Western Europe

US ranked 13th in security of nuclear material

By William J. Broad, the New York Times

From William J. Broad, the New York Times:  The 32 nations with materials that can fuel atom bombs are typically mum on security, which looks to the public like a closed world of barbed wire and armed guards. Behind the scenes, atomic insiders have long told horror stories of risky practices and security flaws

Russia Says NATO, Persian Gulf Nations Plan to Seek No-Fly Zone for Syria

By Henry Meyer and Ilya Arkhipov, Bloomberg

A new kind of NATO

By Sean Kay, Foreign Policy

From Sean Kay, Foreign Policy:  NATO needs a radical new kind of American leadership if Europe is to be incentivized to assume new responsibilities in effective ways.

Georgia releases new National Security Concept, but no mention of Western European nations

By Joshua Kucera, the Bug Pit

From Joshua Kucera, the Bug Pit:  Georgia has released its new "National Security Concept" document, updating it from the 2005 version which said there was “little possibility of open military aggression against Georgia." Now, unsurprisingly, Russia dominates the document: of the twelve "Threats, Risks and Challenges to the National Security of Georgia" it identifies, ten […]

EU defense spending still outstrips Russia and China combined, but little to show for it

By Peter Apps, Reuters

From Peter Apps, Reuters:  The European Union might appear a military superpower, at least on paper. It has more uniformed personnel than the United States and overall EU defense spending outstrips Russia or China. But as Washington pulls troops back from the continent, two decades after the Cold War ended, and refocuses on Asia, the […]

Hackers expose email addresses and passwords of 242 NATO officials

By Ed Pilkington and Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

From Ed Pilkington and Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian:  Thousands of British email addresses and encrypted passwords, including those of defence, intelligence and police officials as well as politicians and Nato advisers, have been revealed on the internet following a security breach by hackers.

Europe should heed shift in US defense

By the Editors of the Financial Times

From the Editors of the Financial Times:  President Barack Obama’s new US defence posture – one that plans for “a smaller and leaner” military – is a significant moment in American policymaking.

Despite tensions, US rescues 13 Iranian seamen from pirates

By Jim Miklaszewski and staff, MSNBC

From Jim Miklaszewski and staff, MSNBC:  Casting aside current tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. Navy on Friday rescued 13 Iranian seamen who were being held captive by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Oman.

What does the Pentagon’s new strategy mean for NATO?

By Andrew Chuter and Kate Brannan, Defense News

From Andrew Chuter and Kate Brannan, Defense News:  Just before the Pentagon unveiled a new military strategy that emphasizes a shift in focus toward the Asia-Pacific region, Britain’s Defense Secretary Phillip Hammond urged the U.S. government to maintain the strength of its commitment to the NATO alliance.