Americas

NATO Allies Poised to Slash Military Budgets

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  European allies are bracing for their deepest cuts in military spending since the end of the Cold War, fueling concerns in Washington that an already wide gap in military power between the United States and the rest of NATO will grow.

Gates: If Turkey is Moving Eastward, It was “Pushed by Some in Europe”

By Reuters

From Reuters:  The United States is concerned at a breakdown in Turkey’s relations with Israel and fears Europe’s rebuff of Ankara’s EU aspirations is pushing the pivotal country "eastward," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

A New Middle East Triangle?

By Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera

Russia, Turkey and Iran Meet, Posing Test for U.S. Diplomacy

By the New York Times

Turkey’s Clash of Civilizations

By Soner Cagaptay, the Wall Street Journal

The Keys to Britain’s New Policy on Afghanistan

By the Financial Times

From the Financial Times:  [British Prime Minister David] Cameron’s task now is to explain where the strategy is heading. He must emphasise three points. First, the US troop surge needs time to work. There can be no reassessment of policy until June 2011, when the surge will begin scaling down. There will be setbacks ahead. […]

International Maritime Safety and Security Exchange

By Harry G. Ulrich III

An International Maritime Safety and Security Exchange is urgently needed to improve efficiency and security through increased domain awareness and expedited information sharing, says retired Admiral Harry G. Ulrich III, former Commander of  U.S. Naval Forces in Europe. Download the PDF

D-Day’s Legacies Live Today

By  Cathy Gramling, EUCOM

From Cathy Gramling, EUCOM:  The D-Day Foundation has verified the names about 2,500 American servicemen killed on that one day alone. 2,500 Americans on one day. Our Allies fought alongside us, too, and estimates are that nearly 2,000 of them were killed that day, too. But the anniversary of D-Day isn’t just about the men who died […]

Britain Is No Longer America’s Bridge to Europe

By Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations

From Charles Kupchan, the Council on Foreign Relations:  [T]he effort to reclaim the US-UK “special relationship” as the foundation of British statecraft promises to leave Britain in a geopolitical no-man’s land and marginalise its international influence. The UK will enjoy far greater sway over transatlantic and global affairs by becoming a leading voice within the […]