United States and Canada

Time to stop waffling on Syria

By the Editors of the Washington Post

From the Editors of the Washington Post:  The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad has suffered a series of blows in recent days

UK Defense Chief To NATO: Pull Your Weight In Europe While US Handles China

By Otto Kreisher, AOL Defense

It’s the Competitiveness, Stupid

By Frederick Kempe

America deserves better. If only this year’s presidential candidates were as focused on global competitiveness as are America’s business leaders, the world’s most important economy and democracy would already have become the “Comeback Kid,” portrayed on this week’s Economist cover as a muscle-bound Uncle Sam.

Chinese general warns that new missile shield may spark China nuclear upgrade

By Fredrik Dahl, Reuters

Obama Condemns Terrorist Attack in Bulgaria

By Barack Obama, White House

From Barack Obama, White House:  I strongly condemn today’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israelis in Bulgaria.

US State Department considered leader in e-diplomacy

By Nick Bryant, BBC

From Nick Bryant, BBC:  With its 140-character limit, Twitter hardly lends itself to diplomatic nuance.

Hollande selects Vedrine to review France’s relationship with US and NATO’s military command

By Reuters

From Reuters:  French President Francois Hollande has asked former foreign minister Hubert Vedrine to review France’s membership of NATO’s integrated military command

Obama nominates ambassadors to Afghanistan, Pakistan

By Alister Bull, Reuters

From Alister Bull, Reuters:  President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose two veteran U.S. diplomats to be ambassadors to Afghanistan and Pakistan, making the nominations at a delicate time for Washington’s relations with both countries.