United States and Canada

NORAD and Russian Air Force conduct first joint air defense exercise

By NORAD

From NORAD:  The Russian Federation Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct a first-ever cooperative air defense exercise. The civilian air control agencies of Russia (Federal Air Navigational Service) and the United States (Federal Aviation Administration) will also be involved in the exercise along with the military air operations centers at […]

Russia sees NATO forces in Eastern Europe as violatation of 1997 agreement

By Andrew Kramer, the New York Times

From Andrew Kramer, the New York Times:  Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a report on Saturday accusing the United States of violating dozens of provisions of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons treaties going back about a decade, apparently in a retort to American critics of a new arms treaty, who have been accusing Russia of violating past […]

Gen. Petraeus revises the rules of engagement for NATO forces in Afghanistan

By Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

From Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor: Gen. David Petraeus, appointed this June to turn the Afghanistan war around, has just made his first visible impact on how the increasingly deadly conflict is being run.

Afghanistan Clock Ticking

By James Joyner, the New Atlanticist

From James Joyner, the New Atlanticist:  The Netherlands became the first NATO member to quit Afghanistan Sunday, when it withdrew its 1955 troops.

What’s going on inside David Cameron’s foreign policy?

By Will Inboden, Foreign Policy

Why the U.S. can’t look to NATO or the EU to support its Russia strategy

By Stephen Szabo, Europe's World

From Stephen Szabo, Europe’s World:  America’s foreign policy leaders, both within the U.S. government and elsewhere, are losing patience with Europe.

Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Time to Reaffirm NATO Solidarity

By Kori Schake, Center for European Policy Analysis

From Kori Schake, Center for European Policy Analysis:  Of the NATO allies, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Poland and Sweden advocate alliance nuclear reductions. Some even support unilateral NATO elimination of its nuclear arsenal, a reckless position given that Russia has not cut its arsenal since the end of the Cold War, while NATO […]

NATO Military Chief meets with Top Greek Defense Officials

By Allied Command Operations

From Allied Command Operations:  The Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Admiral James Stavridis, met in Athens with the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Ioannis Giagkos. The two-day visit, on the invitation of the Greek CHOD, was mainly focused on issues of common interest in the context of NATO.   "I want to […]

US drawdown in 2011 will be ‘limited’: Gates

By Dan De Luce, AFP

From Dan De Luce, AFP:  Despite growing clamor against the war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday large numbers of US troops will remain after a "limited" July 2011 drawdown. Despite mounting casualties and public doubts, Gates said the US-led force was making headway in the war and Taliban insurgents would not be […]

US on the verge of activating a partial missile shield over southern Europe

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  The U.S. military is on the verge of activating a partial missile shield over southern Europe, part of an intensifying global effort to build defenses against Iranian missiles amid a deepening impasse over the country’s nuclear ambitions. Pentagon officials said they are nearing a deal to establish a key […]