The Balkans are no longer the Alliance’s top operational priority. NATO is maintaining its capability in Kosovo prior to its disengagement, and is keeping its liaison organisation, which advises the local governments in carrying out their defence reforms in line with Euro-Atlantic standards. The creation of an office in Belgrade is the latest sign of this. Today, NATO’s real priority is in Afghanistan, for a fairly simple reason: NATO is not absolutely sure of winning. In a sense, NATO’s operational future is at stake. Will it demonstrate in Kandahar that it is a world security agency? Other theatres must not be neglected. Maritime surveillance of the Mediterranean is an old example, as is the mission in Iraq. Over the last twelve months NATO has set foot in Africa by supporting the AU in Sudan, and has deployed the NRF in Pakistan, although the event remains controversial. New geographical theatres, new missions; an operational transformation of NATO has taken place.
NATO Operations in 2006
On 13 May 2006, the newspaper Le Monde opined that ‘when Europe brakes, NATO accelerates’. This was especially true in the area of operations as, over the preceding 12 months, apart from the conduct of missions and operations already organised, the organisation had been able to set foot in Africa and deploy the NATO Response Force (NRF) in Pakistan. By the end of 2006, it will have taken control of the whole of Afghan territory and set up an office in Belgrade, its former enemy from the days of 1999.
This activism deserves attention because the new theatres of operation and the new missions signify that an operational transformation of NATO has been carried out. At stake is the possible world security agency that NATO could become, in conformity with American plans.
KFOR, still
Kosovo still constitutes a major centre of interest for NATO. In July 2006, KFOR remained NATO’s most important operation, both because SFOR had been closed down and because it had16,800 troops deployed there. However, this number must be seen in relation to the 50,000 originally deployed in 1999.
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