United States and Canada

American Decline and the Future of Interventionism

By Nicholas k.Gvosdev, World Politics Review

From Nicholas k.Gvosdev, World Politics Review:  For the past 20 years, the United States has shown a willingness to use its armed might, but only in cases where the overwhelming American economic, military and technological advantages could be leveraged to reduce substantially the risk of loss to both people and equipment.

Former NATO commander on Afghanistan withdrawal: ‘there was never one master plan… we desperately need a NATO plan’

By Bernd Riegert, Deutsche-Welle

From Bernd Riegert, Deutsche-Welle:  DW: Do you find all the talk about the withdrawal counter-productive?

US and Turkey discuss creating buffer zone in Syria

By Elise Labott, CNN Security Clearance

Clinton says US supports UN force in Syria, but no comment on NATO role

By Hillary Clinton, the Department of State

From Hillary Clinton, the Department of State:  Assad will have to go, and the Syrian people must be given the chance to chart their own future.

Pentagon expanding international partnerships to address “global cyber arms race”

By Cheryl Pellerin, Armed Forces Press Service

A Rotten State of Affairs in America

By Harlan Ullman

To paraphrase Hamlet, “something is rotten in the state of America.” This isn’t a matter of American decline — a question that has been overrated and exaggerated. As global power diffuses, absolute, as opposed to relative, U.S. power will decline. Unfortunately, a certain malaise, to use a familiar phrase, may be much more prevalent inside […]

Afghan security forces to shrink by 80,00 after 2014 due to $4 billion drop in allied funding

By Thom Shanker and Alissa J. Rubin, the New York Times

From Thom Shanker and Alissa J. Rubin, the New York Times:  Afghanistan’s defense minister said Tuesday that his government and the international coalition paying for the war effort had agreed in principle that Afghan security forces would undergo a significant reduction

Clinton: ‘a strong America is welcoming new powers into an international system’

By Hillary Clinton, the Department of State

From Hillary Clinton, the Department of State:  [W]e’re not turning away from our old friends and interests in other parts of the world. Our relationships with European and NATO allies who are, after all, our partners of first resort, remain indispensable