NATO and Libya: The Dawn of European Security Management, a Warning, or Business as Usual?

Abstract

In January 2012, President Barack Obama put Europe on notice regarding future security management. Launching the United States Strategic Defense Guidance, he announced a strategic “pivot” for the United States through “strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific.” Importantly, he added a significant caveat, “We’re going to continue investing in our critical partnerships and alliances, including NATO, which has demonstrated time and again—most recently in Libya—that it’s a force multiplier.”¹ However, in emphasizing the United States will not abandon NATO, the guidance was still clear; the United States saw Europe as a partner to help as well as be helped, stating, “Most European countries are now producers of security rather than consumers of it.”²

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

(General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first SACEUR)

The views expressed in this chapter are those of the author alone. They do not represent an official position of NATO.