United States and Canada

All-Volunteer Military a Ticking Time Bomb

By Arnold Punaro

The all-in cost of the all-volunteer force is a ticking time bomb that could explode our defense capabilities if not dealt with responsibly. Unfortunately, the Pentagon does not track the real cost of personnel decisions, making smart reform difficult.

Germany Plans to Deploy Armed Drones

By Veit Medick, Spiegel

From Veit Medick, Spiegel:  Bowing to pressure from the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, the federal government in Berlin is preparing to deploy armed, unmanned drones in foreign conflicts.

Can the E.U. become the world’s policeman?

By Anne Applebaum, Washington Post

From Anne Applebaum, Washington Post:  [H]ere we are in 2013, watching the French air force and troops come to the aid of the formerly democratic government of Mali, which is fighting for its life against a fanatical Islamist insurgency.

China’s growing presence and power in the Mediterranean

By Peter App, Reuters

From Peter App, Reuters:  Situated at the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Port Said Container Terminal is one of the busiest in the region, vital for shipments not only to Egypt but also much of Europe and the Middle East.

NATO’s Patriot missiles in Turkey will begin operating ‘this weekend’

By Gary Deakin, NATO

A Security Vacuum in Obama Inaugural Address

By Kurt Volker

In his second inaugural address, President Obama offered these thoughts on winding down an age of conflict: “Enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.” And, he continued, “We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naive about the dangers we […]

ISAF commander Gen. John Allen cleared in misconduct inquiry

By   Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Washington Post

From  Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Washington Post:  The Pentagon’s inspector general has cleared the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan of wrongdoing following an investigation into whether he exchanged inappropriate e-mails with the same Tampa socialite involved in the scandal that prompted David H. Petraeus to resign as CIA director, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Cameron announces Britain to join NATO’s Cyber Defense Center

By NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence

From NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence:  UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced yesterday that UK is determined to join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence this year. The statement was given during the bilateral meeting with Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. Joining process for UK is expected to be completed within […]

A grand strategy for Obama’s second term

By Anne-Marie Slaughter, Washington Post

From Anne-Marie Slaughter, Washington Post:  In Washington, the period between an election and an inauguration is a fertile time for big, ambitious ideas, reports and essays.