Agence France-Presse,
WASHINGTON: NATO's supreme allied commander on Thursday urged European nations to commit more money to the alliance as it takes on new missions and tackles new threats such as terrorism.
“The good news is that there is increase in political appetite to do more but there is a corresponding decrease in appetite to fund more,” Marine General James Jones, the supreme allied commander Europe, told reporters at a briefing in Washington.
He said that as the 26-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organizationcontinues to undergo deep restructuring in the 21st century with its forces becoming more proactive, there was a need to change the mindset of its members.
“The new focus is to try to respond to a number of asymmetric challenges in different parts of the world,” Jones said.
“And part of the challenge of transformation is not only to change your physical capabilities but also the cultural mindset which has for many years rooted (members) in terms of static, linear philosophy.
“How to transform the alliance into one that is more agile, more rapid decision-making ability, expeditionary.”
He said that although an unofficial agreement was reached in 2002 for NATO members to try and maintain their defense spending to no less than two percent of GDP (gross domestic product), in reality that has not been the case.
Jones noted Afghanistan was one area where NATO members were committed to do more but had yet to find the necessary funding.
“There is an inherent contradiction in the direction we are going that has to be resolved,” he said, “But I have no doubt that ultimately there will be a solution because they've signed up for it and there has to be one.”
He said NATO, which currently has troops deployed in half of Afghanistan, eventually plans to take on security operations throughout the whole country.
“At the end of the day when the plan comes completely together, Germany will be the lead nation in the north, Italy will be the lead nation in the west, the United Kingdom will be the lead nation in the south, the US will be the lead nation in the east and France and Turkey will take over responsibility for the capital,” Jones said.
The United States is in the midst of reducing the number of troops it has based in western Europe and looking into a partial redeployment towards eastern Europe.
