Atlantic Council blogs

House intelligence chairman will block covert arms to Libyan rebels

By Josh Rogin, the Cable

From Josh Rogin, the Cable:  Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) said in a late Wednesday interview that the Obama administration’s top national security officials were deeply split on whether arming the rebels was a good idea.

Factions within Obama’s war cabinet battle over pace of Afghanistan drawdown

By Rajiv Chandrasekaran,  the Washington Post

From Rajiv Chandrasekaran,  the Washington Post:  Military leaders and President [Barack] Obama’s civilian advisers are girding for battle over the size and pace of the planned pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this summer

Saudi Nukes in Gulf

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Overlooked in the welter of fast moving events throughout the Arab world was a Saudi Arabian call for transforming the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council into "an entity identical to the (27-nation) European Union" — plus nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia has grown impatient "Waiting for Godot." Samuel Beckett’s famous play depicts the "meaninglessness of life," with […]

NATO Chief: “We are there to protect the Libyan people, not to arm the people”

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  NATO’s chief said Thursday the alliance doesn’t support U.S. and British suggestions that the U.N. mandate for the international military operation in Libya allows arming rebels who are fighting Moammar Gadhafi’s troops.

NATO takes sole command of Libya air operations

By NATO

From NATO:  On Thursday morning at 0600 GMT, NATO took sole command of international air operations over Libya. The Alliance  has the assets in place to conduct its tasks under Operation Unified Protector – the arms embargo, no-fly zone and actions to protect civilians and civilian centres. In line with the mandate of United Nations […]

U.S. and Britain have deployed clandestine forces in Libya

By Mark Hosenball, Reuters

From Mark Hosenball, Reuters:  President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

New Report: “most NATO members have taken sides in what amounts to a civil war”

By the NATO Defense College

NATO in Libya: Why Gaddafi Must Go

By Walter Slocombe

So far, the US as a nation, NATO as an institution, “Europe” as a collectivity, and many of its nations individually have done rather well on Libya. Sure, it took a while, but we now have in the field a military and political coalition led politically and (even after command has devolved on NATO) militarily […]

Europe’s Troubled Neighborhood (Policy)

By Matthew Czekaj

Unlike people, countries cannot choose their own neighborhoods, and the countries of the European Union are surrounded by some pretty turbulent suburbs. Yet, collectively, the EU has not been content to give in to the geographic hand it was dealt. Rather than simply putting up a barbed wire fence – though it has tried some […]

Illusions and Delusions of War

By Harlan Ullman

Wars too often are created by illusions and delusions. This is what is happening in Libya. It is an illusion to believe that if Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi clings to power, the credibility and authority of the United Nations, Arab League, NATO, United States and other states comprising the opposing coalition won’t be dealt a […]