The European push for a Rapid Reaction Force and U.S. plans for a national missile defense program have created new twists in the ongoing debate over NATO's role in European security. While French President Chirac has been quoted as saying the European rapid reaction force must be "independent of NATO," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has argued for the continued importance of a strong role ... read morefor the U.S. in Europe. German elites share their government's support for an EU-led force but one operating within the NATO alliance.
United States. Department of State. Office of Research. German Elites Emphasize NATO's Importance. By Janice Bell. Washington, D.C.: February 1, 2001. (Opinion Analysis M-22-01).