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NATOSource

Jun 30, 2010

NATO retools in a key mission: Building an Afghan police force

By Joby Warrick, the Washington Post

From Joby Warrick, the Washington Post:  The alliance is shaking up existing training programs and adding new incentives in an attempt to turn around what has been one of the biggest, most enduring disappointments of the nearly nine-year-old war: the inability to transform the country’s 90,000 police officers into a professional force capable of assuming […]

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Jun 30, 2010

The deadliest month for NATO in nine years of conflict

By AFP

From AFP: An Afghan UN employee was killed when his vehicle came under fire in Kabul Tuesday, as the toll for foreign troops rose to 100 in June, the deadliest month for NATO in nine years of conflict.

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Jun 30, 2010

9 Reasons U.S. is Losing in Afghanistan

By Harlan Ullman

Early in 2008, the Atlantic Council released a report over the signature of its chairman, retired U.S. Marine Gen. James L. Jones that began, “Make no mistake: NATO is not winning in Afghanistan.” After a firestorm of protest from Brussels, the word “NATO” was changed to “the international community.” Legend has it that the report […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 30, 2010

Will the Greece Rescue Program Rescue Greece?

By Susan Schadler

With the Greek rescue program, Europe, with a large dollop of help from the IMF, bought a reprieve from a full-blown market stampede. Yet, unusually for this stage of an IMF arrangement, markets remain deeply skeptical about its chances of success. Greece is largely a plain vanilla fiscal crisis, more reminiscent of emerging market crises […]

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

European Union, U.S. to share banking data to fight terrorism

By Ellen Nakashima, the Washington Post

From Ellen Nakashima, the Washington Post:  The European Union has reached an agreement with the United States that will allow European bank data to continue to be shared for counterterrorism purposes, but only after liberal members of parliament secured stronger privacy guarantees.

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

The buildup of soldiers in Afghanistan is beginning to show results, NATO says

By Thom Shanker and Alissa Rubin, the New York Times

From Thom Shanker and Alissa Rubin, the New York Times:  Despite deepening pessimism back home and disarray in the top American military ranks, officials insist that the buildup of soldiers in Afghanistan is beginning to show results: Commando raids over the last four months have taken scores of insurgent leaders out of action, in a […]

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

Would Biden’s alternative strategy work?

By Ross Douthat, the New York Times

From Ross Douthat, the New York Times: But if the current counterinsurgency campaign collapses, it almost guarantees that some kind of American military presence will be propping up some sort of Afghan state in 2020 and beyond. Failure promises to trap us; success is our only ticket out.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

“They say you’ll leave in 2011 and the Taliban will chop their heads off.”

By Peter Baker, the New York Times

From Peter Baker, the New York Times: As he hands command of the war to Gen. David H. Petraeus, Mr. Obama is trying to define what his timeline means — but not too much. Even as developments in Afghanistan have made meeting the deadline all the more daunting, Mr. Obama has sent multiple signals to […]

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

Petraeus: Withdrawal timeline does not mean “switching off the lights”

By Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy

From Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy:  When General David Petraeus testifies today on Capitol Hill, his main job will be to carefully define the timeline for the beginning of America’s exit from Afghanistan, a timeline that has stakeholders in Washington and throughout the region confused and concerned.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

Dutch submarine to help NATO combat piracy off Somali coast

By NATO

From NATO:  On the Alliance’s request, the Netherlands has agreed to deploy a submarine as part of multinational efforts to combat piracy off the east coast of Africa, from the Gulf of Aden – one of the busiest global shipping routes – to the Indian Ocean. The submarine will be used to monitor communication between […]