should be consolidated in the coming months.
Reasons for the U-turn
Two kinds of reason for this change of direction can be discerned—military and political.
Military Reasons
The first factor which has pushed Washington to change its strategic line obviously follows from the difficulties encountered in Iraq, and even more so Afghanistan. Certainly, under the leadership of General David Petraeus, the Iraqi situation has improved. This is due, of course, to new counter-insurgency (COIN) techniques, agreements with the Sunni tribes and the Shia political machine and a separation of religious areas (which we cannot call ethnic cleansing because that is unacceptable). However, the US Army has learned the hard way in Mesopotamia that technical superiority is not enough, and that the real issue is stabilisation.
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