Munich, 07/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at the annual Munich Conference on Security (see above), the US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, identified the tasks ahead: - making the Proliferation Security Initiative a success; - helping countries like Georgia train their security forces; - working with nations in the Caucasus and Central Asia through Partnership for Peace; - continued transformation of NATO for the 21st Century; - investment in the NRF; - broader common funding; - and encouraging the Alliance to develop an expeditionary culture and capability. Donald Rumsfeld warned, however, that: "This commitment cannot be done on the cheap. (…) Today 3.7 percent of every American tax dollar goes toward our national defence and the defence of our friends and allies. Six of our 25 NATO allies spend two percent or more of their GDP on defence, but 19 Allies - 19 - do not even spend 2 percent. Without the U.S. contribution, NATO nations collectively spend only 1.8 percent. It is unlikely that these levels of investment will prove to be sufficient to protect the free people of our NATO nations in the decades ahead."
Senator McCain, a member of the US delegation, praised new NATO members but criticised Germany, saying: "Every member of the latest round of expansion is currently contributing to NATO operations, and Romania is active in every NATO operation in the world. It is my hope that our host today will adopt this same activism. Germany has been a bit quiet on the world stage in recent years, and yet it could assume a true leadership role within NATO - one commensurate with its role as a leader of Europe." (Source: Our publication Atlantic News)