Politics & Diplomacy

Proposals and disagreement over NATO meeting on Libya

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  Before the North Atlantic Council meeting began Friday afternoon, Spain said it will propose that NATO deploy radar-equipped surveillance aircraft known as known as AWACS off Libya’s coast to monitor the situation.

Putin Questions Europe’s Foreign and Energy Policies

By Stephen Castle, the New York Times

From Stephen Castle, the New York Times:  Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin of Russia warned European officials on Thursday that uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East could produce governments hostile to the West, and he criticized the European Union’s energy policy.

UK urges pressure on Gaddafi, EU weighs intervention

By Adrian Croft and Justyna Pawlak, Reuters

SecGen calls for emergency NATO meeting on Libya

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO:  What is happening in Libya is of great concern to all of us. It’s a crisis in our immediate neighbourhood.

Spain: 5 dead, 3 injured in military academy blast

By the AP

From the AP:  A powerful explosion at a Spanish military academy killed five soldiers and wounded three others on Thursday when a bomb disposal drill went awry, the Defense Ministry said.

Commander of NATO Training Mission Afghanistan addresses EU

By William B. Caldwell, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

From William B. Caldwell, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan:  Police professionals of EU nations have qualities that make them invaluable to the police training mission. Their strength does not lie in their nations’ GDPs…but in their remarkable people. EUPOL possesses and trains the ministerial level expertise in criminal investigation, intelligence-led policing, anti-corruption capabilities, judicial cooperation and coordination, […]

NATO’s military commander visits allied forces in Kosovo

By Allied Command Operations

From Allied Command Operations:  Admiral James Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander United States European Command travelled to Kosovo on Friday, February 18th to visit KFOR troops and receive an update on current operations.

New poll in Turkey reveals support for NATO, but not US

By Christopher Torchia, the AP

Turkey shelves EU reforms as accession hopes fade

By Ercan Yavuz, Zaman

From Ercan Yavuz, Zaman:  With key European Union states showing no sign of relenting in their opposition to Turkey’s accession, the government has postponed dozens of laws required to be passed to achieve harmonization with the 27-nation bloc’s standards until after the June elections, and even beyond.