Category: NATOSource

Libya, Obama and the triumph of realism

By Robert Kaplan, the Financial Times

From Robert Kaplan, the Financial Times:  Realism is dead, clamour the cheerleaders of the Arab spring. The collapse of dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt, and now Libya heralds a new birth of freedom that supposedly consigns realism to the graveyard.

White House offers Two Principles for Intervention instead of an Obama Doctrine

By Helene Cooper and Steven Lee Myers, the New York Times

From Helene Cooper and Steven Lee Myers, the New York Times:  It would be premature to call the war in Libya a complete success for United States interests. But the arrival of victorious rebels on the shores of Tripoli last week gave President Obama’s senior advisers a chance to claim a key victory for an […]

Score One for Interventionism

By Roger Cohen, the New York Times

From Roger Cohen, the New York Times:  It will be two decades next year since the outbreak of the Bosnian war — and since the debate on interventionism began to rage, becoming one of the most acrimonious moral questions of our times. Now Libya, a successful Western intervention, will be placed on the scales.

Joschka Fischer: ‘Our country’s standing in the world has been significantly damaged’

By Spiegel

From Spiegel:  In an interview with SPIEGEL, former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer discusses the mistakes the ministry’s current leader Guido Westerwelle has made with Libya SPIEGEL: What is it about Germany’s current foreign policy and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle that bothers you? Fischer: Pretty much everything. As the former foreign minister myself, the lack of […]

Libyan War Improves Pentagon’s View of France as an Ally

By Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times

From Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times:  [S]omething has happened on the bombing runs over Libya. France played a major role in this war, winning grudging respect from a Pentagon that has long looked down on many European militaries.

Libyan rebels ask NATO to continue helping “even after the fighting ends”

By Samia Nakhoul And Mohammed Abbas, Reuters

Wolfgang Ischinger: “Germany should not become NATO’s problem child”

By Deutsche Welle

From Deutsche Welle:  Respected diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger talks about Germany’s decision to abstain from the UN Libyan vote and why despite the success of the NATO intervention, we won’t likely see a spate of similar missions soon.

Iran warns NATO against entering Syria “quagmire”

By Hashem Kalantari and Robin Poweroy, Reuters

From Hashem Kalantari and Robin Poweroy, Reuters:  Iran warned NATO on Sunday against any temptation to intervene in Syria, saying that rather than the defeating a regime it would be bogged down in a "quagmire" similar to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Update: NATO activities in Libya on August 28

By NATO

Libya Exposes Transatlantic Contradictions

By James Joyner, the New Atlanticist

From James Joyner, the New Atlanticist:  The late-night comedian Jon Stewart’s quip that “the U.S. handing Libya over to NATO is like Beyoncé saying she’s ceding control to Sasha Fierce” constantly came to mind as the fight dragged on.