Atlanta has an international reputation as an economic and media hub, and as the host of the Olympic Games and perhaps less as an international security center. But, as Secretary General of NATO, I consider it is important to come to Atlanta.
One important reason is that many Georgians have fought for our security in Afghanistan and elsewhere. All NATO Allies greatly appreciate that service. So I want to say thank you. I will do so in person, when I visit Dobbins Air Force Base on Monday to meet members of the Georgia National Guard.
But I also wanted to come to Atlanta to pay homage to your history as a diverse and dynamic community of shared values, and to draw a parallel with NATO. Just as Atlanta has become a powerful symbol of the “New South,” the “new NATO” is using the diversity, the dynamism and the shared values of its members to confront new security challenges.
When I grew up in Denmark at the height of the Cold War, what we all feared was nuclear attack. United with your country and our other Allies in NATO, we faced down that threat, and we overcame it. Today’s challenges are less predictable.
The operation against Osama bin Laden marked a significant success for the security of NATO allies, and for all the nations which have joined us in our efforts to combat the scourge of global terrorism. Hours after the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S., NATO made clear that it considered them an attack against us all. And today, terrorism still poses a direct threat to our security and to stability across the world.
Other threats we face include missile attack, piracy and cyber attacks. More than 30 nations have or are developing ballistic missile capabilities. Pirates equipped with not much more than AK-47s and a fast speedboat are able to capture supertankers. And the Pentagon alone faces a quarter-million cyber-attacks every single hour.
Larger challenges include the security implications of climate change, water scarcity and energy needs that increase as environmental resources decrease.
Taken together, these challenges seem enormous. But together can we solve them. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” And those words are as true now as when they were spoken.
When we act together, what George Washington once called the “sacred fire of liberty” burns brightly, not just for our benefit, but for the inspiration of others across the globe.
Over the past few months, people throughout the Middle East have cried out for freedom. In March, NATO Allies, acting with the authority of the U.N. Security Council, took command of all military operations in Libya to protect civilians against Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s relentless attacks.
Some have asked why NATO took action in Libya but not elsewhere. It is a fair question.
NATO’s primary responsibility is defending allies against attack. But one of our core tasks also is to promote international security and deal with crises that affect alliance security. In Libya we have the international mandate to protect civilians, the means to intervene, and the strong participation of several Arab partners.
Our operation in Libya is the sort of mission that NATO may be called upon to undertake in the future. Success will depend on the broadest possible coalition of nations and organizations working together to achieve not only military security but also long-term stability.
We are already seeing the benefits of this broad international approach in Afghanistan. Under a clear United Nations mandate, and working together with 20 partner countries, the United States and all its NATO allies are steadily bringing security and stability to a country that has been ravaged by over 30 years of conflict. A secure and stable Afghanistan means a safer world for all of us. We have the right strategy, the right resources, and the resolve to see this through. We will continue our missions to ensure that Afghanistan does not return to being a sanctuary for terrorists and extremists.
Over the course of the past year, we have taken the fight to the Taliban, and deprived them of their havens in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. We are training and educating ever more Afghan soldiers and policemen. And the Afghan National Security Forces are playing an increasingly important role in combat operations and in solidifying the security gains.
We have now entered a new and significant phase in our operation, as we gradually transition lead security responsibility to the Afghans themselves. The transition process is on track. Together with our Afghan partners, we aim to complete it by 2014. But we remain committed to supporting Afghanistan well beyond, through an enduring partnership.
The challenges before us today are numerous and complex, and we must face them together. As President Washington once wrote, “every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.” He was describing, of course, the perfect combination of freedom and security.
It is a noble vision. We share it. It is and always will be the vision of NATO.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO, will speak at Atlanta’s Commerce Club Monday.
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