Editorials
Monday, June 10, 1996
NATO's easing rules
for European action
MEETING in Berlin, the foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have approved a modest revision of NATO's rules to deal with changing conditions, inspiring Secretary of State Warren Christopher to speak with some exaggeration of a "new NATO."
Under the arrangement, European members of the alliance may in the future engage in military operations without the participation of U.S. troops. That could lead to a measure of European independence from Washington in carrying out NATO's mission. However, decisions must still be by unanimous consent, giving the United States a veto. In addition, overall operation authority will remain with the NATO supreme commander, who is always an American.
The decision responded to France's desire for a more independent role for Europe in the alliance, and it went just far enough to induce France to say it will rejoin NATO's military command after a 30-year absence.
The policy opens the way for European-only action in small-scale operations, such as monitoring a cease-fire in a small country, but it is inconceivable that the U.S. would not directly participate in larger tasks.
There may be an application in Bosnia soon if the United States pulls out its peacekeeping forces in compliance with President Clinton's vow to limit their deployment to one year but the Europeans stay on -as they should.
With the collapse of the Soviet empire, Americans have felt a renewed desire to withdraw from their far-flung military commitments. This was evident in the debate over engagement in the former Yugoslavia. The new NATO rules may make it somewhat easier for the U.S. to stay out of some future conflicts. But Americans must resist the temptation to relinquish their responsibilities to maintain world peace and order when no other nation can provide the required leadership.
Other editorials in brief:
India's government
INDIA'S new government seems likely to last longer than its immediate predecessor, a Hindu nationalist government that resigned rather than face defeat over a confidence vote. The new center-left government formed by Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has gotten off to a good start, but it will take considerable agility to hold this coalition together in the face of conflicting pressures. It's strange to behold India without the Congress Party of Nehru and Indira and Rajiv Gandhi in charge, as it was for so many years. But the United Front seems preferable to the Hindu nationalists, who could have left the country in chaos.
Sweatshops of stars
EMBARRASSED after being shown that her line of clothing was being produced in sweatshops, Kathie Lee Gifford has learned from her former football star husband that the best defense is a good offense. She has taken a leadership role in the attempt to end Third World working conditions in the United States.
Celebrities who are role models for young people have a responsibility to make sure their wealth does not come through exploitation of the less fortunate. Kathie Lee Gifford is welcome to lead such a crusade.
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John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor