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Bruce K. Anderson

~ Security, National Defense and U.S. Interests at Home and Abroad

Bruce K. Anderson

Monthly Archives: February 2013

Large NATO Exercise to Take Place in Baltics in Fall

24 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Baltic region, Collective security, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, NATO, Poland

English: Locator map of the Baltic region – Es...

Baltic region – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the russian Kaliningrad Oblast. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Estonian Public Broadcasting, Feb. 22, 2013

This fall, the Baltic region will host NATO’s biggest collective defense exercise of the last ten years.

The maneuvers, named ‘Steadfast Jazz,’ will take place in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Estonia will participate with one infantry company as well as staff officers and civilian officials, the Ministry of Defense said in a press release on Thursday… (more)

Related articles
  • Rasmussen Urges Russia to Be Open With NATO About Baltic Drills – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
  • GPF Europe: Baltic States feel NATO’s r (foreignpolicyreview.org)
  • NATO doesn’t view Russia as threat but has defense plans against Baltic invasion (stratrisks.com)
  • Estonia backs Georgian integration with EU and NATO (brucekanderson.com)
  • Baltic Dispute Over Russian Power May Delay Joint Market – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
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The Defense Dividend

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Turkey

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Middle East, NATO, Sahel, Security and Stability, Turkey, United States

A U.S. Patriot Missile launches from a truck m...

A U.S. Patriot Missile launches from a truck mounted canister (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Project Syndicate, Feb. 19, 2013

BRUSSELS – On a hillside overlooking the Turkish city of Gaziantep, Patriot missile launchers are keeping watch under NATO command and control. This is just one of six Patriot batteries from three Allied countries – Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States – providing protection for millions of people along Turkey’s southeastern border with Syria. The deployment shows NATO’s enduring commitment to its core task: safeguarding its members’ security. It also shows that, when a crisis erupts, there is no substitute for effective deterrence and defense.

Virtually every day brings fresh evidence that an arc of crisis – from terrorism and weapons proliferation to cyber-attacks and piracy – is spreading from the Middle East and the Sahel to Central Asia. These risks will not disappear while NATO members focus on fixing their finances. The fact is that our way of life is predicated on security and stability, without which investment withers, employment collapses, and economies shrink… (more)

Related articles
  • NATO Chief Urges Europe Not to Cut Defense Budgets (abcnews.go.com)
  • NATO deploying Patriot missiles to Turkey-Syria border (en.trend.az)
  • Rasmussen: NATO Must Be Ready For Any Future Threat (albanytribune.com)

Time to Bite the Bullet on European Defence

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

defence spending, defense spending, European Union, Military budget, NATO

Military expenditure as percent of GDP, data t...

Military expenditure as percent of GDP Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

By Clara M. O’Donnell, Centre for European Reform, Feb. 1, 2013

 

Europe’s military spending is in free fall. As highlighted during a seminar organised by the CER in December as part of the FR-UK Defence Forum, the EU countries combined have reduced defence spending from €200 to €170 billion since the start of the economic crisis in 2008. In response, governments have signed up to a variety of new bilateral and multilateral initiatives. These are designed to limit the impact of budget cuts on their armed forces. But so far, the savings incurred pale in comparison. At the December discussions, participants estimated them at €200 to €300 million. Many sensitivities relating to national security make it hard for governments to implement collaborative defence efforts. But at a time when Europe’s neighbourhood is replete with instability and the United States is scaling back its own armed forces, Europeans need to do more to stem the damage to their militaries.

 

Notwithstanding their budget cuts, taken together EU states are still the second largest defence spenders in the world. And not all European countries are reducing the level of funding to their armed forces. According to a 2011 study for the European Parliament, Finland and Denmark have maintained military spending steady in recent years. Poland and Sweden have increased it… (more)

 

Related articles
  • Britain’s Place in Europe (fairobserver.com)
  • Nato chief: EU must spend more on military (euobserver.com)
  • David Cameron signs up to more joint military operations with Europe (telegraph.co.uk)
  • The poster child for cybersecurity done right: How Estonia learnt from being under attack (zdnet.com)
  • Joe Biden balms US-European relations (euronews.com)
  • Service chiefs deserve clarity on the defence budget (telegraph.co.uk)
  • Nato chief: Mali shows holes in EU defence (euobserver.com)

 

Disagreement on missile defence may tell on Russia-NATO cooperation in other areas

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

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Tags

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Missile Defense, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia, Russia-NATO

English: Map of NATO historic enlargement in E...

Map of NATO historic enlargement in Europe. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Turkish Weekly, Feb. 9, 2013

The lack of agreement on missile defence may negatively affect Russia–NATO cooperation in other areas, too, said Russian Ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, in a statement… (more)

Related articles
  • NATO: No Backing Down On Missile Shield (rferl.org)
  • USA Open for Missile Defense Talks with Russia – State Dept (novinite.com)
  • Rasmussen Urges Russia to Be Open With NATO About Baltic Drills (brucekanderson.com)
  • Russia to roll out new hypersonic missiles (indrus.in)
  • U.S. ‘still interested’ in missile defense cooperation with Russia (panarmenian.net)

Georgia requests Germany’s assistance in integration into NATO

05 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Caucasus, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Afghanistan, Bundestag, Germany, Maya Panjikidze, NATO, Republic of Georgia

English: A Republic of Georgia soldiers stands...

A Republic of Georgia soldiers stands in formation during a ceremony marking the historic deployment of the Republic of Georgia’s 31st Light Infantry Battalion to support Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By N. Kirtskhalia, Trend, Feb. 4, 2013

Georgian Foreign Minister Maya Panjikidze held a meeting with German Deputy Minister of Defence Christian Schmidt on Monday…

…”We talked about Georgia’s role in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. Georgia has the largest mission in Afghanistan amongst non-NATO members. You know that we have already made a statement that Georgia will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. We asked Germany to actively support Georgia’s integration into NATO. The Deputy Defence Minister once again confirmed that the resolution adopted by the Bundestag is in force,” Panjikidze said…. (more)

Related articles
  • Estonia backs Georgian integration with EU and NATO (brucekanderson.com)
  • U.S., Georgian defence ministers discuss cooperation on international missions (en.trend.az)
  • Georgian Defence Minister on official visit to Great Britain (brucekanderson.com)
  • Georgian Soldier Found Dead In Afghanistan (rferl.org)
  • Georgian president to meet New Year with servicemen in Afghanistan (stripes.com)

Rasmussen Urges Russia to Be Open With NATO About Baltic Drills

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Baltic region, Belarus, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia, Secretary General of NATO

English: A map of the Baltic region, showing t...

A map of the Baltic region, showing the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Bryan Bradley, Bloomberg, Feb. 1, 2013

Russia should share more information with NATO about military exercises the country conducts in the Baltic region, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

“We don’t have detailed information about upcoming Russian military exercises,” Rasmussen told reporters today in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, when asked about the West 2013 exercise that Russia and Belarus plan in September. “It’s of utmost importance to demonstrate openness and full transparency when it comes to military exercises.” … (more)

Related articles
  • NATO’s Rasmussen Warns Defense Cuts Could Endanger Alliance Power (brucekanderson.com)
  • Rasmussen: NATO Must Be Ready For Any Future Threat (eurasiareview.com)
  • NATO: No Backing Down On Missile Shield (rferl.org)
  • NATO to continue Europe missile plan (rinf.com)
  • NATO chief dismisses Russian missile defense worry (dailystar.com.lb)

Estonia backs Georgian integration with EU and NATO

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Baltics, Caucasus, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Estonia, European Union, Georgia, NATO, Tbilisi, Toomas Hendrik Ilves

 

English: Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kyiv Post, Jan. 31, 2013

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has reiterated his country’s support for Georgia’s plans of integration into the European Union and NATO.

“Estonia previously supported and continues to support democratic Georgia and your state’s plans to integrate into the European Union and NATO,” he said at a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Maja Panjikidze in Tallinn on Thursday… (more)

Related articles
  • Estonia supports Georgia’s policy on European integration and accession to NATO (en.trend.az)
  • Estonia: path to growth via austerity defies eurozone doubters, and Krugman (blogs.ft.com)
  • Georgian Defence Minister on official visit to Great Britain (brucekanderson.com)

Azerbaijan to withdraw peacekeepers from Afghanistan

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in Caucasus, European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, NATO, Peacekeeper

 

Map showing locations of Azerbaijani speakers.

Map showing locations of Azerbaijani speakers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Mubariz Aslanov, APA, Jan. 31, 2013

Baku: Azerbaijani peacekeepers will also be withdrawn, after NATO officially ends its mission in Afghanistan by the end of this year.

Government sources told APA that higher echelons have already held discussions on it and it was not considered expedient to keep Azerbaijani servicemen in Afghanistan after NATO forces are withdrawn… (more)

 

Related articles
  • Ambassador: Last year important for expanding NATO-Azerbaijani relations (en.trend.az)
  • Azerbaijan to assist Afghanistan to introduce e-services in customs area (en.trend.az)
  • Azerbaijan plans to increase assistance to Afghanistan (en.trend.az)
  • Azerbaijan’s Hot January: Unusually Bold Protests Challenge Government (rferl.org)
  • Report On Azerbaijani Prisoners Splits Council Of Europe (rferl.org)

NATO’s Rasmussen Warns Defense Cuts Could Endanger Alliance Power

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Collective security, NATO, Secretary General of NATO

English: President Barack Obama meets with NAT...

President Barack Obama meets with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the Oval Office, May 13, 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Jan. 31, 2013

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned that defense cuts amid global economic troubles could undermine the military alliance‘s power.

Presenting NATO‘s annual report at a press conference on January 31 in Brussels, Rasmussen said that “security threats won’t go away” while alliance members try to fix their economies… (more)

 

Related articles
  • NATO Secretary General Rasmussen: Hold Line On Spending, Boost Capabilities (albanytribune.com)
  • Rasmussen Urges Russia to Be Open With NATO About Baltic Drills – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
  • NATO chief says security, economy are linked (seattletimes.com)

Report Labels Bundeswehr Overstretched, Insecure

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bruce K. Anderson in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bundeswehr, German armed forces, Germany, Hellmut Königshaus, military transformation

English: Hellmut Königshaus, MP Deutsch: Hellm...

Hellmut Königshaus, parliamentary commissioner for the German armed forces (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By ALBRECHT MÜLLER, Defense News, Jan. 29, 2013

BONN — Disappointment over the results of recent military transformation efforts have left German soldiers insecure about their future and dissatisfied with leadership, according to an annual report by Hellmut Königshaus, parliamentary commissioner for the Armed Forces… (more)

 

Related articles
  • Germany to buy first armed drones (thelocal.de)
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