National Defence committee  I have been very interested in that subject for some time now. It is true that information sharing within NATO is a reflection of what goes on between the states. A country will choose to share certain information with one country, but not with another, even though it is an ally.

National Defence committee  Essentially, NATO's capabilities boil down to aerial supervision and intelligence. Those capabilities are mainly put at its disposal by the member states. However, there are some major deficiencies, and the Libya operation clearly showed that, despite the fact that NATO authorities declared it a military success.

National Defence committee  It isn't an alternative to NATO. I simply mentioned the institution. That institutional body, based in Norfolk, engages in doctrinal thinking. It is a member of what I consider the most advanced military nations in the areas of technology, know-how and conceptual and doctrinal thinking.

National Defence committee  Coalition operations are central to the work of MIC, which, I remind you, is a think tank at the moment. The organization's major work is a document entitled Coalition Building Guide. It was updated in November 2011. They think there, but it also includes the most capable nations, the ones found in contact groups in operations like Libya.

National Defence committee  I believe we exaggerate Germany's role somewhat. Germany is definitely an economically very powerful state—we talked about that earlier—but the decisions remain essentially political. I believe you're also referring to the conduct of the German government in the Libyan affair. The restrictions that German authorities sought in Afghanistan are part of the negotiations inherent in all coalition operations.

National Defence committee  Absolutely. I entirely agree. This is the ideal moment since we are at a time when the polarity of the world is changing. The western nations—if we can use that term—have lost the ability to decide global affairs on their own. Consequently, based on what the western countries, as well as NATO members and their allies, want, we will have to see what we can do and what we want to do politically and with what equipment.

National Defence committee  I don't know whether it is a good idea or a bad one. I am always somewhat reluctant to use the smart defence concept. It presupposes that we weren't doing anything smart before that. It's always a bit difficult—

National Defence committee  The concept of mutual support is more appropriate. Whether it is a good or a bad idea is not the question: I believe it's a necessity. The operations in Libya revealed, in particular, that only a few players among the member states, and they included Canada, were capable of providing a sustained effort.

National Defence committee  Certain NATO member states would like to raise the issue of the Arctic within the organization. The conversation is not about war or anything of the kind. Actually, NATO is now moving beyond military and even political issues. Stéphane and I have written that it would be inappropriate for Canada for this subject to be addressed within NATO because Canada would be in a minority position.