Western Europe

Cameron announces Britain to join NATO’s Cyber Defense Center

By NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence

From NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence:  UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced yesterday that UK is determined to join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence this year. The statement was given during the bilateral meeting with Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. Joining process for UK is expected to be completed within […]

Panetta: NATO Needs to Join U.S. Rebalance to Asia-Pacific

By Marcus Wiesgerber, DefenseNews

From Marcus Wiesgerber, DefenseNews:  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on NATO to become a more flexible fighting force that can tackle a broad range of conflicts and urged European allies to join the Pentagon’s shift to the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama Bullying Could Backfire

By Julian Lindley-French

A week ago, US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon warned of the dangers of a British referendum on its EU membership, none so subtly hinting that the Special Relationship would be diminished if Britain left the EU. 

Canada sending C-17 transport plane to help French mission in Mali

By CBC News

From CBC News:  Canada will provide one RCAF C-17 transport aircraft in a non-combat role to support the operations of its allies in Mali for a week, the Harper government announced Monday morning in a press release.

Britain set to order Brimstone missiles, stocks still low after Libya op

By Andrew Chuter, Defense News

From Andrew Chuter, Defense News:  Britain’s Ministry of Defence is set to order a new batch of Brimstone precision-guided missiles from maker MBDA as the Royal Air Force continues to rebuild weapon stocks in the wake of the Libyan conflict.

Mali: No way to go to a war going nowhere

By J. Peter Pham

French aircraft strafed Islamist rebels in Mali for the third day in a row on Sunday. Additional French troops arrived in the West African country’s capital to shore up its rickety transitional government in the face of an offensive by the militants who seized control of northern provinces last spring and have been imposing their […]

Murder in France, Fragile Opening in Turkey

By Ross Wilson

Who carried out the execution of three women prominent in the European branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Paris on January 9 and what was their intended message are unclear.

Security issues will test transatlantic co-operation in 2013

By Bruce Stokes, European Voice

From Bruce Stokes, European Voice:  Both Pew and GMF surveys show that Americans and Europeans continue to back NATO, but they want out of Afghanistan, currently a joint US-European military operation. How that disengagement is managed may shape future public support for NATO.

Britain faces intense debate over its nuclear weapons

By James Blitz, Financial Times

From James Blitz, Financial Times:  [A]s London struggles to regain control of its finances, debate is stirring about the affordability of the independent nuclear deterrent.

Parliament: Cyber attack could fatally compromise British military

By U.K. House of Commons