Tonight, I'd like to speak briefly about the alliance that everyone forgets about: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO.

The past 15 years have seen immense changes in the world, and thus for NATO. The fall of Communism and the Soviet bloc challenged the role and purpose of the Atlantic Alliance. The Warsaw Pact was dismantled, leaving NATO without it's most hated/feared foe. In fact, leaving NATO without it's only foe. It was no secret that NATO was created to fight Communism. With the satisfaction of that primary purpose, people were left to wonder, what now?

The remainder of the century saw enormous cutbacks to the NATO budget, a sign of the fading significance of the alliance. Yet in 1999 NATO stormed back onto the scene, fighting and defeating the Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo with a huge placard reading: "We're Still Here! And We Matter!"

In fact, NATO has managed to keep itself busy over the years, doing anything from clearing munitions in Albania, to the most recent involvement in Afghanistan. Even conducting missile defense exercises with their former hated foes in Russia. Joseph McCarthy must be absolutely thrashing in his grave.

Most recently, the NATO headquarters in Brussels have been expanded to allow for 7 new members. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia are expected to formally become NATO members by the end of this month.

Now, the NATO faithful can carry placard's reading: "We're Still Here! And We're Growing!"

~K