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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 […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2010

Progress at G-20 Summit? The View from Europe

By Scott Bleiweis

To spend to encourage growth, or to cut spending to reduce debt? That is the question facing the world’s leading economies. As Howard Schneider of the Washington Post puts it, “In economic terms, it is a bit like creating a perpetual motion machine – cutting tens of billions of dollars in public spending would almost […]

NATOSource

Jun 29, 2010

Cyprus bails suspect in U.S.-Russia spy case

By Reuters

From Reuters: A man suspected of being the 11th member of a U.S. spy ring allegedly working for Russia has been arrested and released on bail in Cyprus, police said on Tuesday. Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, was arrested at Cyprus’s Larnaca airport as he tried to leave the island for Budapest early on Tuesday, police […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2010

Russian Spy Ring Arrested in USA

By James Joyner

Ten Russian agents posing as Americans and living  in the suburbs of DC, New York, and Boston for a decade to glean valuable intelligence have been arrested by the FBI. Scott Shane and Charlie Savage for NYT: An F.B.I. investigation that began at least seven years ago culminated with the arrest on Sunday of 10 […]

NATOSource

Jun 28, 2010

New Czech Prime Minister Is Named

By Dan Bilefsky, the New York Times

From Dan Bilefsky, the New York Times:  President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic said Sunday he would appoint a center-right leader, Petr Necas, as the country’s new prime minister on Monday, clearing the way for a government that is both pro-American and focused on fiscal austerity.

European Union International Organizations

NATOSource

Jun 28, 2010

Nato end date ‘plays into hands’ of Taliban

By James Blitz and Frederick Studemann, the Financial Times

From James Blitz and Frederick Studemann, the Financial Times: Germany’s defence minister insisted on Monday that Nato must resist setting an end date for the international mission in Afghanistan, despite commitments by Canada, the Netherlands and Poland to withdraw forces within the next two years.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Jun 28, 2010

EU to build third Crisis Center so its foreign relations chief can have “her own”

By the EUobserver

From the EUobserver: Now, the EU’s foreign relations chief, Catherine Ashton, is to get a situation room of her own. … But she has already told EU leaders that she wants a "single crisis response centre" under her direct command and internal discussion on the Ashton situation room is at an advanced stage.