Letter: Nato's world role?

Sir: Andrew Marshall ("EU defence force moves step closer", 26 April) states that Nato's new Strategy Concept "is not quite the commitment to a global Nato some in the US had wanted", since it is limited to an ill-defined "Euro-Atlantic area".

However, Chapter 24 of that same Strategic Concept uses language which makes this geographical limitation look somewhat less certain. It states: "However, Alliance security must also take account of the global context. Alliance security interests can be affected by other risks of a wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and organised crime, and by the disruption of the flow of vital resources . ... Arrangements exist within the Alliance for consultation among the Allies under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty and, where appropriate, co-ordination of their efforts including their responses to risks of this kind."

Does this mean that Nato will in fact be able to conduct out-of-area operations in the future?

TOM McDONALD

British American Security Information Council

London SE1