Western Europe

Moving toward a joint NATO-Russia missile defense center

By Madeline Albright and Igor Ivanov, the International Herald Tribune

From Madeline Albright and Igor Ivanov, the International Herald Tribune:  Moscow and Washington need a better understanding on missile defense, which otherwise could stall further nuclear reductions.

7 NATO members sign agreement for military transport aircraft

By AFP

France’s Role in Three Conflicts Displays a More Muscular Policy

By Steven Erlanger, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger, the New York Times:  France on Tuesday found itself engaged in three shooting wars at once for the first time in memory, indicating a new muscularity in using power by the politically embattled French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

NATO lacking strike aircraft for Libya campaign

By Ian Traynor and Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian

From Ian Traynor and Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian: Nato is running short of attack aircraft for its bombing campaign against Muammar Gaddafi only days after taking command of the Libyan mission from a coalition led by the US, France and Britain.

Libyan conflict puts spotlight on airpower and aircraft sales

By Tim Hepher, Reuters

From Tim Hepher, Reuters:  "This is turning into the best shop window for competing aircraft for years. More even than in Iraq in 2003," says Francis Tusa, editor of UK-based Defense Analysis.

US withdrawing its warplanes from Libya mission

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  The U.S. military will pull its warplanes from front-line missions Monday and shift to a support role in the Libyan conflict, a NATO official said. Britain, France and other NATO allies will now provide the fighter and attack jets to conduct intercept and ground attack missions as they enforce a […]

Europe needs a miliary avant-garde

By Charles Grant, the Center for European Reform

From Charles Grant, the Center for European Reform:  The Libyan operation has shown that the US now expects Europe to look after its own backyard.

Advice for Obama: Coalitions require constant care and attention

By Meghan O’Sullivan, the Washington Post

From Meghan O’Sullivan, the Washington Post:  Given the most obvious differences between Iraq and Libya — no ground troops in Libya and no U.N. resolution in Iraq — few will take issue with [President Barack] Obama’s protestation.

Lady in Waiting: Where is the EU’s foreign policy chief?

By Stephen Castle, Foreign Policy

From Stephen Castle, Foreign Policy:  The crisis in Libya is a rare instance in which Europeans can plausibly claim to be outdoing Americans in foreign policy, and a rarer one still of the old world being more prepared than the new to use its military muscle. But while France and Britain have burnished their leadership […]

Europe Had Better Wake Up

By Lord Robertson, the New Atlanticist

From Lord Robertson, the New Atlanticist:  Europe, despite its relative prosperity and economic muscle, is still not, as we have seen, able to act in its own self-interest without US leadership and military capabilities.