Every 10 years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization reassesses the world and its place in it and forges a new mission statement that tries to align the institution, its members and their desire to create a more peaceful and stable world. This year, that effort has yielded a "new strategic concept" that underscores NATO's global role.

It may seem strange that NATO would extend its reach to distant corners of the world, but the drafters of "Active Engagement, Modern Defense" (the title of the New Strategic Concept) rightly noted that "Crises and conflicts beyond NATO's borders can pose a direct threat to the security of alliance territory and populations." Thus, "NATO will therefore engage, where possible and when necessary, to prevent crises, manage crises, stabilize postconflict situations and support reconstruction."

The goal is simple in theory — to transform a Cold War alliance into a flexible organization that is ready for new and diverse threats. The list of concerns ranges from piracy to cybersecurity; battles could be fought within alliance members' borders or in far-off nations. Even though the logic of that step makes sense, it is nonetheless a remarkable decision given the considerable misgivings that color NATO's involvement in Afghanistan. There are now 150,000 troops in the largest combat deployment in NATO's history and the first outside its original area of operations. They are struggling to support the government of Afghanistan and defeat the Taliban insurgency even after 10 years of fighting.