Category: Blogs

Top News: Cairo Administrative Court to Review Legitimacy of Referendum

By Egypt Source

The Cairo Administrative Court on Thursday is set to look into a complaint that calls for the cancellation of the second phase of the referendum on the constitution slated for Saturday, in addition to the annulment of the result of the first phase, which took place 15 December.

Three Ticking Time Bombs at the Pentagon

By Harlan Ullman

To most observers, irrespective of “sequestration” that would remove an additional $500 billion from defense spending over the next decade, the most dangerous of ticking time bombs at the Pentagon is budgetary.

Video: German troops preparing Patriot battery for deployment to Turkey

By NATO

From NATO:  Video of German troops preparing a Patriot missile system for deployment to Turkey.

The Dictatorship of the Majority in Egypt’s New Constitution

By Yussef Auf

When Egyptians took to the polls in March 2011, those who voted ‘no’ did so not as a rejection of the proposed constitutional amendments but rather as a rejection of a process which prioritized elections ahead of a new constitution. This in turn was due to an objection against majoritarian control, brought about through elections, […]

IMF Program for Egypt: Yet Another Delay

By Mohsin Khan and Svetlana Milbert

The IMF Executive Board was due to consider the program for Egypt on December 19, 2012.  Once it was formally approved by the Executive Directors, as it was expected to be, the first tranche of the $4.8 billion loan would have been made available to Egypt immediately. However, on December 11 the Egyptian Minister of […]

Thinking About BRAC – Backwards

By Aaron Burgstein

With the looming “fiscal cliff” and a sense that austerity is necessary if the United States is to get its economic house in order, major cuts to the Defense budget are inevitable. As we try to figure out how to smartly save money, one area seems overlooked: consolidating bases and facilities to eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.

Dutch troops “lack experience” on Patriot missiles in Turkey

By Anthony Deutsch, Reuters

From Anthony Deutsch, Reuters:  Some of the Dutch troops due to man Patriot missile batteries on Turkey’s border with Syria are inadequately trained in the weapon systems, largely due to spending cuts, a trade union official said on Wednesday. The Dutch Defence Ministry denied the assertion. . . . Next month up to 360 Dutch […]

Former German Defense Minister Peter Struck passed away

By Deutsche Welle

From Deutsche Welle:  Former German Defense Minister Peter Struck, a long-time member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has died of a heart attack in a Berlin hospital.

It’s the Strategic Cliff, Stupid

By Harlan Ullman

Is this July 1929, with financial Armageddon lurking around the corner? Or is this “fiscal cliff,” when tax hikes and spending cuts converge with potentially catastrophic economic results, merely a speed bump and warning that can be carefully negotiated over the coming months rather than on a crash basis? Or are we missing something much […]

Nearly half of British forces to leave Afghanistan in 2013

By Peter Griffiths and Matt Falloon, Reuters