The United States is a founding member of NATO. For President Barack Obama, hosting the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago is an opportunity to boost his diplomatic credentials during his re-election campaign. Originally, President Obama had planned to bring both the NATO and G-8 summits to Chicago, until he abruptly changed course in March, and announced the G-8 would take place at his secluded presidential retreat at Camp David.

Observers speculated the president did not want to risk high-profile, back-to-back protests on his home turf. Today, the 1999 protests against the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle provide a stark reminder of what can go wrong at a high-level, international summit held in the U.S.