Category: NATOSource

SACEUR: Patriot deployment shows NATO allies standing together

By James Stavridis, Allied Command Operations

From James Stavridis, Allied Command Operations:  Given the continuing turbulence in Syria, the NATO nations — acting upon the request of member Ally Turkey — have decided to deploy purely defensive Patriot missiles to the Turkish-Syrian border.

German parliament approves Patriot missiles for Turkey

By Gareth Jones, Reuters

From Gareth Jones, Reuters:  Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, on Friday approved the sending of two Patriot batteries and 400 soldiers to Turkey as part of a NATO plan to protect the country from any spread of the Syrian conflict.

Military chiefs of Russia and NATO hold talks on Afghanistan, missile defense, and Syria

By NATO

From NATO:  General Knud Bartels, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, paid an official visit to Russia from 12 to 14 December to boost military-to-military cooperation and develop a common understanding on issues of strategic interest with Colonel-General Valeriy Gerasimov

Head of NATO’s Military Committee: Post-Assad ‘who will control the chemical weapons?’

By Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters

Panetta orders deployment of Patriots and 400 troops to Turkey

By Thom Shanker, Eric Schmitt, & Michael R. Gordon, New York Times

From Thom Shanker, Eric Schmitt, & Michael R. Gordon, New York Times:  Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta signed an official deployment order on Friday to send 400 American military personnel and two Patriot air defense batteries to Turkey

NATO inaugurates new HQ for allied special forces

By John Vandiver, Stars & Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars & Stripes:  NATO’s special operations community took up residence Wednesday in a new headquarters in Mons, Belgium, a $19 million facility expected to bolster how special forces from across the alliance plan for missions from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa.

Cyber Warfare: Hype and Fear

By Economist

From Economist:  Political and military leaders miss no chance to declare that cyberwar is already upon us. America’s defence secretary, Leon Panetta, talks of a “cyber-Pearl Harbour”. A senior official says privately that a cyber-attack on America that “would make 9/11 look like a tea party” is only a matter of time. . . . […]

NATO Secretary General: Syrian regime ‘is approaching collapse’

By Reuters

From Reuters:  The head of NATO said on Thursday he thought the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was nearing collapse, and condemned the use by Assad’s forces of Scud missiles to attack rebels. "I think the regime in Damascus is approaching collapse," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after a meeting with Dutch […]

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister: Assad ‘is losing control’ of Syria

By Steve Gutterman, Reuters

From Steve Gutterman, Reuters:  Rebel forces are gaining ground against the Syrian government and could win the war against President Bashar al-Assad, the Kremlin’s envoy for Middle East affairs said on Thursday. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also said Russia was working on plans to evacuate its citizens from Syria if necessary. "One must look […]

Assad regime using Scud missiles against Syrian rebels

By Samia Nakhoul and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Reuters

From Samia Nakhoul and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Reuters:  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have fired Scud-style ballistic missiles against rebels in recent days, U.S. and NATO officials said on Wednesday, in what U.S. officials described as an escalation in the 20-month civil war.