Politics & Diplomacy

Hackers steal emails from Van Rompuy and 10 other senior EU officials

By Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver

From Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver:  Hackers last summer raided the emails of EU Council chief Herman Van Rompuy and 10 other senior officials.

Russia will not let EU search its ships for Syria arms

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Russia warned on Saturday that it would not cooperate with European Union sanctions requiring EU governments to search vessels suspected of carrying weapons into Syria

Oversight or Not, Drones Are Here to Stay

By James Joyner

In “The Imperial Presidency: Drone Power and Congressional Oversight,” Michael Cohen argues persuasively that the U.S. Congress has abdicated its constitutional and statutory responsibility to reign in the executive branch in matters of national security policy. Then again, few who have been paying attention this past decade — some would say, the past several decades […]

Why is There No New EU Security Strategy?

By Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Europe

 From Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Europe:  [W]hy hasn’t the EU come up with a trenchant security strategy instead of tinkering, as it did once before in 2008, with the first-ever strategy that was published back in 2003?

Romney’s Trans-Atlantic Policy Needs a Reboot

By Annette Heuser and Tyson Barker

Mitt Romney’s first foreign tour as the Republican Party’s likely presidential candidate includes visits to two European states. While designed to send a message to potential voters at home, particularly blue-collar Reagan Democrats in the Midwest, the trip will be about photo opportunities. Romney’s visit to London is meant to echo his own successful management […]

New EU mission to counter al Qaeda threat in Africa

By Adrian Croft, Reuters

From Adrian Croft, Reuters:  The European Union is to send experts to Niger to train its security forces to fight al Qaeda, signalling the depth of EU concern over the growing threat Islamist militancy poses to Africa’s Sahel region.

Euro-Realism 2: How Safe is My Money?

By Julian Lindley-French

Lucullus, in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens (spot the irony) warns, “This is no time to lend money, especially upon bare friendship without security.” As a Dutch tax-payer that warning carries little irony as billions of our hard-earned tax Euros have already vanished down the black hole of a failing currency – either in direct transfers […]

EU to ‘inspect vessels and aircraft heading to Syria’ with suspicious cargo

By the Council of the European Union

From the Council of the European Union:  In response to the ever increasing violence in Syria, the Council today strengthened the enforcement of the EU arms embargo against Syria.

Euro-Realism: Why We Need a New European Security Strategy

By Julian Lindley-French

I am a Euro-realist, neither a Euro-sceptic, nor a Euro-fanatic. My motivation is to drive through the fathoms of political fantasy and folly pouring forth from the current crisis, much of its cascading down from on high as a generation of failed political leaders try to hide behind a rhetorical deluge.

Confrontation in the Med? EU to enforce arms embargo against Syria

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP