As always, with just a smattering of what Germans call schadenfreude, this article by Vladislav Vorobyev of Russia’s Rossiyskaya Gazeta lays out what, from Moscow’s point of view, NATO still doesn’t understand. First – that it isn’t Russia that NATO needs to worry about. And second – that the battle for Afghanistan hinges in no small measure on whether Washington can get it’s NATO allies to be aggressive about the war.
For Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Vladislav Vorobyev writes in part:
“For a long time, NATO intentionally acted with extreme languidness on all fronts. Languidly, it discussed various ideas for a common European defense. Languidly, it reacted to the desire of the George W. Bush Administration’s desire to build missile silos in close proximity to Russian borders. Languidly, it helped the U.S. fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“But life outside the walls of NATO headquarters in Brussels is becoming more dynamic every day. And almost unbelievably: with their initiatives, the U.S. and Russia have awakened NATO. But what has taken place over the past three days shows that NATO has yet to grasp why it has been woken. At the same time, it still doesn’t have a clue about what to do next.
Then, focusing in on a challenge the Russians know only too well, Vorobyev writes:
“No matter how well Afghan soldiers are equipped, no matter how modern the weapons being put into their hands, most will run away during their first military encounter. No, they aren’t bad fighters. They just don’t understand what, why and from whom they are protecting.
“With their guns under their pillows, Afghans successfully protect themselves and their families in domestic situations. But they’re unlikely to spill blood for Hamid Karzai and his government. Karzai can be successfully protected by U.S. Special Forces, but only for the extraordinary sums of money being paid for them by Washington.”
By Vladislav Vorobyev
Translated By Yekaterina Blinova
December 4, 2009
Russia – Rossijskaya Gazeta – Original Article (Russian)
There’s no doubt that increasingly, the members of the NATO alliance are coming to a conclusion – the time for the painless use of delaying tactics has nearly run out. To find real answers to the most complex issues, a meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday brought together foreign ministers from the 28 member countries. Washington, for example, demands that NATO become a more aggressive organization. But the truth is that up to now, not all of its members understand that this isn’t about Russia anymore.
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