The Pentagon is heading up and moving out on whether such a role would be legal. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) said he spoke on Monday with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who told him the matter “is being carefully reviewed,” according to the National Journal.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.