Atlantic Council blogs

Obama rejects State Department missile defense compromise with Russia

By Bill Gertz, Inside the Ring

From Bill Gertz, Inside the Ring:  President Obama recently rejected a proposed missile-defense agreement with Russia that was developed by the State Department with the hope of coaxing Moscow into cooperation on countering Iranian missile threats.

France inks deal to sell Russia $1.52 bln warships despite NATO concerns

By Alexei Anishchuk, Reuters

From Alexei Anishchuk, Reuters:  France and Russia signed an agreement on Friday for Paris to supply Moscow with two Mistral class helicopter carriers made by a French-led consortium in a 1.2 billion euro ($1.52 billion) deal. The long-discussed purchase is Moscow’s first major foreign arms purchase in the two decades since the fall of the […]

US funds hunt for Libyan missiles

By Stephen Braun, the AP

From Stephen Braun, the AP:  The U.S. is paying two European mine-clearing groups nearly $1 million to hunt and dispose of loose anti-aircraft missiles that could make their way from Libyan battlefields to terror groups. The hiring of weapons demolition experts hardly dampens concerns about anti-aircraft missiles still in the hands of the Gadhafi regime’s […]

The Gates Speech Aftermath

By Nikolas Gvosdev

The “farewell address” delivered by outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to the North Atlantic Alliance last Friday was a stark warning that “business as usual” cannot continue much longer.

Who Needs NATO? We All Do

By Ivo H. Daalder, the International Herald Tribune

From Ivo H. Daalder, the International Herald Tribune:  Today, more than 150,000 troops participate in six NATO operations on three continents.

Update: NATO activities in Libya on June 16

By NATO

Gates was far too nice about NATO’s failings

By Constanze Stelzenmüller, the Financial Times

From Constanze Stelzenmüller, the Financial Times:  Last week America’s departing secretary of defence, Robert Gates, gave a valedictory “shock and awe” speech in Brussels in which he excoriated the military weaknesses of Nato’s European members.

Could a Turkish Buffer Enable a New Syria?

By Anna Borshchevskaya

Almost 10,000 Syrian refugees have entered Turkey over the last several days, as the Syrian government escalates its crackdown on protesters. While this is a large number, the Turkish daily Posta suggests Ankara fears much worse—that a civil war in Syria could flood Turkey with 200,000 more refugees. During a recent summit in Ankara, Turkish […]

Libya and the War Powers Act

By the Editors of the New York Times

From the Editors of the New York Times:  It would be hugely costly — for this country’s credibility, for the future of NATO and for the people of Libya — if Congress were to force President Obama to abandon military operations over Libya.