北约事务 确保联盟对美国的价值[20131004].pdf

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3 P O L I C Y B R I E FNATO MattersEnsuring the Value of the Alliance for the United StatesBy Jacob Stokes and Nora BensahelSince its founding in 1949,NATO has served as the cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance,anchoring both military and political cooperation among its members.Today,however,the international security environment is changing rapidly.The strategic malaise afflicting the alliance in the immediate post-Cold War period was in large part papered over by the wars in Kosovo,then Afghanistan and,for a brief time,Libya.With those conflicts winding down,NATO faces another deep crisis:shrinking European defense budgets are stressing American support for the alliance.At a time when U.S.defense budgets are declining perhaps dramatically,if sequestration is fully implemented many Americans believe that the United States continues to carry a disproportionate burden for the alliance.This policy brief recommends ways to improve NATO capabilities and to maintain support for the alliance among U.S.policymakers and the public.Current Defense Dynamics in the United StatesTwo ongoing trends will affect the level of focus and resources that the United States devo