Circus!

"There's only two types of guys out there
Ones that can hang with me And ones that are scared
So baby I hope that you came prepared. I run a tight ship so beware"

So coos Great Satan's Hoochie In Chief - the one of a kind Britney Spears on her latest CD "Circus". Tearing up the charts and the mega concert complexs Britney's homage to being large, in charge and sexyfully hot! could be applied to the NATO summit coming up fast.

Officially celebrating her 60th BDay (which is kinda strange - since Great Britain and Great Satan actually hooked up and formed NATO in the dark scary days of WWII back when Europa actually enjoyed combatting among themselves and before Great Satan made the Italians, Germans and Japanese all scream "GOD! PLEASE! STOP!"

And Great Satan has pretty much drove the "TransAtlantic Bargain." As NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer recently reminded everybody

"This was and remains an apt description. NATO enlists North America for the defence of Europe; it gives North American democracies a say in the evolution of European security; it provides the US with likeminded partners to face global challenges; and it gives Europe a voice in Washington."

Briefly - the NATO alliance worked wonders to constantly confront Collectivist time Russia and her evil mirror NATO called the "Warsaw Pact".

Fear of a rowdy Russia and her servitude communistic minions pouring panzers and troops through the Fulda Gap and blitzing clear across to Spain in 10 days was not unlike "Animal Farm" and the commune's fear of the return of the people farmers that had previously operated the place.

"Surely Comrades! You don't want Jones to come back!"

44's NSC cat is the Teuffel Hunden (nearly 2 meters tall!!) General Jim Jones Jr. Before he nailed the NSC gig, General Jones hung out at The Atlantic Council which recently hosted Deutschland and France's Ambassadors at an especial recon event.

France wants to rejoin NATO as a full blown bona fided member with all the priviledges and responsibilities there unto.

"(1) France’s return to NATO integrated command structures is welcomed by the majority of the public, contrary to other claims, enabling France to better influence the upcoming strategic concept review;

(2) NATO and EU defense are complementary – France will spend 300 billion Euros on defense between now and 2020; and

(3) the summit must tackle the issue of a new Secretary General and develop a strategic concept to improve civilian and financial aid for Afghanistan."

Vimont expressed concern about dialogue with the Taliban, noting that the Saudis have failed in the past.

Deutschland OTOH,

(1) NATO and EU cooperation is essential and must not conflict and compete with each other;

(2) we must keep an open door on membership for the West Balkans, as they have no alternative but membership;

(3) there is no alternative but to cooperate with Russia via the NATO-Russia Council, especially over missile defense; and

(4) we need commitment to arms control.


This is significant. As NATO's General Sec admitted, NATO is at a crucial cross roads.

Several cats point out that NATO's role is to focus on the Atlantic - keeping the sea lanes open, not Globestomping about the globe, upholding NATO treaties signed in good faith or killing killers in scary parts of the world where acid is sprayed in the faces of little girls.

"Rather than alternating between being an existential safeguard and a global expeditionary force, NATO must reassert its primary role as defender of the North Atlantic area, broadly defined. This would make both of the former missions more credible and effective."

This would mean cutting back on out-of-area ops like Afghanistan.

"It is not clear how they contribute to the defense of the alliance or deter future attacks upon it, particularly if some members oppose them."

Sure. Like NATO's goofy campaign to put Milosevic out of biz. Great Satan had to step in to take out the trash.

Some cats call for disolving NATO.

"Collectively, the Europeans don't need U.S. troops or dollars, both of which are in short supply anyway and needed elsewhere. Yet as long as the United States sustains the pretense that Europe cannot manage its own affairs, the Europeans will endorse that proposition, letting Americans foot most of the bill.

Only if Washington makes it clear that the era of free-riding has ended will Europe grow up."

44's NSC General Jones and the cats at Atlantic refute that kinda talk - though they admit the Straussbourg Kehl Summit is a last chance test and the answers they recommend are for Great Satan to lay down the law:

"Visions of a more effective, resilient partnership will be moot if allies fail to quell terrorism and turmoil in the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands. Afghanistan has become a crucible for the Alliance.

NATO’s credibility is on the line.

We must be clear regarding the threat, our goal, and our strategy:

Terrorist threats to the U.S. and Europe directly linked to the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands present the most immediate acute danger to transatlantic security today.

NATO's goal is to prevent any attacks and ensure that this region never again serves as a base for such threats."

Great Satan will be just like Britney's Ringmaster in "Circus"

"All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip everybody gonna trip just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do"


Pic - "Ringmaster Great Satan at NATO's Strassbourg Kehl Summit'