Stephen Walt - Prospects For Effective American-European Relations

Prospects For Effective American-European Relations

Walt argues that NATO must be sustained because of four major areas where close cooperation is beneficial to European and American interest.

1. Defeating international terrorism; Walt sees a need for cooperation between Europe and the United States in managing terrorist networks and stopping the flow of money to terror cells.
2. Limiting the spread of weapons of mass destruction;Walt argues that anti-proliferation efforts are most successful when Europe and the U.S. work in concert to bring loose nuclear material into responsible custody. He cites the case of Libya's willingness to abandon its nascent fission program after being pressured mulitilaterally as evidence of this.
3. Managing the world economy; lowering barriers to trade and investment particularly between the U.S. and the E.U. will accelerates economic growth. Notable differences in trade policy stem mainly in areas of agricultural policy.
4. Dealing with failed states; failed states are breeding grounds for anti-western movements. Managing failed states such as Afhganistan, Bosnia and Somalia require a multinational response since the U.S. has insufficient wealth to modernise and rebuild these alone. In this area European allies are especially desirable because they have more experience with peacekeeping and "nation-building".