Free Republic

NATO Unveils Strike Force, Key to Alliance Future BRUNSSUM, Netherlands (Reuters) - A cutting-edge force of warships, fighter planes and 9,000 troops was born on Wednesday, the product of NATO's drive to provide the answer to post-Sept. 11 security threats wherever they blow up. It was a rare moment of glory for the Cold War alliance, which was plunged into self-doubt when Washington sidelined it after the 2001 hijacked airliner attacks on the United States and was then roiled by transatlantic divisions over Iraq. The alliance's top soldier, U.S. Marines General James Jones, said the birth of the NATO Response...