NATO's New Strategic Concept

The purpose of this paper is to examine U.S-NATO policy and analyze NATOs new Strategic Concept. Founded in 1949, NATO was established to develop a common military defense system and to strengthen political and ideological ties among European nations and the US. A strong NATO is clearly in the best interest of the United States, as well as, our transatlantic allies and partners. Because of the emerging asymmetric threats and the new missions facing NATO, the strategic concept clearly needed to change. At the 1999 NATO Fiftieth Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C., NATOs 19 heads of state adopted a common operational vision for the future. They agreed on a new Strategic Concept to guide the Alliance in the coming years. The document refines NATOs role in Euro-Atlantic security and provides a framework for both political and military planners. For fifty years, NATO has been the institution that tied the US interests to those of Europe. With the flexibility to adapt to global change, enlargement, and force structure modernization, NATO will continue to be a dynamic security organization, dealing effectively with the challenging strategic issues facing the Alliance for the next ten years. The new 1999 Security Concept, coupled with US leadership will implement the new vision, enabling NATO to continue to be the adhesive bond for the foreseeable future.