United States and Canada

Obama administration plans more US forces in Europe in 2015 than in past decade

By Philip H. Gordon and Alexander Vershbow, the Financial Times

From Philip H. Gordon and Alexander Vershbow, the Financial Times:  We read with interest, but also surprise, Philip Stephens’ comment on America’s presence in Europe.

Is Somalia experience blocking deployment of ground attack aircraft?

By David Brunnstrom, Reuters

From David Brunnstrom, Reuters:  French officials and military analysts say the U.S. fleet of low-flying ground-attack A-10 aircraft and AC-130 gunships could help break the stalemate

“U.S. officials concede that some of their assumptions . . . may have been faulty”

By David Cloud and Ned Parker, the Los Angeles Times

From David Cloud and Ned Parker, the Los Angeles Times:  The failure of the international air campaign to force Kadafi’s ouster, or even to stop his military from shelling civilians and recapturing rebel-held towns, poses a growing quandary

A Core Question of German Foreign Policy

By Ullrich Fichtner, Spiegel

From Ullrich Fichtner, Spiegel:  The German abstention on the evening of March 17 was a mistake in the eyes of many UN observers and diplomats.

The Libya stalemate

By the Editors of the Washington Post

From the Editors of the Washington Post:  The contradictions at the heart of U.S. policy in Libya are becoming more acute.

Blame Westerwelle?

By Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, the International Herald Tribune

From Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, the International Herald Tribune:  When Germany abstained from the U.N. Security Council vote on Libya last month, quite a few eyebrows were raised

Libya crisis reveals divisions on EU defense policy

By Judy Dempsey, the International Herald Tribune

US puts NATO’s nukes on negotiation table

By Tom Donilon, the Financial Times

From Tom Donilon, the Financial Times:  We must address the issue of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons, which have never been subject to numerical limits.

Withdrawal of US troops from Europe remains controversial

By Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes

From Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes:  On April 8, the Defense Department announced that one of the Germany-based “heavy” brigades

“Adenauer and de Gaulle must be turning in their graves”

By Roger Cohen, the New York Times

From Roger Cohen, the New York Times:  Only in recent weeks has the distance traveled come into focus: France, reintegrated in 2009 into the command structure of NATO