The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was signed in April 4, 1949. NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance, which has its headquarters at Brussels, Belgium, and it is based on the North Atlantic treaty or agreement. The organization has a collective defense system where member countries mutually agree on the defense mechanism in response to the external attacks (Andreas et al 76)
The presence of NATO in Afghanistan has been beneficial to the Middle East though some people argue that it has increased conflicts and misunderstanding than before. The NATO ongoing operation in Afghanistan and Iraq has enhanced strategic importance in the Persian Gulf (Priest 65). The NATO nations have been aware of the dangers of instability and doing their best to ensure peace and stability prevail in Afghanistan and Persia Gulf. NATO has been assisting the new Iraq peacekeeping authorities to be in charge and take control of defense and security themselves. Iraq is one of the populous countries in Middle East and this has been it to emerge as the most powerful state in the region due the NATO’s support in ensuring peace prevail (Priest 67).
Iran, which is capable making ballistic missiles and is under the control of religious extremist is pausing a threat to NATO and they have not been able to convince them to stop the project. This has been the base of those against NATO’s security and troops in Iraq to criticize them of their ineffectiveness to contain such threats of dangerous missiles and explosive bombs. This is a threat to the broader Middle East and the Persian Gulf and NATO security forces are ready to stop any attack that is risking Euro-Atlantic security (Andreas et al 86).
NATO’s role in bringing stability (peace and economic growth) in the region and more so addressing the Iran’s crucial issue on nuclear program is remarkable. NATO has been pro-active in Afghanistan though some nations who are against NATO operations have criticized them of involving themselves in politics and not the real issue of maintaining peace in the Middle East, as it should be (Priest 69). The human rights activists and rapporteur supports NATO nations because they believe that they are humane and in the end; they will achieve their set goals and objectives of maintain peace, unity, and economic and social stability in the whole region of Middle East (Kaplan 125).
Iraqis have improved and they are building their nation but the Iranians are becoming rebellious and they are promoting chaos that has caused a lot of instability led by Mogtada al-Sadr’s from Tehran who are opposed to the re-emergence of powerful threats in the region. These are the people and organized groups trying to tarnish NATO as being ineffective and inefficient (Kaplan 125). With presence of NATO in the region, there has been a reduction in the number of deaths and an improved economic growth in the Afghanistan and the entire Middle East as a whole. Destruction of property has reduced due to the NATO security team present in the region, which had been hit by war and inter-religious conflicts for a long period. The Shiite in Tehran has been fighting for leadership in Iraq but the NATO has developed a program where leaders are elected by the people and not forceful kind of leadership (Kaplan 127).
NATO has been in the forefront involving itself in talks with the influential clerics in rejecting the political role played by clerics in the state. It has been championing for a strong nationalist and patriotic character among the citizens who are divided a long their religious sects and beliefs. 0n May 21, 2010, NATO officials and Rasmussen met to discuss the future NATO strategy in Afghanistan together with the Pakistani president Zardari and the chief of the Army Staff. These talks and consultations have benefited the citizens in Middle East in trying to resolve conflicts (Priest 75).
The defense for NATO has been training on counter-terrorism units which have increased in the recent past years; which on a broad base are aimed at enhancing mutual benefit and strong future cooperation. NATO has signed an expeditionary military doctrine by reaching out to other nations such United States of America (USA) and other four continents on a blueprint to make NATO a global body to counter threats from Middle East and especially from the terrorists led by Osama Bin Laden (Andreas et al 87).
Conclusion
NATO member countries though have played a crucial role in Middle East and more so in Iraq and Iran, they discuss on a comprehensive policy that will ensure a long lasting solution is arrived (Kaplan 128). NATO is well place and to work together with the US intelligence to coordinator all policies and modalities of persuading Iran and other terrorists to stop nuclear and missile programs which has jeopardize peace and economic stability in the Middle East. NATO has made significant contribution in Afghanistan and Persian Gulf countries; therefore, the alliance primary aim is to be political rather than engaging in military, which can complicate the whole issue of trying to stabilize the Middle East Nations both politically and economically.
NATO given its mandate can establish a new collective and well-coordinated security mechanism in the whole region. It should focus very much on Yemen, Iraq, and Iran because these are the most affected countries (Kaplan 130). It should have a period and work on ways and means of ensuring internal stability and reform process after the death of Sadam Hussein who was considered a dictator by solving military problems. From the above explanations and overview, it can be safely concluded that, NATO presence in Afghanistan has been beneficial to Middle East given that there are no evidence that NATO has been enhancing conflicts and misunderstanding in the region (Andreas et. al. 90).
Works cited:
Priest, Andrew. Kennedy, Johnson and NATO: Britain, America and the dynamics of alliance,
Contemporary security studies. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006 (2): 65-75.
Kaplan, Lawrence. NATO divided, NATO united: the evolution of an alliance. New York:
Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004 (3): 125-130.
Andreas, Wenger, Christian Nuenlist and Anna Locher. Transforming NATO in the Cold War:
challenges beyond deterrence in the Middle East. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2007 (7):
76-90.
