Category: Blogs

NATO leader: Egyptian unrest may hurt Europe

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  The unrest roiling countries such as Egypt and Tunisia could cause economic hardship in Europe and increase illegal immigration, NATO’s top official warned Monday.

Nato chief warns Europe over defence budgets

By James Blitz, the Financial Times

From James Blitz, the Financial Times:  Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato’s secretary-general, has issued a stark warning that European nations “cannot afford to get out of the security business” by slashing national defence budgets in order to help meet fiscal deficit targets.

The IdealoRealist Moment

By Frederick Kempe

Perhaps the most positive outcome of the Munich Security Conference that ended Sunday was the blurring of the lines between realism and idealism–often considered irreconcilable approaches to U.S. foreign policy–when it comes to Egypt in particular and the Middle East more broadly. What appears to be emerging is what I would call “IdealoRealism.” In short, […]

Frank Wisner on Mubarak: Gaffe or Conflict of Interest?

By James Joyner

 Frank Wisner, President Barack Obama’s envoy to Cairo who generated controversy over the weekend by declaring that Egypt’s Hosni "Mubarak must stay in office" to facilitate a smooth transition, has been recalled following revelations that he has financial ties to Mubarak’s regime. The Independent’s Robert Fisk broke the news that Wisner is a lead attorney at the […]

New NATO HQ to cost 1 billion euros, officials reveal

By DPA

A More Optimistic Davos

By Richard Edelman

I have come down from the mountains for the twelfth time, with my head still aching not from excessive partying but from information overload at the World Economic Forum. Imagine being invited to an all you can eat buffet, with the most delectable foods laid before you, but with an unrealistic ten minute time limit […]

The Power of Planning

By Kenneth Weisbrode

The predictable round of American finger-pointing over the crisis in Egypt has already begun. Senator Dianne Feinstein and others are demanding to know why the CIA did not warn the president that such a crisis was about to happen. Perennial critics of the intelligence community are busy recalling such failures of the past. Once again […]

Atlantic Update 2/7/11

By Jason Harmala

Western powers refrain from demanding Mubarak’s resignation, and a row continues between Japan and Russia over the disputed Kuril Islands.

Karzai Seeks End to NATO Reconstruction Teams

By Judy Dempsey, the New York Times

Report: Russia warns US over missile defense plans

By Vladimir Isachenkov, the AP