Lateefah Simon: “NATO and absurdities--Why even have it if it's afraid to protect the European democracies? If Russia attacked Poland and…”

“NATO and absurdities--Why even have it if it's afraid to protect the European democracies? If Russia attacked Poland and our new friend Lech Walesa, should NATO come to his defense? Would it? If Russia attacked the Czech Republic and our new friend Vaclav Havel, should NATO aid him? Would it? Wait a minute. What's this about Russia going on the attack? Hasn't Boris Yeltsin just agreed to point his nuclear weapons away from the West? Haven't leaders of the former Russian republics promised to turn in their nuclear stockpiles? Aren't the Russians too busy groveling for food and leadership to attack anyone? This really is theater of the absurd. Yet, incredibly, fear of the Russians--and vice-versa-- became the motivation for refusing to grant the new Eastern European democracies full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The 16 NATO nations couldn't promise unequivocally that they'd defend the new European democracies from Russian attack, which the former Soviet satellites still fear.”