Category: NATOSource

Obama selects Air Force general to lead NATO’s military forces

By Department of Defense

From Department of Defense:  Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the President intends to nominate U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove for appointment to the rank of general and for assignment as supreme allied commander, Europe and commander, U.S. European Command.

Canada deploys ‘mostly’ unarmed jets to NATO air policing mission over Iceland

By Canada's Department of National Defense

From Canada’s Department of National Defense:  A Royal Canadian Air Force detachment of six CF-18 Hornet jet fighters will patrol Iceland’s airspace from Keflavik Air Base during Operation Ignition in March and April of this year.

Putin orders surprise military exercises in Black Sea

By Reuters

From Reuters:  President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of large-scale Russian military exercises in the Black Sea region on Thursday

Islamists, secular rebels battle in Syria over Nusra Front’s call for Islamic state

By David Enders, McClatchy

From David Enders, McClatchy:  Two Syrian rebel groups – one seeking an elected civil government, the other favoring the establishment of a religious state – are battling each other in the city of Tal Abyad

Obama signs 2013 budget bill, funds MEADS missile defense

By Roger Runningen & Brian Faler, Bloomberg

From Roger Runningen & Brian Faler, Bloomberg:  President Barack Obama signed into law a catchall government-funding bill that ends the 2013 budget fight and locks in $85 billion in spending cuts he opposes. With Obama’s signature yesterday, day-to-day operations of cabinet departments and federal agencies will continue without interruption through Sept. 30, the end of […]

Syrian opposition leader: U.S. rebuff of Patriot request helps Assad

By Yara Bayoumy and William Maclean, Reuters

White House and NATO chief rule out using Patriot missiles to support Syrian rebels

By AFP

From AFP:  The White House said Tuesday that NATO would not provide Patriot missile batteries to protect rebel strongholds in Syria, following a request from opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

Video: Opposition leader asks U.S. and NATO to use Patriot missiles to protect northern Syria

By Sami Aboudi and Yara Bayoumy, Reuters

From Sami Aboudi and Yara Bayoumy, Reuters:  Speaking at an annual gathering of Arab leaders in the Gulf state of Qatar, Moaz Alkhatib said he had asked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for American forces to help defend rebel-controlled northern parts of Syria with Patriot surface-to-air missiles

Most Australian troops to leave Afghanistan this year

By Rod McGuirk, AP

From Rod McGuirk, AP:  Most Australian troops in Afghanistan will be home by the end of the year when the international military base at Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province closes, Defense Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday.