Category: NATOSource

NATO Chief Sounds Upbeat Note on Libya

By Stephen Fidler, the Wall Street Journal

From Stephen Fidler, the Wall Street Journal:  The civilian head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization gave an upbeat assessment of the progress of opposition forces in Libya

NATO Secretary General welcomes arrest of Goran Hadzic

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO: I very much welcome the arrest of Goran Hadzic, the last war crimes suspect indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Following the transfer of Ratko Mladic to the Hague, this arrest will allow for the most painful chapter in recent European history to be closed.

No One Wants The Responsibility to Rebuild in Libya

By Daniel Larison, Eunomia/The American Conservative

From Daniel Larison, Eunomia/The American Conservative: Previous interventions in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq have all involved the introduction of significant ground forces by the U.S. and NATO members at some point so that a large U.N. force was not wanted or not needed.

Scant Planning for Post-Qaddafi Libya

By James Joyner, The Atlantic

From James Joyner, The Atlantic: If NATO has a plan for achieving victory in Libya, it has been well disguised. Regardless, the world’s most powerful military alliance will surely somehow, some day prevail over a besieged dictator with little support. But is NATO prepared for what happens when they win?

France floats Gaddafi-can-stay option

By  Reuters

From Reuters: France, keen to prevent Nato-led military action in Libya dragging on interminably, signalled on Wednesday that moves were afoot to let Muammar Gaddafi stay in his country as long as he commits to relinquishing power.

Update: NATO activities in Libya on July 19

By NATO

Baltic countries slam Austria’s release of wanted ex-KGB agent

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Tuesday handed the European Commission a letter in which they complained that Austria released wanted ex-KGB Col. Mikhail Golovatov less than 24 hours after his arrest. Golovatov, who is believed to have been behind a Soviet crackdown on Lithuania’s push for independence in […]

Labor defense leader: “I want to make and buy British” tech and weapon systems

By Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

From Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian:  Britain must adopt a new, pragmatic approach to the "special relationship" with the US that is based neither on ideology nor nostalgia, the shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, will tell Americans in a speech in Washington.

Institutional Transition Begins in Afghanistan

By LTG William B. Caldwell IV, New Atlanticist

From LTG William B. Caldwell IV, New Atlanticist:  At the same time that ISAF is supporting geographic transition over the next three years, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) is supporting institutional transition.