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From: eslaporte@reformnato.org
Date: 12/7/2001
Time: 6:06:05 AM
Remote Name: 207.69.126.37
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks - the Alliance and its SG, Lord George Robertson, has been rudely awakened to the religious extremist terrorism that Russia had been going through for several years. There is a new, deeper cooperation between the Alliance and Russia.
Russia should have meaningful and equal voting and participation in the NAC on Alliance actions. There should -at the very least- a 19 plus 1 make up of the NAC, or the R-NAC (Russia-North Atlantic Council). Whatever the name - Russia and NATO need to fight the new threat on civilization together, not apart! We democracies - West and East - face a common enemy in religious extremist terrorism.
Russia is not the enemy of NATO!
This notion that Russia is the enemy of NATO is addressed by Dr. Ira Straus in his article called RUSSIA-IN-NATO? The Fourth Generation of the Atlantic Alliance.
Straus writes that NATO was not "just" an anti-Russian alliance and the North Atlantic Treaty was not created with Russia as a stated enemy, but based on positives that could include Russia. In fact - the positive sum, according to Straus, would be increased with Russia in NATO.
The defining of Russia as the enemy of NATO is being perpetuated by the nationalists in Russia - which includes the notion the Russia needs to keep the West as an enemy to look strong.
Straus demonstrates that there are four generations of the Atlantic Alliance. The first, was the generation of WWI - followed by the second generation of WWII. The North Atlantic Treaty and NATO were the third generation of the Atlantic Alliance. Resistance to Soviet threat was the main activity of the third generation of the Alliance.
"The first two generations of the alliance fought against German power. In the third generation the old enemy, Germany, was included. And so it is perfectly reasonable to think of including Russia in the emerging fourth generation" - writes Straus.
So - the addition of Russia to the fourth generation of the Atlantic Alliance is the natural progression.
I believe that the fourth generation of the Atlantic Alliance is shaping up toward Russia closely associated with NATO - if not IN NATO - as part of the emerging fourth generation. Russia and NATO face a common enemy in religious extremist terrorism - but - Straus adds, there is no need for an enemy to keep NATO together, but common interests, which both Russia and NATO share.
Russia BELONGS in NATO - - as much as Germany does - - and there are no excuses to keep Russia out of NATO!
ES LaPorte
RUSSIA-IN-NATO? The Fourth Generation of the Atlantic Alliance. http://www.fas.org/man/nato/ceern/rus_in.htm