Category: Blogs

The Legitimacy of the President’s Constitutional Declarations / شرعية الإعلانات الدستورية الرئاسية

By Yussef Auf

President Mohamed Morsi’s constitutional declaration issued on August 12 has sparked an extensive debate on a number of legal and political points. A key question in the midst of this discussion is whether the president has the right to issue new constitutional declarations or amend existing decrees. Download the PDF

How will Turkey respond to possible chemical warfare with Syria?

By Barcin Yinanc, Hurriyet

From Barcin Yinanc, Hurriyet:  “This is exactly the time the Syrian regime has been preparing for in recent years, so it will fight until the very end,” a Turkish official told me six months ago.

NATO’s Baltic air policing mission changes command

By NATO

From NATO:  On 1 September, Poland handed over command of NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltics to the Czech Republic.

French Defense Minister Le Drian trying to relaunch European defense initiative

By Pierre Tran, Defense News

From Pierre Tran, Defense News:  French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was due to meet European Union and NATO senior officials in a first visit to Brussels as part of France’s drive to relaunch a European defense initiative

Scandinavia wants cyberwar weapons

By SC Magazine

From SC Magazine:  Finland has joined Sweden in plans to build an offensive capability as part of its national online defence arsenal.

Taiwan investing in new ‘cyberwarfare’ capabilities

By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung, the Taipei Times

From Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung, the Taipei Times:  With increasing numbers of cyberattacks targeting Taiwan, the US and Japan being traced back to China, the government has increased its budget for cyberwarfare capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report on Friday.

Iran’s supreme leader says Nonaligned Movement, not NATO, should help resolve Syria crisis

By the AP

The NATO Global Hub

By Richard Weitz, Project Syndicate

From Richard Weitz, Project Syndicate :  NATO is, in a way, going global, as it forges partnerships with countries as distant as Japan and Australia to engage in security activities in places as remote as Central Asia, Africa, and the Arctic.

Germany and China: The New Special Relationship

By Stephan Richter, the Globalist

From Stephan Richter, the Globalist:  Now that the German Chancellor is once again visiting China, accompanied by scores of her top ministers and an outsized contingent of CEOs, the world is beginning to take note.

Afghan police recruits’ training halted after attacks on ISAF soldiers

By the BBC

From the BBC:  The US says it is suspending training for new recruits to the Afghan local police (ALP) while checks are carried out on possible ties to the Taliban.