Robert Gates Blathers on About NATO Problems

[Bragi]

'Two-tiered' alliance would destroy NATO: Gates
Updated Sun. Feb. 10 2008 8:54 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

The issue of burden-sharing in Afghanistan goes right to the heart of the NATO alliance, says U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"We must not -- we cannot -- become a two-tiered alliance of those willing to fight and those who are not," he said during a speech Sunday at the Munich Conference on Security Policy.

"Such a development, with all its implications for collective security, would effectively destroy the alliance."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080210/gates_nato_080210/20080210?hub=TopStories

Call me simple-minded, but I think that what's dividing and destroying NATO is the mounting of foreign wars by the US that have nothing to do with collective North Atlantic security, and then expecting everyone in the Alliance to rally round Old Glory.

The secretary then blathers on further as follows (same article):

Gates admitted the U.S. had learned from the mistakes it made in Iraq, such as the need to closely integrate civilian-led stabilization efforts with the military side.

Yet another gatesian gem. And here I was thinking that the lesson learned from Iraq had something to do with what happens when you invade a foreign country based on a web a of lies with minuscule international support, and no UN authorization.

So good to have Gates around to set us all straight. No doubt MacKay saluted crisply, as usual.

- B