NATO SUMMIT - 2009

Americans were clever to have a link with European countries in the form of North Atlantic Treaty organization, simply NATO sixty years ago.

Barack Obama, the new President of the U. S. after attending the G20 Summit at London participated in the 60th anniversary Summit of NATO in the north eastern French city of Strasbourg in April 2009.

President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the President of U.S. with warm hearts to celebrate the 60 years of NATO alliance.

In fact, Barack Obama is very popular as a hero among the European audience of young and old who received him with much cheer and gaiety.

The European students among the youths rushed out in large numbers to see and meet Obama.

In brief, Europe has a hope on Obama as a friend and world leader who can do things boldly and sensibly.

All these happened within an area guarded heavily by security men, whereas the story was not the same outside the guarded area.

Thousands of protestors who were anti-war and anti-globalization waged battle against the police who were protecting the NATO Summit.

Who is right? and who is wrong? are questions without answers.

I think both sides are doing their duty without worrying about the outcome.

In deed both are interested in saving the human beings on planet Earth.

The protesters were too harsh and set fire to a hotel, the police used tear gas too quell the demonstrators who pelted stones on the police resulted in physically hurting each other.

 Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the U.S. who accompanied Barack Obama and other spouses of NATO leaders could not go out to visit a French cancer hospital as planned.

The visit was cancelled.

There were 28 leaders of NATO countries who agreed whole heartedly the policy towards Afghanistan.

In addition, Albania and Croatia joined NATO as the new members who were welcomed by Obama.

France also rejoined NATO because of Sarkozy’s interest towards world peace.

In fact, France detached from NATO in 1966, but now a member again of NATO.

The Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was elected as the next Secretary General of NATO.

However, Turkey was not happy about this decision because of the cartoon issue of 2005 in Danish Newspaper mocking Islam.

It was also decided to send out additional force of about 5000 troops to safeguard the elections scheduled in August in Afghanistan.

In a town hall meeting, Obama said: “the spread of nuclear weapons, or the theft of nuclear material, could lead to the extermination of any city on the planet.”

He also indicated that he will try to work for a nuclear-free world.

It is a wonderful idea which would have been adopted long ago by the past Presidents of America.

Obama wanted, above all, the help needed to defeat Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

He decided to send 21,000 extra US troops and considering deploying 10,000 more.

Afghanistan a neighbor to Pakistan and India is going to be a battle ground in future after the unfortunate Iraq war.     

NATO has to face an unfinished war in Afghanistan, recession-hit defense budgets, tension with Russia and doubts on the expansion of alliances.

A stupendous task, any way Barack Obama has to tackle during his period of Presidency.