Western Europe

NATO Chief Sees Parallels Between Syria and Balkans

By Paul Geitner, the New York Times

From Paul Geitner, the New York Times:  The secretary general of the NATO alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said on Monday that the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s illustrated what might befall Syria unless Russia and the West agreed on a  “unified, clear message” to the Syrian government to stop the violence.

Two NATOs in One

By Anne-Marie Slaughter, WE-NATO

From Anne-Marie Slaughter, WE-NATO:  As I said and wrote before the NATO summit (here and here), one of the most important dimensions of this summit was Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s articulated vision of NATO as “the hub of a network of global security partnerships,”

Reagan’s Westminster speech is still a reminder of the power of words

By the Editors of the Washington Post

From the Editors of the Washington Post: Thirty years ago, on June 8, 1982, President Reagan delivered an address to the British Parliament that stands as one of the greatest of his presidency and a milestone in the final years of the Cold War.

Have the British Armed Forces Met Their Waterloo?

By Julian Lindley-French

Winston Churchill once lamented the “Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong, these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.” Reading the speech of British Defence Minister Philip Hammond […]

In Spain, Germany Is Villain, Not Savior

By Frederick Kempe

What brought me to Spain during the most threatening week of the country’s recent history was an invitation to speak about one of Europe’s darkest hours a half-century ago, pegged to the Spanish-language publication of my book Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth.

Britain’s Royal Navy can’t muster a dozen ship’s for a naval review to honor Queen’s diamond jubilee

By Neil Tweedie and Thomas Harding, the Telegraph

From Neil Tweedie and Thomas Harding, the Telegraph:  Britain is celebrating only the second diamond jubilee in its history. The occasion calls for a naval review, a staple of coronations and other great moments in the life of the nation, but it is not to be.

Britain fears NATO military gaps after US shift to Asia

By NewsCore

Europe’s New German Question

By Julian Lindley-French

Almost sixty years ago to the day, the European Defense Community (EDC) Treaty was signed in Paris. Under pressure from an America facing a possible war on two fronts – Korea and Europe, the aim was to create a European Army that would see West Germany re-armed to provide manpower for the defense of Europe […]