United States and Canada

Obama vows not to repeat mistakes of defense cuts after WWII and Vietnam: “Not on my watch”

By Barack Obama, the White House

From Barack Obama, the White House:  The United States of America is the greatest force for freedom and security that the world has ever known.  And in no small measure, that’s because we’ve built the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military in history — and as Commander-in-Chief, I’m going to keep it that way.

Obama to Make Rare Visit to Pentagon for Rollout of New Strategy

By Yoichi J. Dreazen, National Journal

From Yoichi J. Dreazen, National Journal:  President Obama will pay an unusual visit to the Pentagon on Thursday for the public rollout of the military’s new strategy for countering emerging threats in an era of shrinking resources, according to senior military and administration officials.

US to withdraw 4,000 troops from Europe

By Chris Lawrence, CNN Security Clearance

From Chris Lawrence, CNN Security Clearance:  The United States should give up the capability to fight two major ground wars simultaneously, according to a Pentagon review that will be presented this week, a U.S. official said Wednesday. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said the strategic review presents priorities to guide the […]

2012 and NATO’s unresolved capabilities gap

By Richard Weitz, World Politics Review

From Richard Weitz, World Politics Review:  The past year was an eventful one for NATO, but despite the success of the alliance’s intervention in Libya, persistent problems will continue to affect trans-Atlantic defense relations in the new year. The United States will need to redouble its efforts in 2012 to make progress, with the NATO […]

NATO to Pull $30B Worth of Gear From Afghanistan

By the AP

From the AP:  As the drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan steps up in 2012, NATO military planners are trying to figure out the logistics of how to ship out the massive quantities of alliance vehicles, weapons and other equipment from the mountainous landlocked country.

Ten Most Viewed NATO Stories of 2011

Ten most popular stories on NATOSource in 2011.

France seeks “sustainable financial support” for Afghanistan from Chicago summit

By AFP

From AFP:  The international community must provide long-term financial support for Afghanistan after NATO-led forces leave the country in 2014, French defence minister Gerard Longuet said Sunday.

Rogozin: Russian diplomats and spies must “prevent the Americans from being alone with the Europeans”

By Russia Today

From Russia Today:  [Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry] Rogozin, Russia’s former Permanent Representative to NATO, told officers of the Aerospace Forces in the restricted area of Krasnoznamensk that no matter what type of political system Russia has the western military bloc will not change their views.

Japan relaxes arms ban to increase defense cooperation with European partners

By the Voice of Russia

From the Voice of Russia:  On Tuesday, the Japanese government has decided to partially lift a self-imposed 40-year ban on arms exports, which prohibited Japanese arms makers from joint development and export of military technology.

Creating a North Atlantic economic community with Britain in NAFTA

By Iain Murray and James C. Bennett, the Wall Street Journal