Category: NATOSource

Germany Plans Start of Troop Withdrawal

By Judy Dempsey, the New York Times

From Judy Dempsey, the New York Times:   With the public increasingly opposed to the war in Afghanistan, the German Parliament voted on Friday to begin withdrawing the 4,900 soldiers serving there by the end of this year and to complete the withdrawal by 2014, the first time Germany has set a time frame for bringing […]

Egypt goes dark: First time an entire country unplugged from Internet

By Jordan Robertson, the AP

From Jordan Robertson, the AP:  Egypt has apparently done what many technologists thought was unthinkable for any country with a major Internet economy: It unplugged itself entirely from the Internet to try and silence dissent.

NATO networks vulnerable to cyber threat: US

By AFP

NATO-Russia Council Chiefs of Defence approve the Work Plan for 2011

By NATO

From NATO:  On 26 January, the 29 Chiefs of Defence of the NATO-Russia Council Military Representatives (NRC-MR) met in Brussels.

Where is Obama’s public support for Afghanistan?

By Danielle Pletka, the Washington Post

From Danielle Pletka, the Washington Post:  President Obama has done very little to support the war.

Dutch vote to return to NATO mission in Afghanistan

By Mike Corder, the AP

From Mike Corder, the AP:  The Dutch government won the support early Friday of a narrow majority of lawmakers for its proposal to send troops and police to northern Afghanistan to train police recruits. The proposal for the 545-strong training mission is now likely to go ahead within weeks, in a victory for Prime Minister […]

NATO: Afghanistan war won’t end like Vietnam

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  The Afghan army will not collapse when international troops end their combat role, in the way that South Vietnam’s did in the 1970s, NATO’s top officer said Thursday. Italian Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola said the international community intends to remain committed to Afghanistan after NATO forces hand over responsibility to […]

Russia insists on equal part in European missile defense

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  "The main condition for joint work [in the area of missile defense] should be the permanent participation of Russian experts in drafting the European missile defense architecture," Gen. Nikolai Makarov said at a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council on Wednesday. NATO earlier proposed creating two separate systems that would exchange information, while […]

NATO achieves first step on theatre ballistic missile defence capability

By NATO

From NATO:  On 27 January 2011, NATO’s first ever theatre ballistic missile defence (TBMD) capability has been handed over to NATO’s military commanders. The handover took place at the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, and civil and military authorities from […]

Stop Albania’s Self-Destruction

By Daniel Korski, the International Herald Tribune

From Daniel Korski, the International Herald Tribune:  One moment Albania is Lonely Planet’s “must-see” destination for 2011, a NATO member whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel into the European Union; the next, government forces are shooting and killing protesters on the streets and the British Foreign Office is warning visitors to avoid large crowds in Tirana. […]