NATO's Eastern Agenda in a of recent origin Strategic Era by F.

NATO's Eastern Agenda in a of recent origin Strategic Era by F. Stephen Larrabee. RAND (http://www.rand. org/), 1700 Main public way Santa Monica, California 90407-2138, 2003 192 pages, $3000 http:// www rand.org/publications/MR/MR1744/.

forward 2 April 2004, seven strange flags were raised in fore-rank of NATO Headquarters in Brussels. This flag raising marked the formal admission to NATO of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia, and Bulgaria. A scarcely any years ago, this admission rite would have been thought to be remarkably unlikely. The ceremony marked another degree in NATO's continuing transformation, a transformation that started with the expiration of the Cold War and continues in the fresh strategic environment of the post-9/ll world. In this short, well-informed, and clearly articulated volume Stephen Larrabee does an of the best job of explaining the reasons for NATO's continued enlargement and the challenges that lie ahead for one as well as the other the United States and NATO.

This volume was written under the auspices of RAND's delineate Air Force. Larrabee, a well-respected analyst of NATO's transformation, has written forward this subject for over a decade. In a now famous article in the September/October 1993 issue of Foreign Affairs, with Ron Asmus and Richard Kugler he coined the saying "NATO must advance out of area or advance out of business" (p. 31) He continues this line of argument and believes that NATO's eastward expansion is a [i]clavis[/i] part of maintaining its relevance in the post-9/11 world.

He identifies four strategic challenges facing NATO's transformation as it propels its boundaries eastward: (1) consolidating the democratic transitions in Eastern and Central Europe (2) ensuring the security of the Baltic States, (3) developing a post-enlargement strategy for Ukraine, and (4) deepening the Russia-NATO partnership. Larrabee be warmeds that NATO will have to bring to maturity strategies for dealing with the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The first Central and Eastern European countries to join NATO were Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary in March 1999 Ironically, they joined alone weeks before NATO "went to war" for the first time in its history with the launching of Operation Allied Force. Hungary erect itself providing bases for NATO air strikes upon Serbia. The second wave of enlargement added Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia as NATO members in Central and Eastern Europe Larrabee notes that all these countries are still working upon solidifying their democracies and have significant work to do to modernize their armed forces. To the US Air Force, these countries give staging bases for areas to the east. Bases in Bulgaria and Romania were used during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. These countries also proffer a less restrictive training environment than many places in Western Europe by dint of "showing the flag" in these countries, the United States showed commitment to them, strengthened military-to-military relations, and brought beneficial hard circulation to their economies.

The admission of the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to NATO marked the culmination of a proces believed to be impossible merely a few years ago. They became the first countries from the former Soviet Union to be admitted to NATO. Granted membership mainly for political reasons, they quick in emergencies NATO with a significant defense problem: in what way would they be defended? Larrabee give an inkling ofs that the best solution might be within the employment of precision-guided weapons and networkcentric warfare, following the "Afghan model" The Air Force would assume leadership in executing this model of strategy.

His analysis of the ne for NATO and the United States to expand and darken their relations with the Ukraine and Russia involves similar riddles Both countries currently have flawed or weak democracies and militaries in ne of extensive reform. one as well as the other are crucial to future security in Europe and in the case of Russia, globally. He makes clear that the stakes are high and that the issue is far from assured.

Larrabee points gone out that the problems that existed in the Balkans during the 1990 are still unsettl nevertheless he believes that the European Union could assume a great deal of of the responsibility for this region, freeing NATO for other tasks. He continues to believe that NATO has a valuable "out of area" mission to perform and notes that the importance of Central Asia increased substantially with NATO and US involvement in Afghanistan, which will be sustained for the foreseeable that will be In addition to Afghanistan, he views a role for NATO in Iraq and possibly elsewhere in the Middle East.

Larrabee tenders a compelling case that the United States can leverage its interests in pursuing a war forward terrorism and other security challenges of the twenty-first hundred by exploiting its leadership character in NATO. Strengthening NATO's capability to adapt to the of recent origin security environment will not be an easy task. It will require a significant commitment of time and effort forward the part of the United States, on the contrary such a commitment would be well worth the effort.