Atlantic Council blogs

Germany decides to end conscription next July

By the AP

From the AP:  Germany’s defense minister announced Monday the nation will end conscription in July 2011 and switch to a slimmed-down volunteer military service of some 185,000 troops focused on missions abroad. The reforms are aimed at realigning the German army to better reflect the nation’s post-Cold War needs, Karl[-Theodor] zu Guttenberg told a military […]

Ten Suspected Terrorists Arrested in Europe

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph:  Ten alleged Islamists have been detained in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany suspected of plotting an attack in Belgium, according to the prosecutor’s office. The arrests were part of "an inquiry into international jihadist terror," a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office said. "In total 10 people suspected of preparing an attack […]

Taliban Leader in Secret Talks Was an Impostor

By Dexter Filkins and Carlotta Gall, the New York Times

From Dexter Filkins and Carlotta Gall, the New York Times:  For months, the secret talks unfolding between Taliban and Afghan leaders to end the war appeared to be showing promise, if only because of the appearance of a certain insurgent leader at one end of the table: Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour

Italy: What NATO means for us

NATO has released new videos on YouTube providing national perspectives on the Alliance.

Global Challenges Absent from New Strategic Concept

By Rob de Wijk

NATO’s new Strategic Concept seeks to explain how the Alliance will address 21st century security challenges including energy security, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to rogue actors, terrorism, and cyber security. But the document should also have taken into account the dramatic new security challenges that will change the world and will impact the […]

NATO Summit Reality Check: Brilliant Policy vs. Real World Resistance

By Kurt Volker

The recently concluded NATO summit did all the right things: outline an ambitious role for NATO in a complex world; renew and recalibrate NATO’s role in Afghanistan; relaunch the NATO-Russia Council; and even move the ball forward on missile defense. This will now be followed by negotiations on implementation documents. To someone who has worked […]

Ukraine to cut Armed Forces by 20%

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The Ukrainian armed forces will be cut by some 40,000 employees, including high-ranking officials, in the next five years in order to reduce military expenditure, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hryhoriy Pedchenko said on Thursday.

President of Armenia Boycotted NATO Summit

By Aris Ghazinyan, ArmeniaNow

From Aris Ghazinyan, ArmeniaNow:  President Serzh Sargsyan did not take part in the two-day NATO summit held in Lisbon on November 19-20.

NATO members sign aviation security agreement with Finland

By Allied Command Operations

From Allied Command Operations:  [A]fter three years of negotiations, Finland and three Baltic nations have agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, establishing an Air Situation Data Exchange.