Category: Blogs

White House decision on U.S. force structure in Europe coming soon

By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes:  A Pentagon plan for the U.S. military’s force structure in Europe, which some critics say remains too bloated for a post Cold War world, has been finalized and is now up to the White House to make official.

NATO Secretary General and U.S. Ambassador split on arming Libyan opposition

By Spencer Ackerman, the Danger Room

Germany’s unhappy abstention from leadership

By Constanze Stelzenmüller, the Financial TImes

Pentagon puts Libya operation’s price tag at about $550 million

By Walter Pincus, the Washington Post

From Walter Pincus, the Washington Post:  The military intervention in Libya has cost the United States “about $550 million” in extra spending so far, a Defense Department spokeswoman said Tuesday

Obama: “Our most effective alliance, NATO, has taken command”

By Barack Obama, the White House

From Barack Obama, the White House:  In this effort, the United States has not acted alone. Instead, we have been joined by a strong and growing coalition.

Obama Doctrine: If President Doesn’t Define, Pundits Will

By James Joyner

Tufts international relations professor Daniel Drezner is annoyed that the terms "doctrine," "strategy," and "grand strategy" are being used interchangeably in the ongoing debate over whether there is an Obama Doctrine and, if so, whether we can divine it from last night’s speech on the not-war in Libya.

A Long-Term Strategy for Libya and the Mediterranean: Over to the European Union

By Sven Biscop

Now that operations have started, all eyes are fixed on the military intervention in Libya. That can only be useful though in the context of a comprehensive political strategy for the country and the region. Crafting such a strategy is the role of the EU. Intervening in Libya is not evident. The operation is far […]

Libya War: An Obama Doctrine?

By James Joyner

Ten days after sending American forces into kinetic military action in Libya, President Obama addressed the nation to explain "what we’ve done, what we plan to do, and why this matters to us."

Did Obama threaten to withdraw from coalition?

By Anne Applebaum, the Washington Post

From Anne Applebaum, the Washington Post:  The French Socialist Party triumphed in local elections last weekend. The Libyan rebels triumphed in Brega and Ras Lanouf.

US increases air assets and ground attacks in Libya operation

By Eric Schmitt, the New York Times

From Eric Schmitt, the New York Times:  In his speech on Monday night, Mr. Obama, as he has in the past, portrayed the mission as a limited one, and described the United States’ role as “supporting.” But interviews in recent days offer a fuller picture of American involvement, and show that it is far deeper […]