International Organizations

NATO Proves Critics Wrong

By Barry Pavel, the New Atlanticist

From Barry Pavel, the New Atlanticist:  The naysayers were proven wrong last night, as the Libyan rebels, much more quickly than even the closest observers predicted, took the Libyan capital from its dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, who had ruled with an iron fist for over 40 years.

Policymaker’s Fear Of The Italian Penalty Shot

By Edward Hugh

According to one anonymous German official speaking off the record to reporters from Der Spiegel, “a country like Italy can’t be saved.” We will have to trust that he was referring to the country’s size when he made the statement, and not its existential core. If he was, he may well be right, at least under […]

Walt: “Transatlantic security cooperation will decline”

By Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy

From Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy:  I argued that the glory days of transatlantic security cooperation also lie in the past, and we will see less cooperative and intimate security partnership between Europe and America in the future.

Planning for Libya 2.0

By Daniel Serwer, Foreign Policy

The Slow Death of Europe

By Walter Laqueur, the National Interest

From Walter Laqueur, the National Interest:  With all its importance, the economic crisis is only part of our sad story—and probably not even the decisive one. For the present debacle is also one of an apparent lack of a common European identity and values, of national interests prevailing over a shared European interest.

Russia’s Arctic ‘sea grab’

By Fred Weir, the Christian Science Monitor

From Fred Weir, the Christian Science Monitor:  Russia is expected within months to claim to the United Nations its right to annex about 380,000 square miles of the Arctic.

Russia and Georgia still locked in frozen conflict

By Daniel McLaughlin, the Irish Times

From Daniel McLaughlin, the Irish Times:  Three years on, the heat of war has given way to an ice age in relations between Georgia and Russia.

Abbas tells US lawmakers: NATO role in Palestinian state

By Ma'an

From Ma’an:  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told visiting US Congressmen on Thursday that the security of the future Palestinian state will be handed to NATO under US command, his adviser said Friday.