NATO expands

[Highland 0]

Story.

 

  WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush has welcomed seven new nations into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At a ceremony on the lawn of the White House, Bush praised NATO's new members for the progress they've achieved since the fall of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago.

 

"When NATO was founded, the people of these seven nations were captives to an empire. They endured bitter tyranny, they struggled for independence, they earned their freedom through courage and perseverance. And today they stand with us as full and equal partners in this great alliance," said Bush.

 

NATO will comprise 26 nations when Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia attend their first NATO meeting in Brussels on Friday.

 

It is the largest single expansion of the alliance since it was formed in 1949 to protect North America and Western Europe from attack by the Soviet Union.

 

Russia has expressed discomfort over NATO's eastward expansion. Moscow has said it will respond to threats on its borders, and any western meddling in its region.

 

NATO has steadily extended itself eastward since the end of the Cold War, first to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This latest expansion includes the Baltic states, which were once a part of the Soviet Union.

 

The United States has tried to minimize Moscow's irritation, in part by inviting it to attend Friday's meeting in Brussels.

 

Several of the new members are home to military and naval bases NATO could find strategically useful when dealing with situations in Asia and the Middle East.

 

Many observers, however, say what the alliance mainly wants from its new members are soldiers for peacekeeping missions and sparsely populated areas for training exercises.

 

I can see this as generally a good thing, since NATO definately has more credibility than the UN, though I am concerned if the grumblings from Moscow are indeed more than bluster.

[Guest MD2020]

Ah, they're just upset because they weren't asked to join...

[Guest Cerebus]

Story.

 

  WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush has welcomed seven new nations into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. At a ceremony on the lawn of the White House, Bush praised NATO's new members for the progress they've achieved since the fall of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago.

 

"When NATO was founded, the people of these seven nations were captives to an empire. They endured bitter tyranny, they struggled for independence, they earned their freedom through courage and perseverance. And today they stand with us as full and equal partners in this great alliance," said Bush.

 

NATO will comprise 26 nations when Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia attend their first NATO meeting in Brussels on Friday.

 

It is the largest single expansion of the alliance since it was formed in 1949 to protect North America and Western Europe from attack by the Soviet Union.

 

Russia has expressed discomfort over NATO's eastward expansion. Moscow has said it will respond to threats on its borders, and any western meddling in its region.

 

NATO has steadily extended itself eastward since the end of the Cold War, first to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This latest expansion includes the Baltic states, which were once a part of the Soviet Union.

 

The United States has tried to minimize Moscow's irritation, in part by inviting it to attend Friday's meeting in Brussels.

 

Several of the new members are home to military and naval bases NATO could find strategically useful when dealing with situations in Asia and the Middle East.

 

Many observers, however, say what the alliance mainly wants from its new members are soldiers for peacekeeping missions and sparsely populated areas for training exercises.

 

I can see this as generally a good thing, since NATO definately has more credibility than the UN, though I am concerned if the grumblings from Moscow are indeed more than bluster.

What are they going to do? Make a new Warsaw Pact?

[Highland 0]

No, but they can still cause a great deal of trouble for the West.

[Vyce 0]

I have friends from Bulgaria, so bully for them joining NATO.

[Guest MikeSC]

No, but they can still cause a great deal of trouble for the West.

If they have almost no allies, and their economic power is negligible, what trouble can they possibly cause?

 

It's like saying France can possibly cause us problems.

-=Mike

[Guest Cerebus]

No, but they can still cause a great deal of trouble for the West.

If they have almost no allies, and their economic power is negligible, what trouble can they possibly cause?

 

It's like saying France can possibly cause us problems.

-=Mike

Well they are stonewalling the Security Council in investigating the kickbacks in the "Food-For-Oil" scheme, supplying China with weapons, as well as helping them intimdate Taiwan during elections. So I take it back, mayhaps there is something Russia can do.

[Guest MikeSC]

No, but they can still cause a great deal of trouble for the West.

If they have almost no allies, and their economic power is negligible, what trouble can they possibly cause?

 

It's like saying France can possibly cause us problems.

-=Mike

Well they are stonewalling the Security Council in investigating the kickbacks in the "Food-For-Oil" scheme, supplying China with weapons, as well as helping them intimdate Taiwan during elections. So I take it back, mayhaps there is something Russia can do.

Well, there never will be an investigation as Kofi's SON is knee deep in it.

 

As for the rest, all the Russian military is known for is how many soldiers they lose in every way they fight. Heck, them helping China might be a boon.

-=Mike

[Highland 0]

Yes, they are better known recently for losing their lives to Chechen terrorists.

[Art Sandusky 0]

So are ours, minus the Chechen part.