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[Note: A transcript of this meeting is unavailable. The discussion is summarized below.]

Project Director: Ronald D. Asmus, Adjunct Senior Fellow

The meeting addressed the following three central questions:

How to assess the result of the NATO Prague summit?

What is the likely timetable and prospects for Senate ratification of NATO enlargement?

How to assess a possible NATO role in Iraq?

From the Administration’s perspective, the NATO Prague summit went very well. The two main issues were enlargement and transformation. The extension of invitations to seven new allies, including the Baltic States, was a powerful historical moment and the fulfillment of a decade-long agenda to build a Europe whole and free. The Administration was gratified that launching this round of enlargement enjoyed strong consensus within the Alliance.

On Senate ratification, Administration officials underscored their interest in a relatively rapid and smooth ratification process. Roundtable members anticipated the Senate debate would cover a variety of issues regarding invitee qualifications as well as NATO’s future roles and that these could affect the ratification timeline.

More challenging in Prague was the discussion of how best to modernize NATO for the 21st century, including new military roles beyond Europe. Administration officials underscored the importance of the creation of the NATO Response Force, a new Transformation Command, and commitments to create new capabilities.

Administration officials also underscored their success in obtaining a strong NATO Statement on Iraq. The Alliance committed to take effective measures to back UN Security Council resolution 1441 if necessary. At the lunch among NATO heads of state, there was a further expression of will that the Alliance find a role to play in Iraq beyond rhetorical support. Following up on these discussions, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz traveled to Brussels to present options for how the Alliance as a whole, as well as individual Alliance members, could support possible future action in Iraq.

Recommendations

The roundtable considered as the central question facing the Alliance in the months ahead to be the possible roles to be played by NATO members, individually and collectively, in Iraq, both in a possible intervention as well as in a security force for the ‘Day After.’

Follow-On Issues

How to follow up on apparent allied willingness to carve out a NATO role in Iraq?

What are likely to be the key issues in the Senate ratification debate?