Category: NATOSource

The impact of US defense cuts on the transatlantic alliance

By Tomas Valasek, the Center for European Reform

From Tomas Valasek, the Center for European Reform:  The US defence budget seems set to fall as Washington begins to restore order in its finances.

New Russian Army weaponry ‘inferior’ to NATO’s, overpriced

By RIA Novosti

Should NATO Engage in Libya?

By Celine Touboul, atlantic-community.org

From Celine Touboul, atlantic-community.org:  NATO and its member States should first clearly define what interests and overall strategic objective NATO’s military engagement in favor of Libyan rebels would serve.

The Gates Doctrine: Discernment of US interventions

By Michael Gerson, the Washington Post

From Michael Gerson, the Washington Post:  [Secretary of Defense Robert] Gates’s skepticism about the practical applicability of foreign policy ideals is a throwback to the days of President George H.W. Bush.

Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Afghan war isn’t worth fighting

By Scott Wilson and Jon Cohen, the Washington Post

From Scott Wilson and Jon Cohen, the Washington Post:  Nearly two-thirds of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting, the highest proportion yet opposed to the conflict

NATO and the Future of Afghanistan

By Derek S. Reveron, the New Atlanticist

From Derek S. Reveron, the New Atlanticist:  While the Afghan people have the most to gain or lose from NATO’s decisions, the ministerial has reopened the debate that Europe is not doing its fair share to bring stability to Afghanistan. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates captured this recurring theme in transatlantic relations: "We can’t lose our momentum […]

Turkey opposes NATO Libya intervention: PM

By AFP

SACEUR on NATO Defense Ministers meeting

By James Stavridis, EUCOM

From James Stavridis, EUCOM:  We just finished an excellent two-day meeting in Brussels with the 28 NATO Defense Ministers – including, of course, my bosses Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting focused on one expected challenge — Afghanistan — and one new issue, Libya. … Libya was a […]

Former SACEUR: “Libya doesn’t meet the test for U.S. military action”

By Wesley Clarke, the Washington Post

From Wesley Clarke, the Washington Post:  Understand the national interests at stake, and decide if the result is worth the cost. We went into Lebanon with a reinforced battalion of Marines in 1982 because we believed that it was in our national interest to stabilize the situation after the Israelis had been forced out of […]

The Next Steps in the U.S.-Russia Reset

By Joe Biden, the International Herald Tribune

From Joe Biden, the International Herald Tribune:  The next frontier in our relationship will be building stronger ties of trade and commerce that match the security cooperation we have achieved. Since the reset, major American companies — including Chevron, Pepsico, Alcoa, General Electric and Cisco — have signed major deals in Russia. Last week, in […]