Feature Articles
Europe's Response to the Threat
of Global Terror
By Jose Maria Aznar, Former Prime
Minister of Spain
If we trace the line between the West and the rest, Israel is on the
same side as Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. We defend the same
values against the same enemies. Now it is imperative to defend our
values and way of life against a new threat: Islamic extremism and
terrorism. The new mission of NATO should be clear: to combat jihadism
and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. If the Allies want
to prevail collectively over the gathering threats, NATO must refocus
itself on fighting terror, the major threat today. Indeed, this is an
existential threat, if we bear in mind what Islamic terrorism plans for
outsiders - "the crusaders and infidels" - and for Zionism, as well. If
defending our own values against the radical Islamists is the future of
NATO, we must change the way the Alliance is conceived geographically
and open its doors to those nations that share our values, that defend
them on the ground, and that are willing to join in the fight against
jihadism. Thus, NATO should invite Japan, Australia, and Israel to
become full members. Treating Israel as if it were not an integral part
of the Western world is a big mistake that will affect our ability to
prevail in this long war against jihadism. I think it is in our mutual
interests to have Israel as a formal ally. The West cannot fight this
radical tide without Israel.
The West and the Rest
Even if it is located in the Middle East, Israel is not a Middle Eastern
country. It is a Western country. In order to survive, Israel has
learned to think strategically. This is the time that the rest of us,
particularly people from Europe, must also learn to think in strategic
terms. Israel is a Western nation in its values, heritage, and social
practices, but is also an integral part of the West according to purely
strategic logic. If we trace the line between the West and the rest,
Israel is on the same side as Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. We
defend the same values against the same enemies. It's that simple. The
threat from communism is gone, but the danger emanating from Islamic
terrorism is now a clear and present threat. We have seen the rise of
jihadism, and how fanatic Islamists strike time after time in our own
soil. Israel's strategic environment has also been changing. From
fighting Arab nationalism, Israel has been entangled in an almost
perpetual struggle with Palestinian nationalism. When Israel began
moving toward a potential two-state solution, the Palestinian cause has
been dangerously overtaken by Islamic extremists.
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Equally, the balance of power in the region has been
altered by many factors, from the intervention in Iraq to the threat
from al-Qaeda, to an Iranian government seeking to reinvigorate
Khomeini's legacy.
Refocus NATO to Fight Islamic Terror
I was recently in Brussels, invited by NATO Supreme Allied Commander
Europe General James Jones to talk about the future of NATO, prior to
the summit that will take place at the end of the year to discuss the
future direction of the Atlantic Alliance. I told him that I believe in
the Atlantic Alliance sincerely. NATO was created to better secure the
freedom, common heritage, and civilization of the Western nations. It
was built upon the principles of democracy and individual liberties and
the rule of law, and as such is equally vital today. In my opinion, NATO
has been a very successful organization. The Alliance was able to
protect our freedom and democracy from the Soviet threat and it has been
very relevant in exporting security and stability to troubled areas. Now
it is imperative to defend our values and way of life against a new
threat: Islamic extremism and terrorism. The main purpose of NATO should
remain to collectively preserve our democracies, although its mission
must be adapted to the new environment.
The new mission should be clear: to combat jihadism
and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These are slightly
different threats, but they tend to merge in the Middle East. If the
Allies want to prevail collectively over the gathering threats, NATO
must refocus itself on fighting terror, the major threat today. Indeed,
this is an existential threat, if we bear in mind what Islamic terrorism
plans for outsiders - "the crusaders and infidels" - and for Zionism, as
well. In order to fight jihadism effectively, NATO must undertake a wide
set of reforms, both conceptual and structural. These would include the
development of a homeland security dimension by the Alliance. NATO must
come to terms with the new strategic realities, that we are at war,
because our foes have declared it upon us. They could be hiding in a
cave far away, but their vision is crystal clear. They want to recreate
the caliphate from Spain to the Philippines. They want a fundamentalist
reading of Islam to be the ruling law. Islamic terror is not just a
criminal activity. It's something more. To win over terror we will need
much more than just intelligence or police actions. We will need more
than defensive measures, and this is where NATO should play a better
role.
We cannot say that today the front between internal
and external security has become blurred and at the same time keep all
the administrative and institutional barriers separating them. NATO must
become an integral defense and security organization, and engage the
European Union in the arena of homeland security. Furthermore, we must
understand that jihadism is a global movement in its scope, with
different levels of expression, from car bombs to radical sermons in
mosques, Internet sites, and TV stations.
Continues on
page 4
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