NATO’s highest an, the North Atlantibsp;cil, may meet on veral levels–heads of gover, ministers, or perma reprentatives. The bsp;determines polibsp;and supervis the civilian and military agencies; NATO’s cretary–general chairs the cil. Under the bsp;is the Military ittee, whibsp;may meet at the chiefs of staff or perma reprentative level. Its headquarters in Washington, D.C., has reprentatives of the chiefs of staff of all member tries; France, however, withdrew from the Military ittee from 1966 to 1995 while remaining a member of the cil.
NATO is now divided into two ands. Allied and Operations is headed by the Supreme Allied ander Europe. SACEUR direbsp;NATO forbsp;and, in time of war, trols all land, a, and air operations. Allied and Transformation, with headquarters at Norfolk, Va., is responsible for making reendations orategic transformation of NATO forces in the post–cold–war era.
In the 1990s, with the collap of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Treaty anization, NATO’s role in world affairs ged, and U.S. forbsp;in Europe were gradually reduced. Many East European nations sought NATO membership as a terbalanbsp;to Russian power, but they, along with other European and Asian nations (including Russia), initially were offered only membership in the more limited Partnership for Peabsp;Formed in 1994.Twenty–three tries now belong to the partnership, whigages in joint military exercis with NATO. NATO is not required to defend Partnership for Peaations from attack. In 2002, NATO and Russia established the NATO–Russia cil, through which Russia participates in NATO discussions on many nondefen issues.
NATO’s highest an, the North Atlantibsp;cil, may meet on veral levels–heads of gover, ministers, or perma reprentatives. The bsp;determines polibsp;and supervis the civilian and military agencies; NATO’s cretary–general chairs the cil. Under the bsp;is the Military ittee, whibsp;may meet at the chiefs of staff or perma reprentative level. Its headquarters in Washington, D.C., has reprentatives of the chiefs of staff of all member tries; France, however, withdrew from the Military ittee from 1966 to 1995 while remaining a member of the cil.
NATO is now divided into two ands. Allied and Operations is headed by the Supreme Allied ander Europe. SACEUR direbsp;NATO forbsp;and, in time of war, trols all land, a, and air operations. Allied and Transformation, with headquarters at Norfolk, Va., is responsible for making reendations orategic transformation of NATO forces in the post–cold–war era.
In the 1990s, with the collap of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Treaty anization, NATO’s role in world affairs ged, and U.S. forbsp;in Europe were gradually reduced. Many East European nations sought NATO membership as a terbalanbsp;to Russian power, but they, along with other European and Asian nations (including Russia), initially were offered only membership in the more limited Partnership for Peabsp;Formed in 1994.Twenty–three tries now belong to the partnership, whigages in joint military exercis with NATO. NATO is not required to defend Partnership for Peaations from attack. In 2002, NATO and Russia established the NATO–Russia cil, through which Russia participates in NATO discussions on many nondefen issues.