What Libya says about the future of the transatlantic alliance

Most US officials and pundits think of the current NATO-led mission in Libya as yet another proof that the transatlantic alliance is decaying. One hears two lines of complaint: many, such as Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, see the war as affirmation that Europe has lost its capacity to fight.

Most US officials and pundits think of the current NATO-led mission in Libya as yet another proof that the transatlantic alliance is decaying. One hears two lines of complaint: many, such as Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, see the war as affirmation that Europe has lost its capacity to fight.