Archivo categoría «ONU – OTAN»
In 1949, shortly after the Soviet Union exploded its first nuclear weapon, the United States and 11 Western European nations formed NATO. The organization’s original goals were the deterrence of Soviet aggression against the war-ravaged nations of Western Europe and containing Soviet influence within the boundaries of its already existing Eastern bloc.
Now, more than six decades later, as the 28-country alliance gathers in Chicago for its summit, the Afghan war and U.S. military spending in general are due for some increased scrutiny. President Barack Obama’s recently announced joint agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai calls into serious question Obama’s … Seguir leyendo
NATO has been one of history’s most powerful and successful alliances, preserving and extending liberal values for more than 60 years. It must continue to do so.
For much of its history, NATO was essential to the stability and prosperity of Western Europe, once the center of political gravity. It was formed, in the words of Lord Ismay, NATO’s first secretary general, “to keep the Russians out (of Europe), the Americans in and the Germans down.” Its charter, signed 63 years ago last month, is one of the most elegant political documents ever written. Running a little more than 1,000 words, … Seguir leyendo
The May NATO summit in Chicago is approaching fast, and the expectations for that being an historic one is fading. That is fine; NATO summits do not always have to be spectacular. At times it is important to just take stock and assess the strategic situation. The opportunity, however, should not be missed to raise some very relevant issues. There should be a serious debate about the lack of consensus between the United States and its European allies about the threats in the decades ahead. There must also be an exchange about falling military budgets in Europe and the consequences … Seguir leyendo
Por Fernando Lista, contralmirante de la Armada e investigador asociado del Real Instituto Elcano (REAL INSTITUTO ELCANO, 22/03/12):
Tema: La tendencia a la hora de gestionar la seguridad internacional muestra que es imprescindible hacerlo con un enfoque integral, algo para lo que ya se están preparando las organizaciones como la OTAN y la UE y los países más avanzados, una tendencia hacia la que se debía progresar rápidamente en España.
Resumen: Las organizaciones internacionales y los países con mayor protagonismo en la seguridad internacional están desarrollando nuevos métodos de gestión con los que intentan sacar el máximo partido de … Seguir leyendo
Por Federico Yaniz Velasco (ABC, 18/03/12):
Los días 20 y 21 de mayo próximos se celebrará en Chicago la vigésimo sexta reunión de los jefes de Estado y Gobierno de la Alianza Atlántica. En las reuniones de ese tipo, conocidas como cumbres, se adoptan decisiones muy importantes para el futuro de la OTAN.
Durante el año 2011, la OTAN lideró operaciones en Afganistán y Libia y las fuerzas terrestres y aéreas de los aliados operaron en Europa, Asia y África. Por su parte, los buques aliados surcaron los mares en una lucha callada contra el terrorismo y la piratería. La … Seguir leyendo
Por Tahar Ben Jelloum, escritor. Miembro de la Academia Concourt. Traducción: José María Puig de la Bellacasa (LA VANGUARDIA, 18/03/12):
Um Ali, la madre que acaba de perder de golpe a su marido y a su hijo en uno de esos bombardeos sistemáticos de Homs y a la que ya no le quedan lágrimas no se atreve siquiera a plantearse la pregunta: ¿para qué sirven las Naciones Unidas? Para nada. Absolutamente para nada. Porque ¿de qué estamos hablando? ¿Qué es esa asamblea de gente bien trajeada que se reúne para nada? Hablan, pronuncian discursos, llenan archivos, se dan importancia … Seguir leyendo
Por John D. Podesta, jefe de Personal del Presidente Bill Clinton de 1998 a 2001 y presidente del Centro para el Progreso Estadounidense; y Ken Gude, jefe de Personal y vicepresidente del Centro para el Progreso Estadounidense. Traducido del inglés por David Meléndez Tormen (Project Syndicate/Europe’s World, 12/03/12):
La intervención de la OTAN en Libia hace un año ayudó a evitar una catástrofe humanitaria y creó las condiciones para que los ciudadanos libios pusieran fin a la dictadura del Coronel Muammar Qaffafi. La operación militar puso en evidencia importantes mejoras del liderazgo europeo desde la debacle de Bosnia … Seguir leyendo
Desde hace meses una buena parte de la opinión pública internacional viene cuestionando la actuación de la ONU al comparar la determinación para actuar militarmente en Libia con los obstáculos para una acción similar en Siria. El doble rasero en las sanciones del Consejo de Seguridad parece evidente en este caso; pero sólo lo parece.
Parte de las perplejidades originadas en la opinión pública se deben a la utilización de las sanciones internacionales en los últimos años más allá de la finalidad para lo que se previeron en la Carta, reservadas para las situaciones que pusieran en grave peligro la … Seguir leyendo
In South Sudan, which is once again on the verge of descent into war, the new year began with a horrific scene: the corpses of men, women and children lying strewn in the mud, killed by a militia just yards from the gates of a United Nations compound in the town of Pibor. Peacekeepers there did not fire a shot. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, dozens of homes were torched and hundreds, according to some estimates, were murdered.
United Nations officials explained that a lack of helicopters had prevented them from rushing more than 400 troops to … Seguir leyendo
Rather a lot of megaphone diplomacy followed the recent UN vote on Syria. Confusion and anger flowed from British and western media. So why did Russia and China veto the UN security council draft resolution on Syria? As Chinese ambassador in the UK, I feel it is timely to give a more measured explanation of why China voted no. Also, I want to explain how together we can, must and should give peace a chance in Syria.
Since day one of this crisis, China has been watching the situation very closely. We have consistently urged all sides to stop … Seguir leyendo
The governments in Russia and China very much want to uphold the principle that every now and then, the state must crush people who want freedom. That is why they worked together to veto a fairly toothless United Nations resolution condemning the regime in Syria and calling for President Bashar Assad, the lipless murderer who runs the place, to step down.
The free world, still nominally led by the United States, erupted in outrage. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denounced the U.N. Security Council veto as a “travesty.” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said the U.S. was … Seguir leyendo
In many ways, China’s decision to join Russia in vetoing the Syria resolution in the United Nations Security Council seems an aberration. The veto not only derailed the latest attempt to pressure the Assad regime to end its bloody crackdown, but also damaged China’s relations with both the West and the Arab League, which sponsored the resolution.
In fact, the most important factor in China’s decision had little to do with Beijing-Damascus ties, and everything to do with its diplomatic cooperation with Moscow.
Since it returned to the United Nations in 1971, China has been sparing in its use of … Seguir leyendo
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have an opportunity this weekend as they address the Munich Security Conference to suggest ways to stabilize NATO’s ailing defense capabilities.
European nations have slashed their defense budgets to record low levels without much regard for NATO’s overall defense requirements. And last week the United States announced that it would remove two of its four Brigade Combat Teams from Europe.
Those European reductions are beginning to weaken NATO’s core military capabilities. Most European defense cuts have been across the board, creating the potential for hollow forces with low … Seguir leyendo
At the close of the Cold War, hopes were high for a more organized and peaceful international system. Two decades later, there is not much sign of one emerging.
The focus of governments is shifting away from the Euro-Atlantic community — the heart of the international system up to now — and there is little consensus within the international community on how to deal with today’s challenges of sovereign debt, economic recession, climate change, nuclear proliferation and radicalism.
In many ways, this historic “pivot” from the Euro-Atlantic region represents a form of progress; the great rivalries between the United States, … Seguir leyendo
By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary general of NATO (THE NEW YORK TIMES, 06/12/11):
From my first day in office as NATO secretary general, I have made clear that NATO-Russia cooperation remains of strategic importance. We share common security interests and face common challenges. And since our NATO-Russia summit meeting in Lisbon a year ago, we have come a long way in tackling new threats with new thinking.
We are bringing stability to Afghanistan, and stemming the flood of narcotics out of the country — together. We are fighting terrorism in our cities and our airspaces — together. We … Seguir leyendo