Western Europe

Dutch become 1st NATO member to quit Afghanistan

By  Robert Reid, the AP

From Robert Reid, the AP:  The Netherlands became the first NATO country to end its combat mission in Afghanistan, drawing the curtain Sunday on a four-year operation that was deeply unpopular at home and even brought down a Dutch government. The departure of the small force of nearly 1,900 Dutch troops is not expected to affect […]

German army cuts to push Europe closer on defence

By Dave Graham, Reuters

From Dave Graham, Reuters:  The biggest cuts in military spending in decades in Germany, Britain and France could encourage Europe to move closer to a joint defence policy to pool resources and eliminate costly duplication. Germany, increasingly active in international military missions in recent years, is poised to shrink its army by up to 40 […]

British PM in Turkey: ‘I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU Membership’

By David Cameron, British Prime Minister's Office

Cameron backs Turkey joining the EU

By Alex Barker and Delphine Strauss, the Financial Times

From Alex Barker and Delphine Strauss, the Financial Times:  David Cameron will express his “anger” on Tuesday at Turkey’s European Union membership bid being “frustrated” by the bloc’s leaders, as he heaps praise on an emerging power increasingly at odds with Britain, the US and Europe on the world stage.

NATO nations: Hope document leak won’t affect war

By Slobodan Lekic, the AP

From Slobodan Lekic, the AP:  NATO’s European members said Monday they hope the unprecedented leak of 91,000 classified U.S. military records on Afghanistan will not negatively affect the current war effort. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there has been significant progress recently in building up the Afghan state "so I hope any such leaks […]

Brzezinski: NATO facing ‘budget cuts that leave the alliance militarily emasculated’

By Alex Kingsbury, U.S. News

From Alex Kingsbury, U.S. News:  Excerpts from interview with NATO expert Ian Brzezinski. The unpopular war in Afghanistan may be NATO’s greatest challenge since the end of the Cold War, leading some to question its continued relevance. Does NATO have a future? In five or 10 years, if we’re lucky and things are handled wisely, […]

The F-35 fighter and Canada’s international commitments

By Andre Gerolymatos, the Vancouver Sun

From Andre Gerolymatos, the Vancouver Sun:  Fundamentally, the Canadian Air Force has not only commitments to NATO but also to Norad (North American Aerospace Defence Command). Beyond the obvious advantages in advanced technology that the sub-contracting of the construction of the F-35 will yield for Canadian companies, Canada’s warplanes must be able to keep up […]

France says too soon to talk of Afghan pullout

By Reuters

Fox: ‘what do Challenger tanks in Germany… contribute to what’s happening in Afghanistan?’

By the Telegraph

From the Telegraph:  In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, [British Defence Secretary Liam] Fox said the dire state of the public finances meant the Armed Forces could no longer be equipped to cover every conceivable danger.

Britain’s MoD looks at cutting 30,000 troops

By Alex Barker and James Blitz, the Financial Times

From Alex Barker and James Blitz, the Financial Times:  Military planners are examining cutting Britain’s land forces from eight to five brigades, in a radical restructuring option that would hand the army operational command of the Royal Marines. The proposed overhaul, which would slash army numbers by up to 30,000, is an extreme scenario that […]