The Shanghai Cooperation Organization—the Russia-China led group that includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—now may see itself growing into an organization to rival NATO, reports the Christian Science Monitor. This was the group that, in June, caused a ripple when it demanded a timetable for withdrawal of US military forces from several bases in Central Asia. At its behest, Uzbekistan kicked American troops out of K-2. (DR, 08/30/05) Kyrgyzstan ignored the urging, though, opting instead for more American money. (DR, 10/13/05) With that kind of “go your own way” approach, the group sounds almost like NATO now.
More than three-fourths of Americans would support using force to support NATO’s collective defense, according to the Ronald Reagan Institute’s latest annual National Defense Survey. The report comes as the Pentagon prepares to unveil its new National Defense Strategy, the lodestar for multiyear planning. It is expected to emphasize security…

