Western Europe

Coalition command compromise: small war council, plus broader assembly

By Ian Traynor and Nicholas Watt, the Guardian

From Ian Traynor and Nicholas Watt, the Guardian:  The US, Britain, France and Turkey agreed to put the three-pronged offensive – a no-fly zone, an arms embargo, and air strikes – under a Nato command umbrella

Libyan crisis exposes gaps in Europe’s military capabilities

By Philip Stevens, the Financial Times

From Philip Stevens, the Financial Times:  Above all, however, the Libyan venture has betrayed the paucity of Europe’s military capability.

German leaders criticize Merkel’s split with NATO and European allies

By Steven Erlanger and Judy Dempsey, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger and Judy Dempsey, the New York Times:  Driven by electoral pressures and Germany’s postwar aversion to war and nuclear power, Chancellor Angela Merkel has deeply strained relations with allies in the European Union and the NATO alliance

NATO’s top military commander in Turkey

By the AP

Day 6 of NATO’s Political Impasse: “No decision on anything”

By David Brunnstrom, Reuters

NATO briefing on Operation Unified Protector

By NATO

From NATO:  Excerpts from briefing by NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu, Brigadier General Pierre St-Amand of the Canadian Air Force and Director of the Strategic Plans in the Capability Plans and Policy Branch at Allied Command Operations

Allies may give NATO operational control, but not political control

By Scott Wilson and and Karen DeYoung, the Washington Post

From Scott Wilson and and Karen DeYoung, the Washington Post:  The United States appeared to be closer Tuesday to turning over command of the military operation in Libya, with key NATO countries tentatively agreeing that the alliance would take the leading role.

Allied leaders comment on NATO Impasse

By the Telegraph

Day 5 of NATO’s Political Impasse

By Steven Erlanger, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger, the New York Times:  As the military operation continued over Libya on Monday, there was some confusion about which country or organization is actually leading it, and for how long. France, Britain and the United States are in charge of their own operations, which each have different code names.  The participants are […]

Donilon: NATO to take command in days, not weeks

By the White House

From the White House: National Security Advisor Tom Donilon discusses U.S. transfer of command to NATO.  MR. DONILON : [W]e would then transfer, as the President has said, in a matter of days, not weeks, over to coalition partners using the NATO machinery the responsibility for the ongoing exercise of those activities. And the United States at […]