The United States is pressing Nato to play a bigger role against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, putting Washington at odds with Germany and France which fear the strategy would risk confrontation with the al
The United States is pressing Nato to play a bigger role against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, putting Washington at odds with Germany and France which fear the strategy would risk confrontation with the alliance’s old Cold War foe Russia.
All 28 Nato allies are already part of a 66-nation anti-ISIS coalition, so the United States is looking to Nato as an institution to bring its equipment, training and the expertise it gained leading a coalition in Afghanistan.
“It is worth exploring how Nato, as Nato, could make an appropriate contribution, leveraging for example its unique capabilities, such as force generation,” US secretary of defence Ash Carter said after meeting allies at Nato headquarters in Brussels last week and referring to Nato’s know-how in drumming-up troops, planes and ships from allies.
Seeking to recapture the ISIS strongholds of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, Washington wants a bigger European response to the chaos and failing states near Europe’s borders.
Mr Carter’s call for Nato’s help came as defence ministers from the anti-ISIS coalition met last week at Nato headquarters in Brussels for the first time, albeit with Nato insignia removed from the walls.
The US push has not been received well by France and Germany.
Given Russia’s concerns over Nato expansion in eastern Europe, Paris and Berlin are worried that deeper Nato involvement in Syria could be taken by Moscow as a provocation.
