Category: Blogs

Lugar becomes center of gravity on New START

By Josh Rogin, the Cable

From Josh Rogin, the Cable:  As the New START nuclear reductions treaty with Russia finally comes to a committee vote this Thursday, the focus is shifting from Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA), who has been quarterbacking the Senate ratification process, to his Republican counterpart Richard Lugar (R-IN)

NATO in Afghanistan: Perception and Reality

By James Joyner

Anatol Lieven, the eminent journalist and now professor at the King’s College Department of War Studies, argues that the NATO effort in Afghanistan suffers from disparate and implausible motives and a profound lack of understanding of Afghanistan and the Taliban. In a very long book review essay at Current Intelligence, Lieven offers this assessment of […]

Chinese and Russian troops in central Asia war games

By Robin Paxton, Reuters

EU leaders to urge closer links with NATO at summit

By Arthur Beesley, the Irish Times

From Arthur Beesley, the Irish Times: European leaders are taking steps to develop deeper ties between the EU and Nato as the union seeks to boost its influence in global affairs. At a summit next Thursday, the leaders of the 27 member states will ask EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to explore ways of strengthening the union’s […]

SecDef’s defense cut priorities

By John Barry and Evan Thomas, Newsweek

From John Barry and Evan Thomas, Newsweek:  If Gates has his way, the top brass will have to shed old habits and adjust to leaner times. Some of them will become civilians. The number of generals and admirals has increased by more than a hundred since 9/11, to 969 (and counting Reserves, roughly 1,300). Gates […]

Kissinger’s Swan Song for World Order

By Kenneth Weisbrode

The other day in Geneva, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger delivered the keynote address of the annual meeting of the International Institute of Strategic Studies. His topic was the present and future state of world order – not an unfamiliar topic to him or to his audience.

Defence cut threat to the special relationship

By James Kirkup, the Telegraph

Turkish Reforms Pass by Wide Margin

By Sebnem Arsu and Dan Bilefsky, the New York Times

West needs new missile shield against Iranian nuclear threat, Nato chief says

By Nick Meo, the Telegraph

From Nick Meo, the Telegraph:  Anders Fogh Rasmussen told The Sunday Telegraph he has full American backing for a proposed €200 million (£165 million) defensive "shield", which he hopes will be agreed in November at a summit of members in Lisbon.