Category: NATOSource

EU risks US-China domination with military cuts: France

By Laurent Thomet, AFP

From Laurent Thomet, AFP:  Europe decided Friday to explore how to strengthen military cooperation as France warned that drastic defence budget cuts would leave the continent under Sino-American domination. French Defence Minister Herve Morin said he had told his European Union counterparts at a meeting in Ghent, Belgium, that plans to step up European military […]

Gates resignation a factor in Obama’s Afghanistan decision

By Bob Woodward, the Washington Post

From Bob Woodward, the Washington Post:  The military did not understand, he [President Obama] said. "It’d be a lot easier for me to go out and give a speech saying, ‘You know what? The American people are sick of this war, and we’re going to put in 10,000 trainers because that’s how we’re going to […]

Does the Obama Administration view our European allies “with general disdain?”

By  S.W., the Economist

From S.W., the Economist:  My colleague in this space last week delightfully dismembered Dinesh D’Souza’s nutty Forbes piece “analyzing” Mr Obama’s worldview and thought processes, but the fact remains that this administration does seem to view our old European allies with general disdain.

Obama urges Kyrgyz President to let in OSCE Police Advisory Group

Whitehouse statement at favstocks.com:  President Obama met with Kyrgyzstani President Roza Otunbayeva in New York today to discuss ways to deepen our relations based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

UK to protect 3 shared priorities with US from defense cuts

By AFP

From AFP:  London has sought to reassure anxious US officials that plans for major defense cuts will not undermine its status as Washington’s most important military ally, officials said Friday. Amid US concerns over London’s plans to slash 10 to 20 percent in military spending, Defence Secretary Liam Fox told his US counterpart, Robert Gates, […]

China displays projection of air power in Central Asian exercises

By Martin Sieff, Central Asia Newswire

Slovakia plans to withdraw troops from Kosovo

By the AP

From the AP:  The Defense Ministry says it has proposed to completely withdraw Slovak troops from Kosovo. The ministry says 140 servicemen now deployed in Kosovo with the NATO-led force should be home by year’s end. The government and Parliament will have to approve the ministry’s decision. Ministry spokesman, Richard Sumeghy, said Friday the Kosovo […]

Russia received NATO invitation, but won’t attend Lisbon until questions are answered

By the Kyiv Post

From the Kyiv Post:  Russia has received an official invitation to attend NATO’s summit in Lisbon in November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We received an invitation just as I was about to leave for New York [on September 19]. We are now drafting a report to the president," Lavrov told Rossiya 1 television […]

Gates makes DoD give NATO allies access to secret websites

By Spencer Ackerman, the Danger Room

From Spencer Ackerman, the Danger Room:  It’s been nearly nine years since NATO entered Afghanistan. But it’s only been a few months since the U.S.’ allies in Afghanistan got to log on to a secret website run by the Pentagon’s anti-roadside bomb team to pool information on the war’s signature weapon. Run by the Joint […]

Russia yet to receive invitation to NATO’s Lisbon summit – Kremlin source

By Interfax

From Interfax:  The issue of holding a Russia-NATO summit in Lisbon will be discussed substantively after the Russian side receives an official invitation to this event, sources in Moscow say. "The issue will be discussed in practical terms only after details of this proposal become known to the Russian Foreign Ministry," a Kremlin source said. […]