2000s: Main Points

Question 1

NATO (5:)

Answer 1

• NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States
• Expeditionary military activities (operations to stabilize the situation) far away from the area of nato direct responsibility →
• Prague decisions 2002:
  ‘out of the area’ operations:
  NATO begins ‘moving out of Europe’ (most notably: ISAF in Afghanistan)
  passing European missions to the EU (Bosnia, Macedonia, event. Kosovo)
  US troops in Europe operate outside Europe (Iraq, Afghanistan, N. Africa)
• Afghanistan - ISAF
• Operation against pirates in Africa
• Expeditionary activities (proven by strategic concept of 2010) is a retreat from Europe

• Enlargement:

2008: MAP for Georgia and Ukraine
2009: Albania and Croatia join NATO
2009: a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine

• 2008: NATO–Georgia Commission
• 2009: US–Russia reset

Question 2

Arms Race (5)

Answer 2

• Ratification of START 2 (2000)
→ 2002 Russia withdrew from the treaty in response to U.S. withdrawal from the ABM Treaty.

• End of START 1 (2009)
• The US left the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty) treaty
• START 3: Bush never pushed it further so it never took place

• SORT (2003-2011)
Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions (SORT), was a strategic arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia that was in force from 2003 until 2011 when it was superseded by the New START treaty.

Question 3

India-Pakistan (1)

Answer 3

• Afghanistan (2001-) Pakistan main force supporting Taliban in Afghani gov.
After the US left (2016) India made the largest donation ever to train Afghani armed forces against terrorists

Question 4

Middle East (5)

Answer 4

• Islamic extremism widespread

• particularly after the 2003 war on Iraq
• oppression by Shia majority in Iraq
• emergence of ISIL – an attempt of establishing a radical Sunni Kalifate
• spread of Al Quaeda affiliates seeking to get ground in different troubled areas
• 2003: War on Iraq and overthrow of Hussein regime changed the balance in the region
• Shia majority taking over the power in Iraq opened the door for Iranian expansion (and radicalization of Sunni as a response)
• Saudi Arabia – Iran standoff becoming the major interstate axis of the sectarian strife
• Kurdish autonomy de jure after 2003

Question 5

Russia (1:6)

Answer 5

• Shift to strategic partnership with the US and EU
→ NATO-CSTO

→ NATO-Russia Council (NRC) 2002

→ Russia didn’t want the West expanding to former USSR

→ MAP cases of Ukraine and Georgia made it worse

→ EU Eastern Partnership (2009) also worsened

• (EACU) Eurasin Customs Union created 2010