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NATOSource

Mar 30, 2010

Portugal Sends More Troops to Afghanistan

By Xinhua

From Xinhua: The last batch of 70 Portuguese troops to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) left on Monday for Afghanistan to complete Lisbon’s planned deployment. The troop of a rapid reaction force aboard a C-130 plane left from a military airport in Lisbon. They will complete the Portuguese military deployment of a total of […]

NATOSource

Mar 30, 2010

Mongolia Becomes the 45th Nation Contributing Troops to the NATO-Led Mission in Afghanistan

By NATO

From NATO: The Mongolian Defence Minister, Luvsanvandan Bold, met with NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, at NATO Headquarters on 29 March. The meeting marked the formal recognition of the Mongolian contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Mongolia has deployed an infantry platoon in ISAF’s Regional Command North. This contribution was formally […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2010

Pakistan Army Back on Top — But in a New Way

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

It was Pakistan’s week in Washington with much talk of a new, deeper geopolitical understanding between the United States and a "major non-NATO ally." The star was Pakistan’s army  chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, and the country’s de facto politico-military power. The Pakistani army has taken over from ineffectual, corrupt civilian governments four times since independence. […]

NATOSource

Mar 29, 2010

Rasmussen Warns Europe of Being a “Paper Tiger”

By Reuters

From Reuters: The European Union must put more money and muscle into defence if it wants to become a global player, the head of the NATO alliance said on Saturday. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also cautioned that Europeans could not take the transatlantic alliance with the United States for granted. Speaking at the annual Brussels […]

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Mar 29, 2010

Will Sarkozy Visit Include “Gesture” of Troops for Afghanistan?

By the New York Times

From the New York Times: The United States has been pressing its NATO allies to provide more military trainers for Afghanistan. French officials have been quoted as saying they will send no more, but [national security adviser] General [James L.] Jones appeared to leave open the possibility that Mr. Sarkozy would make such a gesture […]

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Mar 29, 2010

Russian Foreign Minister to Start Canada Tour with Arctic Talks

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend an Arctic Five ministerial meeting on Monday as part of his two-day visit to Canada. The agenda of his visit also includes a G8 foreign ministers meeting in Gatineau on March 30. The Arctic Five, which comprises Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway, […]

Energy & Environment

NATOSource

Mar 29, 2010

NATO Chief Calls on EU to Bring Turkey into Defense Body

By Zaman

From Zaman:  NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called on the European Union to bring Turkey into the bloc’s defense development arm and security structures. “Why doesn’t the EU grant such arrangement for Turkey?” Rasmussen said on Saturday, in a pointed demand for Ankara, which provides NATO with one its biggest armed forces, to join […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 29, 2010

Moscow Subway Bombing Puts Pressure on Putin

By James Joyner

Female suicide bombers have killed at least 38 and wounded many more in a terrorist attack on the Moscow subway this morning.  If, as all the circumstantial evidence currently points, this is the work of Chechen extremists, it will be a stern test for the Putin-Medvedev regime. Clifford Levy for NYT ("Subway Blasts Kill Dozens […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 29, 2010

Courting Pakistan: Forging a Strategic Partnership

By Shuja Nawaz

The United States and Pakistan is the world’s oddest couple, with an on-again, off-again friendship that has survived since the 1950s. Last week both sides completed a "strategic dialogue" in Washington amid fears that they were headed for another break-up.

New Atlanticist

Mar 26, 2010

Nuclear Treaty a New START

By James Joyner

The United States and Russia have agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals by a third.  This is not only good political theater but actually useful. UPI gives a useful overview of the agreement and rollout: U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev announced agreement Friday on a nuclear arms reduction treaty. The […]