United States and Canada

Obama’s Criticism of No-Fly Zone and Humanitarian Corridors Options for Syria (Video)

By Dan De Luce, AFP

Assad Says Europe Will ‘Pay Price’ if It Arms Rebels: Newspaper

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned Europe in a German newspaper interview that it will "pay the price" if it follows Washington’s lead and delivers arms to rebel forces, saying such a move would spread terrorism to the continent.

German Defense Minister Says Euro Hawk Termination Partly Due to US Export Constraints

By Chris Pocock, AINonline

From Chris Pocock, AINonline:  In a report to parliament last week, German Defense Minister Thomas De Maziere called for NATO and Europe to achieve clarity on the certification and operation of UAVs.

Time to Say Yes to US-Russian Missile Defense Cooperation

By Ellen Tauscher and Igor Ivanov, Foreign Policy

From Ellen Tauscher and Igor Ivanov, Foreign Policy:  After a series of setbacks and disappointments during President Barack Obama’s first term, U.S.-Russian political dialogue is finally gaining momentum.

NATO Chief: Syria’s Use of Chemical Weapons Violates International Law

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO:  This is, indeed, a matter of great concern. The international community has made clear that any use of chemical weapons is completely unacceptable and a clear breach of international law.

Beijing and Washington Share Indeterminate Future

By Robert Manning

Now what? The ostensible goal of the Obama-Xi “shirtsleeves summit” was to head off the trajectory of a volatile U.S.-Chinese relationship that appeared to be sliding toward confrontation—and define a new cooperative direction, new understandings and a new framework. In this respect, it was a potentially important but modest beginning.

EU Refuses to Cooperate on Security

By Judy Dempsey, New York Times

From Judy Dempsey, New York Times:  Germany and most other E.U. countries still do not think and act strategically when it comes to strengthening Europe’s foreign and security policy.

NATO Missile Defense is ‘True Transatlantic Teamwork’

By Alexander Vershbow, NATO

From Alexander Vershbow, NATO:  NATO takes collective defence seriously.  Missile threats to our Alliance territory and populations are real and growing. Our defence against these threats must be real, too, and able to adapt to the threat in the future. And that’s the approach we are taking.