Publication

The crisis in the transatlantic relationship that began with the advent of the George W. Bush administration in 2000 and then receded during President Bush’s second term in office was perhaps the most severe in the history of the alliance. This essay discusses the factors that led to this most recent transatlantic crisis, its key components, and the way that all parties to the event moved toward and then away from the brink. It then addresses the question of how and why the alliance appears, at least until now, to have survived the crisis. The analysis concludes by deriving some lessons from this experience that might lead to a better understanding of NATO’s potential and future.