Category: Blogs

NATO secretary general not sure of success in Afghanistan

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti: “Victory in Afghanistan is not guaranteed, and NATO needs to change its strategy in the country, the alliance’s secretary general said Monday at a Washington-based think tank. “Despite everything that we have already done, reaching our goal in Afghanistan is not guaranteed,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen told an audience at the Atlantic Council. […]

Lugar Q and A excerpt ACUS

“Let me be clear: I am not opposed to the new missile defense architecture proposed by the President. It may well turn out to be a technical improvement in meeting the projected threat over the original design proposed by the previous Administration. But Iranian missiles never constituted the primary rationale for Polish and Czech decisions […]

ISAF regains initiative, claims Dutch General

By Radio Netherlands Worldwide

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide: NATO has significantly changed its military strategy in Southern Afghanistan since the alliance-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed into the region in 2006. Dutch Major General Mart de Kruif told Radio Netherlands that rather than massive offensives against the Taliban, as was the case in the early days, ISAF now […]

Radoslaw Sikorski, Foreign Minister of Poland

If you can still afford it, we need some strategic reassurance. Reuters

Putin quote

By the Georgian Daily

From the Georgian Daily: “I can assure you,” Putin told a press conference during his recent visit to Paris, “that if we purchase the armament, we will use it wherever deemed necessary.” Asked in which sea would Russia deploy the Mistral ship or ships if the deal is finalized, Putin told the media in Paris […]

Merkel calls minister meeting on Afghanistan ahead of summit

By the Local

From the Local: According to Friday’s edition of daily Berliner Zeitung, Merkel has ordered Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, and Development Minister Dirk Niebel to appear at the Chancellery on Monday evening. There Merkel and the ministers plan to finalise their list of priorities for Germany’s […]

Unilateralism Thrust Upon Us?

Anne Applebaum presents a provocative question in the Washington Post: Europe might have a new phone number, but when Obama calls, the person on the other end of the line will still be unable to act. “Europe” will not be a unified entity capable of coordinating a unified policy in Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, the […]

Vaclac Havel, former President of the Czech Republic

By Foreign Policy

From Foreign Policy: “they respect it when someone is standing his ground, when someone is not afraid of them. When someone soils his pants prematurely, then they do not respect you more for it.” Vaclav Havel,

Robert E. Hunter , former U.S. Ambassador to NATO

Will the United States recommit in practical ways to being a European power?  (photo: Council on Foreign Relations)