New NATO Headquarters in Financial Trouble

[questionmark]

NATO is building a new headquarters for one billion euros. But the construction consortium is in financial difficulties and the project is at risk of being halted. It's an embarrassment for outgoing NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a man who attaches a lot of importance to his public image. The Danish secretary general of NATO likes to be filmed while out jogging with his bodyguards in the morning, and he's always bronzed and impeccably dressed.

His term ends in the summer and he is reported to have already compiled a list of achievements in the "Rasmussen era" for presentation to the NATO summit in September. The message will be that Rasmussen has prepared the Western defense alliance for the challenges of the future with a structural reform and a new strategic concept.

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[+and-then]

They probably should spend the cash on better training and integration of forces. IF the Libya campaign is a sign of what NATO is capable of without US combat forces leading then it isn't up to much. I think NATO will either morph into or just take on the mantle of - the EU "Army" at some point. When that happens and the EU gets serious then I think they will field a formidable force. As it is now they are just soaking the US taxpayer and acting like they need the help.

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

We had our " "Rasmussen era" in Denmark, when he was prime minister, and we are still paying the price today

But rest assured, he will find a way to say that it is not his fault, he was always good at that.

[stevewinn]

They probably should spend the cash on better training and integration of forces. IF the Libya campaign is a sign of what NATO is capable of without US combat forces leading then it isn't up to much. I think NATO will either morph into or just take on the mantle of - the EU "Army" at some point. When that happens and the EU gets serious then I think they will field a formidable force. As it is now they are just soaking the US taxpayer and acting like they need the help.

well after Afghanistan and Libya NATO's damning report, stated if you combined the total number all of the EU members forces. they'd only be 10% efficient as the USA military which as an efficiency rate of 92%. many reasons for this, but it shows how far the EU has to go if it has future ambitions of a EU combined armed Force.

The USA carry 75% of the financial burden in NATO. if i was the USA i'd select only certain allies and drop the rest.

Edited January 21, 2014 by stevewinn