United States and Canada

Lugar to scrutinize arms sales by NATO allies to Russia

Senator Richard Lugar has commissioned the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to examine the sale of military equipment and technology by NATO allies to Russia.

The State of the Union: A Missed Opportunity

By Riley Barnes

The State of the Union (SOTU) address is not usually focused on foreign policy, and rightfully so. With our current economic woes, education problems, and immigration issues, we have plenty of reason to look inward. Still, President Obama missed a great opportunity last night—one that would have only required a sentence or two. I found […]

Digital Spies: The Alarming Rise of Electronic Espionage

By Adam Piore, Popular Mechanics

Obama: ‘We’ve made it clear that America is a Pacific power’

By Barack Obama, the White House

From Barack Obama, the White House:  Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies.  From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America.  From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down […]

How the World Could—And Maybe Should—Intervene in Syria

By Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Atlantic

From Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Atlantic:  A full-fledged civil war in Syria could quickly become a proxy war between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and/or at least some NATO countries on one side against Iran, Russia, Hizbollah, and possibly Iraq and Hamas on the other.

The End of the U.S-Turkey Alliance?

By Ted Galen Carpenter, the National Interest

Major European pullout could start in October

By Michelle Tan and Richard Sandza, the Military Times

From Michelle Tan and Richard Sandza, the Military Times:  As many as 10,000 soldiers — and as many as 25,000 dependents — are expected to withdraw from Europe as the U.S. juggles shrinking budgets and force reductions with maintaining strong relationships with its allies, officials said. On Jan. 12, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that […]

Alexander Hamilton vs. Ron Paul on Isolationism

By Matt Spalding, the Heritage Foundation

From Matt Spalding, the Heritage Foundation:  Supporters of Ron Paul have re-launched an old ad promoting the old idea of American isolationism.  “We now are a nation known to start war,” Paul is quoted as saying.

NATO’s Afghan alliance unhinged by growing mutual mistrust

By Jon Boone, the Guardian

From Jon Boone, the Guardian:  Mutual mistrust and contempt between local and foreign forces in Afghanistan that often borders on hatred is one of the main reasons why Afghan troops increasingly turn their guns on their Nato comrades, a damning report has found.