In small groups, discuss the following questions.

1) What role NATO played in global politics during the Cold War?

2) Did it carry out this role effectively? Did NATO's role in global politics change following the fall of the Soviet Union?

3) NATO's first supreme commander was Dwight D. Eisenhower, World War II general and president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. Eisenhower's position gave the United States a leading role in NATO. In your opinion, is it right for one nation to dominate the military command structure of the NATO alliance? How can military power be evenly distributed among the currently 19 member states that make up the alliance?

4) NATO intervened in the former Yugoslavia to stop the war crimes being committed there, but it did not go to Rwanda, where war crimes have also been committed. Should NATO be restricted to military actions within Europe, or does NATO have the right to become involved in military conflicts outside the North Atlantic community? Explain your reasoning.

5) The Berlin Wall came down in 1989, followed by the reunification of Germany one year later. The Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991 and has since developed a fledgling democracy under Presidents Yeltsin and Putin. Do you believe that there is still a need for an alliance such as NATO? Support your response with specific examples from current events.

6) The European Union is considering the development of a defense force that would be purely European and outside of NATO's control. Will the United States suffer a loss of prestige and a reduction in strategic strength if such a force is developed? Explain your answer.

7) Three of the former Soviet Union's satellite countries—Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary—joined NATO in 1999. How does the inclusion of former Warsaw Pact nations in NATO change the mission of NATO as a military alliance?

8) What shape should NATO's relationship with Russia and other non-NATO nations such as China take in the future? What role do you think NATO should play in the post-Cold War world?

Read the text and answer the questions:

NATO: Past, Present & Future

The recent and more aggressive push by President George W. Bush and his administration to prepare for war against Iraq has caused a rift between some alliance nations. Efforts by the United States and some other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) nations to begin planning for military assistance to Turkey in the event of war with Iraq has brought formal protest by some of its members.

On Monday, February 10, 2003, France and Germany blocked moves to grant military aid to Turkey on grounds that to accept it would mean NATO had accepted the inevitability of war with Iraq, which continues to be debated by diplomats and protested by millions of citizens worldwide. The aid package would include early warning aircraft, missile defences and anti-biochemical units. Turkey - NATO's only Muslim nation - then invoked a treaty clause, which requires the alliance to consult if any member feels its security threatened. Although France, Germany and, now Belgium, say they don't object to ensuring Turkey's safety, they do believe the aid would hamper the search for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis. They further argue that while the U.S. alone may choose to engage in war with Iraq, the NATO alliance may prefer to stand clear of the conflict. The United States, however, has termed the three countries' veto incompatible with the central tenet of NATO solidarity: an attack on one is an attack on all. NATO was initially formed in 1949 soon after World War II and prompted by the rise and spread of a communist Soviet Union. The alliance was basically created to ensure peace and security worldwide, essentially integrating European and North American diplomatic and military forces. The recent objections by the three alliance nations have plunged NATO into its deepest crisis since the end of the Cold War. As member nations debate the issue during an

emergency session in Brussels this week, you'll learn about NATO's history and its current role in the global community to understand how the alliance may change in the future and why.

Many nations have used their NATO membership to obtain assistance and support in challenging times. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, for example, the United 110

States invoked Article 5of the treaty, its mutual defence clause, meaning that an attack on one was an attack on all. This is just one of the treaty's many powerful clauses that makes the alliance a desirable one to join. And, certainly, the more stable and loyal members NATO can pull in, then the stronger the alliance can be to carry out its mission. As you likely noticed, NATO has grown from its original 12 members. The organization continues to enlarge the alliance.

Answer the questions:

1) What are the alliance's mission and goals?

2) How many countries are currently members?

3) What is NATO's strategy and how do they define "security"?

4) Where and in what ways have member nations worked together and why?

5) Which countries wanted to create this alliance and why?

6) What was the Warsaw Pact and how did it relate to NATO?

7) In what ways did the alliance help nations work with each other to resolve conflicts?

8) How did issues, such as poverty or oppressive leadership, influence NATO decision-making and actions?

9) How has NATO changed over time?

Week7(2hours)

Midterm test

Aims and Objectives:to develop furtherstudents skills in reading, speaking, analyzing international documents and newspaper articles, to improve their listening skills and to practise grammar.

In pairs / groups, write down questions about regional trading blocs and the impact the AEC might have on world business.

Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.

Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 1049