Why are people making such a big deal of this? This is a NATO summit, and although Afghanistan will be a major discussion point, it is just one among the many events. In fact this is the only speech directly related to this region:
NATO After Afghanistan: A View from Europe
Over the last two decades, NATO has attempted to redefine itself to become a more flexible and dynamic military alliance. Since joining in 1999, Poland has played a critical role in NATO with regard to enlargement, missile defense, and global operations, including maintaining a current deployment of approximately 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. The conflict in Afghanistan, meanwhile, has proven to be an important milestone in the organizations evolution. With NATO transitioning its Afghanistan operations and the United States pivoting its strategic focus from the European continent to Asia, what is next for the NATO alliance? Please join The Chicago Council on Global Affairs with His Excellency Radosław Sikorski for a discussion on NATO after Afghanistan.
Also, Afghanistan is a NATO war in which Pakistan reluctantly participates. As such, there is no such commonalities in strategy or commitments from either side. The mutual trust was never at respectable levels and have plummeted since the OBL raid and the Salala incident. And with a good chance that Pakistan may reject the invitation, why would the US even bother? Although many Pakistanis feel this is a reaction to the cutting off of the supply routes, I don't think so. There are many other ways to get around that, and US and Pakistani politicians/generals know all the front and back door tactics of negotiating it.
Lastly, India, Russia and China have nothing to do with NATO or this war. India's rebuilding and diplomatic efforts are independent of American strategy, and is a direct interaction between Indian companies and local governments in Afghanistan. Can't imagine our presence helping this summit in any way.
NATO After Afghanistan: A View from Europe
Over the last two decades, NATO has attempted to redefine itself to become a more flexible and dynamic military alliance. Since joining in 1999, Poland has played a critical role in NATO with regard to enlargement, missile defense, and global operations, including maintaining a current deployment of approximately 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. The conflict in Afghanistan, meanwhile, has proven to be an important milestone in the organizations evolution. With NATO transitioning its Afghanistan operations and the United States pivoting its strategic focus from the European continent to Asia, what is next for the NATO alliance? Please join The Chicago Council on Global Affairs with His Excellency Radosław Sikorski for a discussion on NATO after Afghanistan.
Also, Afghanistan is a NATO war in which Pakistan reluctantly participates. As such, there is no such commonalities in strategy or commitments from either side. The mutual trust was never at respectable levels and have plummeted since the OBL raid and the Salala incident. And with a good chance that Pakistan may reject the invitation, why would the US even bother? Although many Pakistanis feel this is a reaction to the cutting off of the supply routes, I don't think so. There are many other ways to get around that, and US and Pakistani politicians/generals know all the front and back door tactics of negotiating it.
Lastly, India, Russia and China have nothing to do with NATO or this war. India's rebuilding and diplomatic efforts are independent of American strategy, and is a direct interaction between Indian companies and local governments in Afghanistan. Can't imagine our presence helping this summit in any way.