Contents Editorial 2 The Commandant’s Corner 3 The Cornerstone History of the College 4 Address to the NATO Defense College on its 10 60th Anniversary President Giorgio Napolitano Address to the NATO Defense College on its 12 60th Anniversary NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen A deep insight Workshop Report 14 Crisis in the MENA Region: Five Challenges 16 to address NATO Partnership in the MENA Region 19 Shooting the Breeze Building Consensus 22 Work in Progress Conference of Commandants 24 – 40th Edition, Cracow Highlights Our Courses 25 Our Guests 29 The Editorial Vox Collegii Volume III The Commandant’s Corner The first semester of 2011 was a very This is fittingly complemented by the third special period for the NATO Defense part of the “Cornerstone” section, which College. Two very different events occu- features the NATO Secretary General’s pied the centre of the NDC stage, bringing remarks on the 60th Anniversary of the opposite feelings of joy and concern. College. The joy stems from the College’s 60th However, our mood of joyous celebration Anniversary, which we proudly celebrated has been tempered by concern about the with a varied programme of activities. social and political events that took place These ranged from a celebratory concert in North Africa and the Middle East, lead- by the Italian Air Force Band to a com- ing to the NATO intervention in Libya. memorative ceremony honoured by the As a consequence, the College organized a presence of the Italian President and the number of lectures and discussion panels NATO Secretary General, who unveiled the focusing on this question, in order to keep NATO Defense College History Wall. Course Members informed and promote dialogue on the subject. Taking advan- Sixty years of history gave us an excellent tage of these high-level lectures, we were Juhasz, Brigadier General Nick Smith and reason to celebrate the NATO Defense Col- able to include in the current issue some Rear Admiral Svend-Erik Estellon, all of lege in the presence of the North Atlantic in-depth interviews and opinion articles whom have been mainstays of an excellent Council and Military Committee Members, by experts from the region. management team. and to publish a Chronicle Book covering It is also time to welcome Lieutenant General fter almost three and a half years at challenging task, but, in an increasingly cated people from some 20 NATO nations. highlights of the College’s development The time has come for us to say good- Arne Bård Dalhaug, new Commandant theA NDC, during which I have witnessed multi-dimensional environment, it is also It has always been a privilege and pleasure and its achievements during six decades bye to a number of people within the of the College, together with Brigadier the completion of 7 Senior Courses, 5 an increasingly necessary task. to serve together with, and be supported of activity. College’s Command Group. First of all, we General Gerd Bischof and Brigadier General “Middle Eastern” courses, several other I am sure that in facing all the challeng- by, this excellent Faculty and Staff, whom bid farewell to the Commandant, Lieutenant Patrick Desjardins. To all of them, our best short courses, seminars and conferences, es described in NATO´s new Strategic I wish to thank very much for these three The first chapter of the NATO Defense College General Wolf-Dieter Loeser, whose conta- wishes for their professional “adventure” received hundreds of visitors, taken part in Concept, the NATO Defense College will and a half wonderful and outstanding Chronicle Book, on the history of the Col- gious enthusiasm and energy have been at the NATO Defense College. numerous Field Studies, travelled to many become more and more important in years. lege, is reproduced on the following pages such an asset to the College. other destinations and been involved today’s world and that of tomorrow for a There is no doubt that my wife Dagmar as the opening contribution to this issue of Other leading figures taking leave of us LtCol Mario MASDEA in the fantastic celebrations for the 60th number of reasons: and I will miss the College, its international “Vox Collegii”. this summer are Brigadier General Gyorgy Chief Public Affairs anniversary, I am finally leaving the NATO - because of the need for more integrated atmosphere and the people who work Defense College. and multinational education at a time of here, we will of course miss Rome and On 22nd July 2011, Admiral di Paola, the budget constraints; we will certainly always remember our Chairman of the Military Committee, will - because of the growing importance of marvellous host nation, Italy. hand over the Command of the NDC to “Outreach” to the MENA and other regions my successor, Lt Gen Arne Dalhaug from of the world - a field in which the NDC has Arrivederci NDC Norway. more experience and has established better Arrivederci Roma Looking back on my career of over 43 years relations than anybody else in NATO; and in the German Army, I can say that this was - because of the quality of the NDC one of the most - if not the most - interesting Research Division, which produces not and rewarding positions I have ever held. only excellent, but also relevant and timely Educating future leaders from NATO and papers for decision-makers. Lieutenant General partner countries across cultural and po- One of the prerequisites for all this is a Wolf-Dieter LOESER litical divides is not only a fascinating and dedicated staff - and this I have had - dedi- German Army, NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Wolf-Dieter Loeser was tional assignments he attended the Nation- where, as Deputy Commander Operations, born on 15 August 1949 in Wahrenholz in al Defense University in Washington D.C., he was responsible for the conduct of opera- Lower Saxony. He is married to Dagmar and graduating with a Master of Science Degree tions by the VI Mission Contingent. they have two children. in National Security Strategy in 1994. In July 2005, as a Major General, he was Lt Gen Loeser joined the Bundeswehr in His command assignments include the appointed Commandant of the Bundeswehr 1968 and graduated in 1976 with a diploma position of Deputy Corps Commander of the Command and Staff College. in Political Sciences. From 1979 to 1981 he Eurocorps in Strasbourg. Lieutenant General Wolf-Dieter Loeser has attended the General Staff Officer Course In this capacity, from August 2004 to Febru- been Commandant of the NATO Defense at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff ary 2005 he participated in the International College in Rome since March 2008. College. After several national and interna- Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, 2 3 The Editorial Vox Collegii Volume III The Commandant’s Corner The first semester of 2011 was a very This is fittingly complemented by the third special period for the NATO Defense part of the “Cornerstone” section, which College. Two very different events occu- features the NATO Secretary General’s pied the centre of the NDC stage, bringing remarks on the 60th Anniversary of the opposite feelings of joy and concern. College. The joy stems from the College’s 60th However, our mood of joyous celebration Anniversary, which we proudly celebrated has been tempered by concern about the with a varied programme of activities. social and political events that took place These ranged from a celebratory concert in North Africa and the Middle East, lead- by the Italian Air Force Band to a com- ing to the NATO intervention in Libya. memorative ceremony honoured by the As a consequence, the College organized a presence of the Italian President and the number of lectures and discussion panels NATO Secretary General, who unveiled the focusing on this question, in order to keep NATO Defense College History Wall. Course Members informed and promote dialogue on the subject. Taking advan- Sixty years of history gave us an excellent tage of these high-level lectures, we were Juhasz, Brigadier General Nick Smith and reason to celebrate the NATO Defense Col- able to include in the current issue some Rear Admiral Svend-Erik Estellon, all of lege in the presence of the North Atlantic in-depth interviews and opinion articles whom have been mainstays of an excellent Council and Military Committee Members, by experts from the region. management team. and to publish a Chronicle Book covering It is also time to welcome Lieutenant General fter almost three and a half years at challenging task, but, in an increasingly cated people from some 20 NATO nations. highlights of the College’s development The time has come for us to say good- Arne Bård Dalhaug, new Commandant theA NDC, during which I have witnessed multi-dimensional environment, it is also It has always been a privilege and pleasure and its achievements during six decades bye to a number of people within the of the College, together with Brigadier the completion of 7 Senior Courses, 5 an increasingly necessary task. to serve together with, and be supported of activity. College’s Command Group. First of all, we General Gerd Bischof and Brigadier General “Middle Eastern” courses, several other I am sure that in facing all the challeng- by, this excellent Faculty and Staff, whom bid farewell to the Commandant, Lieutenant Patrick Desjardins. To all of them, our best short courses, seminars and conferences, es described in NATO´s new Strategic I wish to thank very much for these three The first chapter of the NATO Defense College General Wolf-Dieter Loeser, whose conta- wishes for their professional “adventure” received hundreds of visitors, taken part in Concept, the NATO Defense College will and a half wonderful and outstanding Chronicle Book, on the history of the Col- gious enthusiasm and energy have been at the NATO Defense College.