Nato: Globalization or redundancy?

After its remarkable transformation from Cold War defence alliance to pan-European security organization in the 1990s, NATO in the post-11 September world once again faces an existential crisis. The combination of new global security challenges, the achievement of much of NATO's historic mission in Europe and increasing unilateralism in US foreign policy calls the alliance's future into doubt. Some analysts suggest that NATO must either respond to the new security challenges by developing a global role or face redundancy. NATOhas begun tomove down the former road by taking over the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan and offering a new partnership to the countries of the Middle East, but there are likely to be significant constraints on the alliance's ability to develop new global roles. While NATO will continue to serve a number of functions, it is now simply one security institution among many rather than the pre-eminent security institution and symbol of the West that it once was.