Category: Blogs

Don’t Waste Kyrgyzstan Crisis

By James Joyner

To put it mildly, the situation in Kyrgyzstan is a mess. Ethnic Uzbeks are being slaughtered in the streets and the government, itself there by virtue of an illegal power grab in April, is begging for Russian help. The humanitarian toll has been grim, with at least 170 dead and 1,500 wounded and perhaps 100,000 […]

Major naval exercise set for Atlantic region

By Canada.com

Turkey’s Choice of Allies

By Thomas Friedman, the New York Times

From Thomas Friedman, the New York Times: As one Turkish foreign policy analyst said to me: “We are not mediating between East and West anymore. We’ve become spokesmen for the most regressive elements in the East.” Finally, there is a vacuum inside Turkey. The secular opposition parties have been in disarray most of the decade, the […]

“Europe is Anything but an Equal Partner in the Transatlantic Relationship”

By Ana Palacios, the American Interest

From Ana Palacios, the American Interest:  But even as the glitz and glitter of celebrity culture politics seemed to define the Transatlantic mood, a deeper reality was dawning on Europeans who were paying attention to substance instead of spectacle. Obama remained an American President, protecting American interests, as he faced one of the most challenging […]

A Resurgence of Nationalism in Europe?

By Richard Burt, the American Interest

From Richard Burt, the American Interest:  For a host of reasons, the European project, one of the most impressive international achievements of the past fifty years, is in deep crisis.

Europe “a Reluctant Partner in Tackling its Own Security Challenges”

By Kurt Volker, the American Interest

From Kurt Volker, the American Interest:  Why does the world today no longer see Europe as a model, as it seemed to do only a few years ago? It’s simple: The world can’t be expected to believe in a European model that Europeans don’t seem to believe in themselves.

Paralysis in AfPak

By Harlan Ullman

In Afghanistan, the United States and its allies have dealt the cards and made their bets lying as if in suspended animation while events on the ground unfold. Given the Obama administration’s ambiguous statements over next year’s force reductions, taken as a lack of U.S. commitment in Kabul and Islamabad, last week’s announcement of a […]

NATO a Permanent Alliance: Outlook for the Future

By Stanley Sloan

At the end of the day, there are two basic requirements for NATO to be perceived as important enough for the member states to ensure its survival. Put most simply, the United States must be convinced that political and military cooperation with the European allies makes an important net contribution to US interests. On the […]

French defense minister calls Russia strategic military partner

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russia and France are strategic military partners, the French defense minister said Monday. "Russia and France are strategic partners in the sphere of military and technical cooperation; we have achieved much but will not stop at this.

Afghanistan Effort Falling on its Face

By James Joyner

In the midst of testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee defending the progress of the mission in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus fainted.  Thankfully, he appears to be fine.  Alas, the symbolism was powerful. The 57-year-old chief of Central Command apparently was suffering from a combination of a brutal schedule, too little food and drink, […]