Undoubtedly, the new European security regime will be composed of several institutions which will integrate and implement the European community's body of security rules. The European Economic community, perhaps through the Western European Union, will provide the basis of linking together the economies of Europe and, to some extent, the former Soviet republics. The permanent political institutions of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe will play an increasingly important role. And these institutions will have to be integrated with the coercive arm of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to make a complete system capable of formulating goals and objectives and enforcing those objectives in a systematic and consistent manner. In regard to the fifth pillar of traditional NATO doctrine-the linkage of the United States with European interests-changes in geopolitical politics also appear to be undercutting this aspect of the realistic security regime. Facing a dramatically reduced Soviet military threat, American isolationism has reemerged as a powerful force in domestic politics seeking to make use of a "peace dividend" at home. Clearly, the United States is backing away from its prior commitments in Europe. By 1996, just 109,000 American troops will remain on the continent, the lowest level of American presence since the 1950s. In 1991, there were nearly three times as many-317,000-American troops stationed in Europe. 10 To some extent, the fourth pillar of NATO's realistic security regime also may be teetering-that of not interfering with the internal affairs of Eastern bloc countries. As the Soviet empire collapsed into semi-independent Warsaw Pact countries, and many of the Warsaw Pact countries have disintegrated in turn into ethnic enclaves battling for domination, protecting human rights in these former Eastern bloc countries has become a viable issue for NATO to consider. NATO leaders have demonstrated concern about the repress |
