Category: NATOSource

Bosnia vies for NATO membership but needs reforms

By Reuters

From Reuters: Bosnia took a first step on Friday towards joining NATO, but membership of the Western military alliance could take years while the Balkan country carries out required reforms. Bosnian officials submitted a request for a membership action plan to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He welcomed the application but said the country had […]

NATOSource: Was George Bush Also Responsible for the Georgia Conflict?

Jörg Himmelreich, one of the members of the commission that last week produced the EU’s report on the Georgia conflict, feels strongly that there was one important element missing from the report, blaming George Bush. Writing in the New York Times, Himmelreigh argues that; the report has a major flaw. It fails to thoroughly analyze […]

Nato commander warns of conflict with Russia in Arctic Circle

By the Times (UK)

From the Times (UK): Competition for resources in the Arctic Circle could provoke conflict between Russia and Nato, a newly appointed commander at the alliance warned yesterday. Russia has recently been aggressive in its pursuit of claims to parts of the region and in February sent a submarine to the floor of the sea symbolically […]

New post-Soviet Force Begins Military Exercises

By AP

From AP: Thousands of troops from Russia and four other ex-Soviet nations began military exercises in southern Kazakhstan on Friday, the first of its kind for the newly formed NATO-style rapid-reaction force. Moscow is hoping the force will help bolster the power and prestige of the seven-nation Collective Security Treaty Organization, which Russia is hoping […]

Pentagon sees U.S. defense in 2010 for Iran rockets

By Reuters

From Reuters: Ground-based interceptor missiles to be deployed in the western United States in 2010 will be able to shoot down long-range Iranian rockets, Pentagon officials said on Thursday, brushing aside criticism of the Obama administration’s European defense overhaul. Israel will also get added protection under the administration’s missile shield, the officials told Congress. U.S. […]

“The military aspects of the new Strategic Concept”

By NATO/IMS

From NATO/IMS: NATO is, and must continue to be, a learning organisation. It has learned enormously from its various operations, starting in 1995 with IFOR, the start of our Balkans operations. Indeed, more than any other aspect it is our operations and missions that have had, and will continue to have, the most impact on […]

First strategic flight in support of ISAF

By NATO

From NATO: On 28 September 2009, the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) conducted its first mission in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The first ISAF-related flight by SAC’s operational component, the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) based in Papa Airbase in Hungary, delivered materiel to Mazar-e Sharif, to supply Swedish troops in […]

OpEd by Leader of EU Report on Georgia Conflict

By the New York Times

From the New York Times: Like most catastrophic events, the war of August 2008 had several causes. The proximate cause was the shelling by Georgian forces of the capital of the secessionist province of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, on Aug. 7, 2008, which was followed by a disproportionate response of Russia. Another factor was the lack […]

Probe says Georgia started war amid Russian provocation

By AFP

From AFP: Georgia sparked a five-day war with Russia last year by attacking rebel South Ossetia, an investigating team said Wednesday, but it also accused Moscow of violating international law. In a report of some 1,150 pages handed to EU ambassadors Wednesday, the 19-member commission found that while Russia had ratcheted up tensions prior to […]

NATOSource: Federal Security Service (FSB) Official to Represent Russia in NATO?

By Russia Today

From Russia Today: Speaking of a joint fight against terrorism, Rogozin said that he expected a decision to set up a post for a representative of the Russian Federal Security Service with a permanent office in NATO. “The FSB deals with anti-terror issues and they will have official contacts with corresponding bodies in NATO,” [Russia’ […]