Content

New Atlanticist

Feb 3, 2012

Early Afghanistan Withdrawal Least Bad Option

By James Joyner

The Obama administration’s acceleration of its Afghanistan withdrawal deadline to 2013, a year earlier than planned, is a break with America’s commitment to its NATO and Afghan allies, an abandonment of a mission Obama deemed “essential” in his 2008 campaign, and kills any chances of negotiating an acceptable settlement with the Taliban. It’s also the right thing […]

Afghanistan
NATO

NATOSource

Feb 3, 2012

NATO defence ministers achieve breakthrough on Baltic air patrol mission

By the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania

From the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania:  On February 2, Thursday, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė while at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels noted that a breakthrough had been achieved in the effort to have a prolonged Baltic Air policing mission

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Feb 3, 2012

NATO defense ministers ‘consumed by semantics’ over end of combat missions in Afghanistan

By Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times

From Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times:  Reacting to consternation among NATO allies, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta sought to clarify on Thursday night that American troops would not step back entirely from combat in Afghanistan next year

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Feb 2, 2012

NATO to consolidate air command operations at Ramstein

By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes:  As part of a plan to consolidate its air command headquarters, NATO officials have decided to make Ramstein Air Base the hub for alliance missions that range from NATO’s air police operations to a growing missile defense program

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Feb 2, 2012

U.S., NATO seek to clarify Panetta comments on ending Afghan mission

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  U.S. and NATO officials struggled Thursday to clarify how long their troops would remain engaged in combat in Afghanistan, a day after Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said U.S. forces would shift toward a training and advisory role next year.

NATO
Security & Defense

Event Recap

Feb 2, 2012

Strategy Session with Macedonian Foreign and Defense Ministers

By Jason Harmala

On Thursday, February 2, the Council hosted Minister Nikola Poposki and Minister Fatmir Besimi for an off-the-record strategy session to discuss Macedonia’s prospects for Euro-Atlantic integration in advance of May’s NATO Summit and in light of the recent International Court of Justice ruling on the name issue.

Eastern Europe
European Union

NATOSource

Feb 1, 2012

Panetta: U.S. plans to end combat missions in Afghanistan in 2013

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  The United States and NATO will seek to end their combat mission in Afghanistan next year and shift to a role of providing support and training to Afghan security forces

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Feb 1, 2012

Panetta faces tough NATO meeting after budget shift

By David Alexander, Reuters

From David Alexander, Reuters:  The NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday comes a week after [Defense Secretary Leon] Panetta previewed a defense budget that calls for slashing American force numbers in Europe, part of a new U.S. military strategy that puts Asia and the Middle East as top priorities with Europe a lowly […]

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Jan 31, 2012

French decision to accelerate exit causes some Afghans to question NATO

By Jon Stephenson, McClatchy

From Jon Stephenson, McClatchy:  The announcement by France last week that it would speed up the exit of its troops from Afghanistan has been greeted with a mixture of cynicism, disbelief and concern by politicians here. "It may have a bad impact on other NATO allies," said Shukria Barakzai, an Afghan parliamentarian and chairwoman of […]

NATO
Security & Defense

NATOSource

Jan 31, 2012

Euro-Atlantic security ‘is vitally important for the entire world’

By Wolfgang Ischinger, Igor Ivanov, and Sam Nunn, the International Herald Tribune

From Wolfgang Ischinger, Igor Ivanov, and Sam Nunn, the International Herald Tribune:  At the close of the Cold War, hopes were high for a more organized and peaceful international system. Two decades later, there is not much sign of one emerging. The focus of governments is shifting away from the Euro-Atlantic community — the heart […]

Cybersecurity
Economy & Business

Experts

Events