United States and Canada

Pentagon drops 2013 plan to close US bases, but proceeding to close bases in Europe

By Carlos Muñoz, the Hill

From Carlos Muñoz, the Hill:  The Defense Department (DOD) is abandoning its push for wide-scale base closures in the continental United States, focusing instead on plans to draw down military installations overseas, Secretary Leon Panetta announced Monday.

German police arrest suspected NATO spy

By AFP

From AFP:  German police have arrested a civilian employee of NATO on suspicion of espionage at the US air base at Ramstein in the west of the country, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Poland wants its own missile defense system, calls cooperation with US a ‘mistake’

By the Telegraph

Three Senators call for U.S. to intervene in Syria with airpower

By John McCain, Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey O. Graham, the Washington Post

From John McCain, Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey O. Graham, the Washington Post:  The U.S. reluctance to intervene in Syria is, first of all, allowing this conflict to be longer and bloodier, a radicalizing dynamic.

Russia to set up naval infrastructure in Arctic – Patrushev

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russia will create several infrastructure hubs along the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic to be used as temporary stations for Russian warships and border guard vessels, Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev said on Monday.

Meshing realism and idealism in Middle East

By Henry A. Kissinger, the Washington Post

From Henry A. Kissinger, the Washington Post:  In our public debate, the crisis in Syria is generally described as a struggle for democracy, and its culmination is presumed to be the removal of Bashar al-Assad.

How far will US and European defense spending fall?

By Douglas Barrie, AOL Defense

From Douglas Barrie, AOL Defense:  While the January 2012 strategic guidance – "Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership" – cast "most European countries" as "producers of security rather than consumers of it," this was rather at odds with the concerns of former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Membership of committee preparing new French defense strategy disclosed