European Security and Transatlantic Relations after 9/11 and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Abstract

Traditional security thinking dominated the dynamics of the Cold War. Reliance on military capabilities was the primary strategy adopted to achieve greater security. In the post-1989 world, and in particular post-9/11, by far the largest proportions of the operational efforts of NATO and the European Union (EU) have shifted away from collective defense. Instead, crisis management became the paradigm that forms the cornerstone of the post-Cold War security system.¹ As part of this reorientation of effort, NATO and the EU are exploring ways to develop cooperation in the fight against terrorism. What is the benefit for the US in this process?