Western Europe

BAE-EADS merger would advance Europe’s military goals

By Adrian Croft, Reuters

From Adrian Croft, Reuters:  Merging Britain’s BAE Systems with EADS to create a global aerospace and defence giant would be a significant boost to European leaders’ ambitions for a more efficient defence industry.

ls Europe becoming more reliant on the US for its defense?

By Julian Lindley-French, the New Atlanticist

From Julian Lindley-French, the New Atlanticist:  [G]iven Europe’s strategic retreat/pretense the only outstanding issue is the relevance of Europeans to America’s grand strategy. If none then both NATO and indeed Europe’s future defense will fail.

US increasing cyber cooperation with key allies

By John Reed, Killer Apps

From John Reed, Killer Apps:  The Defense Department has reached what Pentagon officials describe a key agreement with some of the United States’ closest international allies to share information in the cyber realm.

NATO Secretary General on impact of 9/11 on transatlantic alliance

Repost from Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO:  [Eleven] years ago today in the United States, terrorists killed nearly three thousand men, women and children. Citizens of 25 NATO Allied and partner countries died that day.

Cyber Weapons: A New Kind of Warfare

By the Editors of the New York Times

From the Editors of the New York Times:  [F]aced with rising intrusions against computers that run America’s military systems and its essential infrastructure — its power grid, for instance, and its telecommunications networks — the military here (and elsewhere) sees disruptive software as an essential new tool of war.

Why Anglo-Polish Relations Need a Reset

By Julian Lindley-French

They call it the ‘Davos of the East’, the Krynica Economic Forum. It must be a mark of Europe’s desperate economic straits that I have been invited to speak at this huge economics conference. Thankfully, the question posed by my old friend Andrew Michta, Director of the German Marshall Fund Warsaw was closer to home; […]

French Defense Minister Le Drian trying to relaunch European defense initiative

By Pierre Tran, Defense News

From Pierre Tran, Defense News:  French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was due to meet European Union and NATO senior officials in a first visit to Brussels as part of France’s drive to relaunch a European defense initiative

Iran’s supreme leader says Nonaligned Movement, not NATO, should help resolve Syria crisis

By the AP

Germany and China: The New Special Relationship

By Stephan Richter, the Globalist

From Stephan Richter, the Globalist:  Now that the German Chancellor is once again visiting China, accompanied by scores of her top ministers and an outsized contingent of CEOs, the world is beginning to take note.

The Main Event

By Julian Lindley-French

Many people have inspired me. Winston Churchill for refusing to compromise with evil, Ed Murrow for taking on corrupt power to protect free speech, Martin Luther King for reminding Americans that all people are born equal and Nelson Mandela for creating a nation out of forgiveness. But there is one who this week will be […]