Creating a European Security and Defense Identity: Fact or Fantasy?
POLICY FORUMTuesday, August 29, 2000
12:00 p.m.
Featuring John Bolton, Senior Vice President, American Enterprise Institute; John Hulsman, Senior Analyst, Heritage Foundation; and Christopher Layne, Visiting Fellow, Cato Institute.
The Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
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NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia revealed a profound gap between the military capabilities of the United States and those of its European allies. The European Council has since declared that the European Union "must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so." Is the creation of an independent European security and defense identity (EDSI) a good idea from the standpoint of American security interests? Are the Europeans really willing to spend the money necessary to create an effective ESDI? And is Washington trying to sabotage the initiative to preserve its own dominance in Europe? Please join us for a timely forum on the prospect of a robust EDSI.