The NATO air effort over Yugoslavia has suffered a number of damaging "mistake bombings." Criticism in the press has been mounting steadily.

Some have even suggested scrapping NATO. Wrote journalist Robert Fisk: "As a citizen of the new, modern Europe...I don't want Europe to be 'protected' by the U.S. If that means the end of the Atlantic Alliance, so be it. Because an Atlantic Alliance that has brought us to this catastrophe should be wound up. Until it is, Europe will never-ever-take responsibility for itself or for the dictators that threaten our society.... Until NATO is dead, there will never be a real European defense force." Strong words those.

The drive for European unity appears to be relentless. While Romano Prodi spoke of achieving an army separate from NATO in years, "Germany's Rudolph Scharping gave a December 2000 deadline for the establishment of a rapid response infrastructure that will end dependence on the U.S."

A decent future for NATO certainly appears to demand at least a partial success in the Balkans. A failure or a poor compromise could spell the end. There are far too many voices demanding a "European-only" army.

Actually, NATO itself has already taken a significant step in the direction of such an army. According to a Daily Mail report from Washington, D.C., "NATO agreed to make a huge chunk of its military capability available to the European Union to use as it pleases when conflicts flare across the continent." This decision was made during NATO's 50th anniversary celebration in the United States.

The British are very nervous about these developments and feel themselves seriously threatened as the steady erosion of their national sovereignty continues unabated. Leaders in the highest echelons on the Continent have periodically spoken of a United States of Europe-eventually wielding enormous powers over member states. (The Times, May 10; The Daily Mail, April 26, May 10 and May 11; The Independent, May 13.)