Atlantic Council blogs

Battling US for huge deal, Eurofighter woos Japan

By Eric Talmadge, the AP

From Eric Talmadge, the AP:  In a deal that could be worth billions of dollars and determine one of the primary fighter jets in Asia for decades to come, European aircraft makers are trying to convince Japan to do something it has never done before – snub America.

NATO allies trying to evacuate citizens from Libya

By Selcan Hacaoglu, the AP

From Selcan Hacaoglu, the AP:  Governments scrambled to send planes and ships to pick up their citizens stranded by Libya’s bloody unrest on Tuesday, with thousands of Turks crowding into a stadium to await evacuation and Egyptians gathering at the border to escape the chaos.

Atlantic Update 2/22/11

By Jason Harmala

Sunday’s state election in Hamburg saw a comfortable victory for the Social Democrats over Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats, and Europe offers muted reactions to the crisis in Libya.

NATO unity succeeding in Afghanistan

By Nathaniel Fick and John Nagl, the New York Times

From Nathaniel Fick and John Nagl, the New York Times:  It is hard to tell when momentum shifts in a counterinsurgency campaign, but there is increasing evidence that Afghanistan is moving in a more positive direction than many analysts think.

Pentagon strategy highlights threats against U.S. satellites

By Lolita C. Balder, the Washington Post

No more Western hugs for Russia’s rulers

By the Washington Post

From the Washington Post:  Contrary to the wishful thinking many in Russia and abroad expressed when [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev took office – by de facto appointment – in 2008, his presidency has demonstrated no signs that his pro-democracy rhetoric might turn into real action.

Italy’s Trials

By the Editors of the New York Times

From the Editors of the New York Times:  Italian governments are rarely known for efficiency. But even the country’s most pressing problems are being ignored since a court ruled last week that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi must stand trial on charges of prostitution with an under-age girl and abusing his office to cover it up.

New poll in Turkey reveals support for NATO, but not US

By Christopher Torchia, the AP

Is Europe Out Trading America?

By James Joyner

The European Parliament has approved an agreement with South Korea that, if ratified, will create the second-largest free trade area in the world, behind only the North American Free Trade Agreement zone. Coupled with aggressive negotiations with China and India, is Europe poised to overtake the United States as a global trader? The EU website […]

Atlantic Update 2/18/11

By Jason Harmala

Germany offers Portugal financial support for an impending bailout, and German Defense Minister zu Guttenberg responds to plagiarism charges.