United States and Canada

U.S. Likely to Press On With Missile Defense in Poland

By Marcin Sobczyk, the Wall Street Journal

From Marcin Sobczyk, the Wall Street Journal:  The U.S. will likely keep its commitment to place missile interceptors in Poland to counter a military threat from Iran regardless of any opposition from Russia and despite defense cutbacks, a U.S. senator said Thursday.

Barack Obama’s new defence plans neglect Europe at their peril

By the Economist

From the Economist:  Perhaps the least remarked upon part of the new strategy is the seemingly bleak future for American forces in Europe.

NATO Allies Deny Plans for Syrian No-Fly Zone to Aid Rebels

By Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov, Bloomberg

From Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov, Bloomberg:  NATO and three alliance members said there are no plans for military intervention in Syria after Russia said it has information about preparations for a no-fly zone over the country.

US to Replace 2 Brigades in Europe With Rotating Units

By Jim Garamone, Armed Forces Press Service

From Jim Garamone, Armed Forces Press Service:  In an interview on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas, [Defense Secretary Leon] Panetta said that the Army will withdraw two brigade combat teams from Europe, while retaining a strong presence in the region via rotational units.

Poland: NATO can’t keep subsidising Afghan army

By Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters

From Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters:  Afghanistan cannot expect current levels of Western financial aid for its armed forces to be sustained beyond 2014, when NATO forces plan to pull out, Poland’s defence minister said on Thursday.

US ranked 13th in security of nuclear material

By William J. Broad, the New York Times

From William J. Broad, the New York Times:  The 32 nations with materials that can fuel atom bombs are typically mum on security, which looks to the public like a closed world of barbed wire and armed guards. Behind the scenes, atomic insiders have long told horror stories of risky practices and security flaws

Russia Says NATO, Persian Gulf Nations Plan to Seek No-Fly Zone for Syria

By Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov, Bloomberg

Republicans Bash Europe in Search of Votes

By Sebastian Fischer, Spiegel

From Sebastian Fischer, Spiegel:  Europe is socialist, bloated and a threat to the global economy. That appears to be the message from the ongoing presidential campaign in the US. Republicans in particular have discovered Europe as a convenient punching bag

A new kind of NATO

By Sean Kay, Foreign Policy

From Sean Kay, Foreign Policy:  NATO needs a radical new kind of American leadership if Europe is to be incentivized to assume new responsibilities in effective ways.

Georgia releases new National Security Concept, but no mention of Western European nations

By Joshua Kucera, the Bug Pit

From Joshua Kucera, the Bug Pit:  Georgia has released its new "National Security Concept" document, updating it from the 2005 version which said there was “little possibility of open military aggression against Georgia." Now, unsurprisingly, Russia dominates the document: of the twelve "Threats, Risks and Challenges to the National Security of Georgia" it identifies, ten […]