Category: NATOSource

Estonia shaken by new Russian spy scandal

By David Martiste, Reuters

From David Martiste, Reuters:  Police in Estonia detained a senior security official and his wife on Wednesday on suspicion of spying for former imperial master Russia, the second espionage scandal in the NATO-member Baltic state in recent years.

Russia to Launch 100 Military Satellites in Next Decade

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russia is planning to launch at least 100 military satellites in the next 10 years to boost its reconnaissance and missile detection capabilities, head of Russian Space Agency Roscosmos Vladimir Popovkin said on Wednesday.

Russia to Field First Arctic Brigade in 2015

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The first motorized rifle arctic brigade will be deployed in 2015, Russian Ground Forces Chief Col Gen Alexander Postnikov said on Tuesday. Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in July 2011 that two arctic brigades would be established in “Murmansk or Arkhangelsk or some other place.”  (photo: Alexei Kudenko/RIA Novosti)

Two-Track Syria? Western allies continue diplomacy while regional powers arm the rebels

By Michael Peel and Roula Khalaf, the Financial Times

From Michael Peel and Roula Khalaf, the Financial Times:  “It doesn’t matter if [the intervention] is Nato or the Arab League – anything to protect civilians,” says Firas, a member of a co-ordinating committee in Zabadani.

Turkey And NATO Sixty Years On – Analysis

By Süreyya Yiğit, Eurasia Review

From Süreyya Yiğit, Eurasia Review:  In fact the past six decades have been quite eventful witnessing both strong cooperation as well as deep disagreement between Turkey and fellow NATO members.

Turkey and the Bomb

By Sinan Ülgen, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

From Sinan Ülgen, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:  Though most states that want a nuclear weapon can get one through determined effort, the fact remains that most choose not to proliferate. Turkey is no exception.

Beginning of the End in Afghanistan

By the Editors of the New York Times

From the Editors of the New York Times: Like most Americans, we are eager to see an end to the war in Afghanistan.

Syria and the lessons from delayed military intervention in Bosnia

By Douglas Hamilton, Reuters

US defense spending on cyber, special ops stays flat

By Lolita C. Baldor, the AP

From Lolita C. Baldor, the AP:  Spending on two of the Pentagon’s top priorities, cybersecurity and special operations forces, would largely remain flat or dip slightly in 2013

Will Qatar or Turkey have biggest impact on Syria’s future?

By Steve Coll, the New Yorker

From Steve Coll, the New Yorker:  Early on during the NATO intervention in Libya, air-traffic controllers in Cyprus received an unexpected call from two armed fighter jets.