United States and Canada

Abandoning the MEADS missile defense program may cost the U.S. more than completing it

By Tom Kington and Albrecht Muller, Defense News

From Tom Kington and Albrecht Muller, Defense News:  Italy and Germany have warned the U.S. that it could be liable for penalty payments of $400 million if it pulls out of a trilateral anti-missile program, almost exactly the sum U.S. politicians want to save by canceling U.S. involvement.

Foreign Minister Bildt: “Sweden will not be neutral if Baltic states are attacked”

By Jorge,  Lithuanian Tribune

From Jorge,  Lithuanian Tribune:  [Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt] did recognize that Russian military capabilities are being develop to a great extent but he expressed that they still haven’t manage to achieve the arsenal they had during the Soviet era.

China underbids Raytheon proposal for Turkey’s new missile defense system

By Hurriyet Daily News

How is the Obama administration using social media to disarm Syria’s chemical arsenal?

By Eli Lake, Daily Beast

From Eli Lake, Daily Beast:  If you are a Syrian military officer in charge of some nasty chemical weapons, you’ve probably been friended or Skyped by the U.S. government. The message is simple: think twice before using or selling that mustard gas you are guarding.

U.S. Navy: Sequestration will limit missile defense deployments to Europe

By Brock Vergakis, AP

From Brock Vergakis, AP:  The USS Barry left its home port on Thursday to load weapons for its journey to Europe as part of a NATO defense plan to provide a ballistic-missile shield for U.S. allies.

Turkey Hints at a Breakup With Europe

By Harvey Morris, International Herald Tribune

From Harvey Morris, International Herald Tribune:  A half century after taking the first steps toward becoming an integral part of Europe, Turkey may be ready to give up.

Presidential Killing Powers Need Checks and Balances

By James Joyner

A secret Justice Department memo detailing in great length when the president has the authority to unilaterally order American citizens killed without so much as a criminal charge has been released. 

NATO guards Turkey from Syrian threat

By Stephen Fidler, Wall Street Journal

From Stephen Fidler, Wall Street Journal:  On a windswept plateau overlooking this fast-growing city in the south of Turkey, just 30 miles from the Syrian border, an array of U.S. missile-defense launchers points south toward Syria, where a civil war rages.

US Patriot missile battery in Turkey comes under NATO command

By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes:  A U.S. Patriot missile battery now up and running near Turkey’s border with Syria fell under NATO command and control Tuesday, bringing the alliance’s effort to bolster Turkish air defenses one step closer to becoming fully operational, U.S. military officials said.