NATO at FIFTY: Perspectives on the Future of the Transatlantic Alliance

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization turned 50 years old in April of 1999. With the expansion of membership to include Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, the Alliance undertook increased security commitments and affirmed a new post-Cold War role for itself. Despite the US Senate's overwhelming endorsement of this expansion, however, many prominent contributing authors point out that hard questions about the Alliance's scope, mission, size and cost remain, regrettably, unanswered. This book considers a variety of viewpoints, all of which help one to reflect on the feasibility and advisability of a global role for NATO, and to assess the problems ahead for bringing peace, stability and unity to the European continent.