Research On NATO's "Extraterritorial Action"

NATO's “out-of-area operations” refer to crisis management operations conducted outside NATO territory stipulated by Article 6 of North Atlantic Treaty.These operations are closely related to NATO's interests but are not conducted for the purpose of collective defense.The existence of NATO's “out-of-area operation” issue can be traced back to the Cold War.NATO had not conducted “out-of-area operations” during the Cold War due to divergence of opinions among America and some European allies concerning NATO's military involvement in “out-of-area” military conflicts.But “out-of-area” military conflicts that came up during the Cold War deepened NATO member states' realization of the necessity of conducting “out-of-area operations”.NATO member states which were willing and able to involve in “out-of-area” military conflicts were encouraged to do so individually.Meanwhile,NATO had also made political and military preparations for carrying out “out-of-area operations”.These procedures had laid a solid foundation for NATO's “out-of-area operations” in post-Cold War years.With the end of the Cold War,NATO has conducted “out-of-area operations” in Bosnia and Herzegovina,Kosovo,Afghanistan,Libya and other areas.Some NATO allies joined America's coalition of the willing that waged the war in Afghanistan.Some NATO allies joined America's coalition of the willing that waged the Iraq War.Cooperation or divergence of opinions among America and some European allies can be found in NATO's air strikes in Kosovo,the formation process of coalition of the willing for Iraq War,and military operations conducted in Afghanistan by International Security Assistance Force led by NATO.The status of transatlantic alliance has thus been influenced.Policies for and features of “out-of-area operations” have gradually been developed based on NATO's reactions to different international and regional security environment as well as lessons learned from NATO's “out-of-area operations”.In the meantime,America and European allies quarreled over issues concerning NATO's “out-of-area” policies and NATO's “global partnership”.NATO's “out-of-area operations” justify the maintenance and transformation of transatlantic alliance in post-Cold War years.However,contradictions on issues related to “out-of-area operations” among America and some European allies such as France and Germany have exerted negative impact on transatlantic alliance.In the future,the organizational mode of transatlantic alliance will be loose.Contradictions among America and European allies will grow in depth.Cohesiveness among transatlantic allies will be weakened.Transatlantic alliance tends to experience the process of degeneration.