TOUGH GOING

By Jason Moore WHAT an amazing organisation, NATO, is. There is a long queue to join stretching through Eastern Europe. But when the going gets tough, most of NATO gets going. Despite a United Nations mandate and every other piece of legal paperwork needed for a so-called legal war, few nations want to send additional troops to Afghanistan, infact none. The good old British troops appear to be fighting alone because everyone else has got cold feet in some parts of the country. Yes, there are plenty of NATO troops in the relative safety of Kabul, but in the trouble-spots you will just find, the Canadians, the Brits, the U.S. and some Australians (who don't even belong to NATO). So there we go, what a great organisation. Perhaps all new members should be informed just what NATO is before they join. So what does the future hold for NATO. Well, not alot. And what of that marvellous European Defence force which has allegedly been created? Well, Britain's contribution, as one of the main players is at present in Afghanistan, so if this European Rapid Reaction force has to deploy, well, better tell them now because it will take them about two years to deploy, if the country involved is not on their door-step. At the end of the day while there is plenty of talk about defence and NATO, it appears that when the going gets tough for some its time to go home.