Category: Blogs

Worms of Mass Destruction

By Harlan Ullman

The alarms are deafening but who is listening? U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn wrote a remarkable piece in Foreign Affairs warning of the threats and dangers posed by cyberattacks. Shortly thereafter, as if on cue, the Stuxtnet worm struck Iran. Its target was controllers made by Siemens that Iran is using in its […]

Sarkozy’s Russian Gamble

By Kenneth Weinstein, the Wall Street Journal

From Kenneth Weinstein, the Wall Street Journal:  The French president courts Moscow and maybe trouble. The news from France is always interesting, especially under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He is the most pro-American French leader since the days of the Fourth Republic and last year returned his country to NATO’s military command structure. On the world […]

Pakistan: Dissension in the Ranks

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Pakistan’s most prominent — and vocal — retired chiefs of the army are demanding that the country’s air force be ordered to shoot down drones and helicopters — and increasingly angry active duty officers are voicing their approval in off-the-record conversations with Pakistani journalists. The country’s senior generals on active duty are being blasted as […]

Ahead of NATO talks, Gates warns on defense cuts

By Phil Stewart, Reuters

From Phil Stewart, Reuters: U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said ahead of talks with NATO allies Thursday that he was concerned by defence spending cuts in Europe that threatened to put more pressure on an increasingly stretched U.S. military.

NATO Rep reveals details of troop withdrawal dividend

By Mark Sedwill, NATO

NATO Helping Afghan-Taliban Talks

By Thom Shanker, the New York Times

From Thom Shanker, the New York Times:  NATO forces are facilitating efforts by the Afghan government to seek a reconciliation deal with insurgents, including a pledge to guarantee safe passage for Taliban leaders who have attended initial peace talks in Kabul, a senior NATO official said Wednesday.

Fueling Growth in Asia: Energy, Investment, and a Home-Grown Middle Class

By Boyko Nitzov and Rustam Makhmudov

Many would argue that export-oriented Asian economies are the paragon of economic success and an engine of global growth. Plenty of evidence supports this opinion: the economies of China and India grew by 10-11% and 6-7% annually for the greater part of the last ten years, and even when the global financial crisis induced a […]

Are Allied forces in Afghanistan protecting Europe from terrorist attacks?

By Con Coughlin, the Wall Street Journal

From Con Coughlin, the Wall Street Journal:  If ever there was a compelling argument for not withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan, it is the State Department’s latest terror-threat warning to American citizens that al Qaeda is planning a fresh wave of attacks in Europe.

New Commander for Allied Joint Force Command Naples

By Allied Command Operations

From Allied Command Operations:  Adm. Mark Fitzgerald turned over command to Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, during a change of command ceremony at Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples, Oct. 6.