Faith in Europe
January 6, 2012
The Pentagon's latest "defensive strategic review" was born out of necessity. When presenting the new long-term US military strategy, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta made no secret of the role budget deficits and national debt had played in the matter, even describing Washington's debt as "a national security risk."
The Pentagon plans cutbacks of at least $450 billion (390 billion euros) over the next ten years. If Congress fails to reach agreement in its current budget debate, that figure could increase by a further $500 billion.
The US military had no choice but to start prioritizing. It also stood to reason that any changes should take into account the strategic defensive maxims of the current US administration and adapt to the changed global security landscape.
The result is good news for Europeans, as it strongly leans towards their favored, multilateral approach to global conflict. A country that reduces the size of its military and abandons the target of being able to fight two large ground offensives simultaneously is far less likely to launch an almost unilateral war like the conflict in Iraq, as former President George W. Bush did.
NATO's role
The new defensive strategic review clearly acknowledges the most crucial military alliance for Europe, NATO. The US made it clear that it would continue to guarantee Article 5 of the NATO treaty, a promise of collective defense. Every NATO member, should it be attacked by another country, can still rely on military assistance from the US.
Yet this promise of support is not entirely altruistic. The US has recognized the transatlantic alliance as a useful instrument, allowing Washington to achieve common military goals without having to bear the entire burden - in terms of personnel and cost - of the mission on its own. The most current example here is Libya.
And this arrangement should suit the Europeans too, for NATO would be a paper tiger without the military might of the US; one hand washes the other.
Grown-up Europe
The US plan to continue withdrawing troops from Europe, redirecting them to the Asia-Pacific region instead, is not a sign of neglect - as some disgruntled Europeans have branded this ongoing US policy in recent times.
If anything, it's a display of trust - the new strategy is tantamount to saying: "Most European countries are now themselves guarantors of security, rather than mere beneficiaries of it."
Europe, in the eyes of the US, has grown up and can now not only take care of itself, but others as well. The continent can and must take on greater responsibility - Washington is now relying on this.
The other security maxims at the core of this new strategy also align themselves neatly with European targets: nuclear disarmament, the fight against radical extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere, humanitarian aid, the safeguarding of free trade by air and sea as well as the readiness to prevent or combat attacks in Cyberspace.
Make no mistake though, despite all the financial cutbacks the US remains the world's largest military power. Europe is still Washington's "first partner in the quest for global and economic security." And, according to the defensive strategic review, that "will remain the case for the foreseeable future."
Europe can be very satisfied with the Pentagon's new defensive strategy.
Author: Christina Bergmann, Washington / msh
Editor: Andreas Illmer