Category: Blogs

Britain and France may share aircraft carriers

By Tim Castle and John Irish, Reuters

From Tim Castle and John Irish, Reuters:  Britain said on Tuesday it would discuss closer military cooperation with France in talks this week, but played down a report that the two countries would share aircraft carriers to save costs. Britain is building two new carriers at a cost of 5.2 billion pounds ($8.0 billion) but, […]

Will the European Union fall to nationalism?

By Charles Kupchan, the Washington Post

From Charles Kupchan, the Washington Post:  The European Union is dying — not a dramatic or sudden death, but one so slow and steady that we may look across the Atlantic one day soon and realize that the project of European integration that we’ve taken for granted over the past half-century is no more.

Germany’s leaders ready to end the Draft

By Michael Slackman, the New York Times

From Michael Slackman, the New York Times:  For the first time in more than half a century, Germany’s political leadership appears ready to end the draft, a post World War II mandate embedded in the Constitution to prevent this nation’s military from ever again developing into a state-within-a-state that could impede democracy and start war.

New Petraeus guidelines “might clash with timetables set by some NATO nations”

By Thom Shanker, the New York Times

From Thom Shanker, the New York Times:  Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander in Afghanistan, has completed work on new guidelines for turning some security duties over to Afghan forces in the months ahead

SACEUR meets with Turkey’s leaders at key ceremony

By Adm. James Stavridis, U.S. European Command

West Point Superintendent on Educating Cadets in Complex Global Environment

By Sarwar Kashmeri

In the latest installment of the New Atlanticist Podcast Series Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarwar Kashmeri interviews LTG David Huntoon, recently-appointed Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. Huntoon discusses how the Academy is adapting to a complex and rapidly-changing global environment, and the importance of instilling tomorrow’s military leaders with a well-rounded […]

Fighting the Peace Spoilers

By Andrew Kessinger

On January 24th the U.N. Security Council – with backing from the Obama administration – decided to remove five former high-ranking Taliban leaders from its global terrorist blacklist. The move was controversial for a reason: it was the first time sanctions had ever been lifted for Taliban members and signaled that the international community was […]

Iraq and Afghanistan Eroding Transatlantic Bonds

By Magnus Nordenman

Wars fundamentally change militaries. For example, the bloody and muddy stalemate of World War I led defeated Germany to invest in the innovative use of armor and firepower to break that stalemate. The U.S. experience in Vietnam led to the rise of the professional and all-volunteer force that is now fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. […]

ISAF briefing reveals 365 Taliban leaders killed in last three months

By Matthias Gebauer, der Speigel

From Matthias Gebauer, der Speigel: The international troops in Afghanistan this year, under the command of the United States, have massively stepped up the hunt for top Taliban by special forces. The units, which operate secretly and are kept apart from the normal troops, have conducted hundreds of operations in recent months in an intensity not […]

Denmark rejects NATO request for F-16s

By AFP