racedo:-
Thing is what is NATO designed to do ?
Good question which the NATO site,
http://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/
http://www.nato.int/nato-welcome/files/checklist_en.pdf
seems not to define, except in the broadest terms:-
To safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means.
The sort of vague gobbledegook that you can hang any adventure on, like Afghanistan, perhaps even Syria? There was me thinking it was all about defending Europe and North America from direct external threats...