United States and Canada

The Strategic Consequences Of The Euro-Crisis: Cracks In NATO, New Euro Map

By Harald Malmgren and Robbin Laird, AOL Defense

From Harald Malmgren and Robbin Laird, AOL Defense:  Europe is essentially on its own in a fundamental sense as the key nations of Europe seek to sort through the disaggregation of the Euro zone, and the shaping of a new political and economic map of Europe.

France Taps Paloméros for NATO Command Post in US

By Pierre Tran, Defense News

From Pierre Tran, Defense News:  France has nominated Gen. Jean-Paul Paloméros, French air chief of staff, as the next head of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation at Norfolk Va., sources familiar with the situation said. 

British pilots flew US drones in NATO mission over Libya

By Alex Spillius, the Telegraph

From Alex Spillius, the Telegraph:  In a parliamentary answer, Lord Astor of Hever, under secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence, said drones belonging to the United States were operated by British pilots during the Nato operation in 2011.

Cyber Chief: 17-fold increase in computer attacks on US infrastructure

By David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, the New  York Times

From David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, the New  York Times:  The top American military official responsible for defending the United States against cyberattacks said Thursday that there had been a 17-fold increase in computer attacks on American infrastructure between 2009 and 2011, initiated by criminal gangs, hackers and other nations.

A Euro-Atlantic free trade zone and economic renewal

By John Vinocur, the International Herald Tribune

From John Vinocur, the International Herald Tribune:  [A]n important initiative could take shape with enough credibility and ambition to make Europe look alive, bolder and in refocus mode: a trans-Atlantic free trade zone.  Advocacy of such a goal by E.U. leaders is a political dare because it exposes the time-wasting hollowness of Europe’s desires concerning […]

‘Twiplomacy’ study says only 30 world leaders send their own tweets

By John Heilprin, the AP

From John Heilprin, the AP:  The governments of almost two-thirds of the 193 U.N. member nations have joined the Twitterverse where President Barack Obama and his tweet on gay marriage are the most popular to date, says a new study Thursday. But the rise in so-called "Twiplomacy" among world leaders resembles something of an echo […]

Iran: US cyber attacks will face ‘teeth-breaking’ response

By Reuters

From Reuters:  The United States will face a "teeth-breaking" response if it continues to carry out cyber attacks against Iran, an Iranian official said Wednesday.

Panetta and Polish Defense Minister working to establish ‘missile interceptor site in Poland by 2018’

By the Department of Defense

Why Reinhold Niebuhr Matters for Transatlantic Relations Today

By William Inboden, German Marshall Fund of the United States

From William Inboden, German Marshall Fund of the United States:   [Reinhold] Niebuhr grounded his Atlanticism on three principles that still resonate today: shared values, shared interests, and shared obligations.

Russian spy ring penetrated U.S. consulting firm

By Devlin Barrett, the Wall Street Journal

From Devlin Barrett, the Wall Street Journal:  A Russian spy ring busted in the U.S. two years ago planned to recruit members’ children to become agents, and one had already agreed to his parents’ request, according to current and former U.S. officials. When the suspects were arrested in 2010 with much fanfare, official accounts suggested […]