United States and Canada

Clinton: “We Do Have to Expect More From NATO”

By Secretary Hillary Clinton, the State Department

From Secretary Hillary Clinton, the State Department:  We have to do a better job of reforming NATO institutions and requiring them to be more cost-conscious and effective in order to maximize the impact of every dollar

NATO Chief Warns Britain: Don’t Cut Your Defence Budget Too Deeply

By the Times (London)

From the Times (London): Nato’s Secretary-General warned Britain yesterday not to cut defence spending too deeply as it grapples with its budget deficit. In an interview with The Times, Anders Fogh Rasmussen advised all cash-strapped Nato members to use the tough economic climate as an opportunity to make their armed forces more efficient to tackle […]

Is Obama’s Foreign Policy “Enemy-Centric?”

By Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post

From Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post:  Is the Obama administration’s foreign policy "enemy-centric?" That was the contention put forth this morning by a European who has been one of the most stalwart friends of the United States

Empty Patriot Launchers in Poland: “A Gun But No Ammunition”

By the AP

From the AP: For now, the U.S. has brought six mobile launchers for medium- to high-range Patriot missiles to Poland, but not the missiles themselves — similar to having a gun but no ammunition. The U.S. ambassador to Poland, Lee Feinstein, said missiles might arrive later. He, too, stressed that the equipment is only meant […]

Britain’s Nuclear Arsenal is 225 Warheads, Reveals William Hague

By Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

A Hollow “Reset” with Russia

By Robert Kagan, the Washington Post

From Robert Kagan, the Washington Post:  [F]ew accomplishments have been more oversold than the Obama administration’s "success" in getting Russia to agree, for the fourth time in five years, to another vacuous U.N. Security Council resolution. It is being trumpeted as a triumph of the administration’s "reset" of the U.S.-Russian relationship, the main point of […]

Russian Paratroopers to Undergo Training in NATO Countries

By  Interfax

From Interfax: Russian paratroopers are preparing to travel to the United States, Germany and other countries to undergo advanced training, Airborne Troops Commander Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said. "The General Staff has ordered training to be organized for our servicemen with foreign armed forces and within the framework of the Russia-NATO format," Shamanov told the press […]

Barack Obama Overruled “No-Spying” Pact with France

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph:  [Former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dennis] Blair proposed an unprecedented written pledge even more binding than the post-war "gentlemen’s agreement" between the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as trusted partners who do not spy on each other.

US Patriot Missiles Arrive in Poland

By the AP

From the AP: Dozens of American soldiers and a battery of Patriot missiles have arrived in Poland, where they will spend the next two years teaching the Polish military to operate the advanced guided missile system at a base just a few miles from the Russian border.

Fayyad Associates: Palestinians Agree To NATO Presence In State

By MEMRI

From MEMRI: Despite PLO negotiations chief Saeb Ereqat’s denial (see PLO Negotiator: We Didn’t Agree To NATO Presence In Palestinian State) the Saudi daily Al-Madina cited sources close to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as saying that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had informed the U.S. that he agreed to such a NATO presence […]