International Organizations

Sweden Developing Greater Regional Defense Role

By Magnus Nordenman, the Atlantic Council

From Magnus Nordenman, the Atlantic Council:  In August the sunny calm and quiet that is a Swedish summer will be shattered by the impact of Joint Direct Attack Munitions dropped by F-16CM Fighting Falcons from US Air Force Europe.

French diplomat to head EU intelligence agency

By AFP

EU appoints former French general to lead Kosovo mission

By AFP

From AFP:   The European Union appointed French general Xavier Bout de Marnhac as the head of its civilian mission in charge of strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo, a statement said Tuesday. De Marnhac, who had commanded NATO-led peacekeeping troops in Kosovo (KFOR) in 2007-2008, is to replace current EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon […]

EU commission called upon to go after corrupt defence deals

By Valentina Pop, the EUobserver

From Valentina Pop, the EUobserver:  Munich-based investigators in March opened a case against the German engineering group Ferrostaal, suspected of paying bribes to secure defence contracts in Portugal and Greece and of organizing bribery payments on behalf of other firms for a fee. The investigation has meanwhile spread to Portugal and Greece, and touches on […]

Turkey to follow UN sanctions on Iran, not tougher EU or US bans

By Hürriyet

Cameron backs Turkey joining the EU

By Alex Barker and Delphine Strauss, the Financial Times

From Alex Barker and Delphine Strauss, the Financial Times:  David Cameron will express his “anger” on Tuesday at Turkey’s European Union membership bid being “frustrated” by the bloc’s leaders, as he heaps praise on an emerging power increasingly at odds with Britain, the US and Europe on the world stage.

NATO’s Future Involves More Global Partnerships

By Ian Brzezinski

Ian Brzezinski, resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s International Security program, was recently interviewed about NATO’s current and future roles in global affairs.

Europe seeks to end divisions on Kosovo

By AFP

From AFP:  The European Union hopes to finally speak with one voice on Kosovo after a UN court backed Pristina’s independence claim, piling pressure on the five EU states that still refuse to recognise it. Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia and Romania are the only countries in the 27-nation bloc to have refused to recognise Kosovo’s […]

Brzezinski: NATO facing ‘budget cuts that leave the alliance militarily emasculated’

By Alex Kingsbury, U.S. News

From Alex Kingsbury, U.S. News:  Excerpts from interview with NATO expert Ian Brzezinski. The unpopular war in Afghanistan may be NATO’s greatest challenge since the end of the Cold War, leading some to question its continued relevance. Does NATO have a future? In five or 10 years, if we’re lucky and things are handled wisely, […]

U.N. Court Rules Kosovo Declaration Was Legal

By Dan Bilefsky, the New York Times

From Dan Bilefsky, the New York Times:  Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 did not violate international law, the United Nations’ highest court said Thursday in a ruling that Kosovo heralded as a victory but that legal experts warned could spur separatist movements around the world.