NATO

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Putin Defies Critics in Last Bow
Putin Defies Critics in Last Bow

Putin Defies Critics in Last Bow

Russian leader underlines post-presidency designs on power, spars with West

(Newser) - Today may have been Vladimir Putin’s final press conference as Russia's president, but he made it clear he won’t be going far, the New York Times reports. Putin said he would remain a force in the Kremlin, as “there’s enough power to go 'round,” Bloomberg...

Gates Asks Europe for More Afghan Troops

Says Iraq-weary Euros underestimate threat of unstable Afghanistan

(Newser) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates appealed today to European allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, saying in Munich that the "threat posed by violent Islamic extremism is real" and that NATO's credibility in combating it is at stake, Reuters reports. France has indicated it could send more troops,...

NATO Faces a Split Over Afghanistan

US says alliance could become 'two-tiered' unless others pull their weight

(Newser) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today that NATO risks splitting into a "two-tiered alliance" because some members aren't willing to pull their weight in Afghanistan. The vast majority of the fighting against the Taliban in the country is done by Canadian, British, American and Dutch troops, and those...

Germany Balks at US Request for Troop Help

Call for reinforcements in southern Afghanistan outside 'point of focus'

(Newser) - Germany has rejected a request from US defense secretary Robert Gates for more troops to fight the Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan, Der Spiegel reports. German defense minister Franz Josef Jung prefers his troops remain in the country's north, in accordance with Germany's Afghanistan mandate—which says troops will only...

US Wants More NATO Troops for Afghan War

US calls on NATO allies for reinforcements

(Newser) - The US will pressure its NATO allies to commit more troops to Afghanistan, Reuters reports, but won't send more Americans, beyond the 3,200-Marine surge ordered last month. The need for increased manpower in the 6-year-old conflict resurfaced this week when Canada's prime minister threatened to withdraw his nation's 2,...

Canadian Panel Urges Afghanistan Troop Pullout

Miffed Canadians say allies need to step up

(Newser) - A government-appointed panel has recommended that Canada withdraw from a combat role in Afghanistan next year unless European allies shoulder more of the burden, reports the Financial Times. "Canadian resources, and Canadians' patience, are not limitless," said the panel, which was established to defuse the debate that has...

NATO Must Be Ready to Strike 1st With Nukes: Manifesto

Call for 'nukes in the quiver' deterrent

(Newser) - Top military strategists from the US and Europe say that NATO must be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear strike to keep the world safe, the Guardian reports. The five ex-military chiefs have issued a manifesto calling for a sweeping overhaul of NATO to deal with a world where the...

Petraeus Could Be Tapped to Head NATO

Pentagon mulls Iraq commander's next assignment

(Newser) - Iraq’s top commander could be at the helm of NATO by the start of next year, the New York Times reports. While no final decisions have been made, the Pentagon is considering nominating Gen. Petraeus in September, installing him before the election dust settles in a new, highly prestigious,...

Indignant NATO Allies Blast Gates' Critique

It's 'bloody outrageous,' says angry Brit official

(Newser) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has sparked an uproar among America's allies after he complained to the Los Angeles Times that some NATO forces are unprepared for their jobs in Afghanistan. The Dutch, British and Canadians—who all have troops in the south of the country—immediately slammed the comments,...

3,200 Marines Tapped for Afghan Surge

Allies bicker as US prepares to boost troop levels to 7-year high

(Newser) - Official orders have yet to be signed, but thousands more Marines have been told to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan, the AP reports. The extra 3,200 troops would bring the number of US forces there to some 30,000, its highest level since 2001, to combat a rise in...

Georgia Prez 'Confident' He's Won
Georgia Prez 'Confident'
He's Won

Georgia Prez 'Confident' He's Won

Opposition cries foul over exit polls, urges mass protest

(Newser) - Exit polls in Georgia's national election are giving pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili 57% of the vote, enough to win, but the opposition calls the survey a "big lie," the BBC reports. Candidate Levan Gachechiladze, who scored 28% in the poll, accuses the president of rigging the ballot and...

Military: Shift Troops to Afghan Front

As Iraq improves, Afghanistan unravels

(Newser) - The US military is calling for an accelerated withdrawal from Iraq and a shift of troops and equipment to Afghanistan, reports the Washington Post. The post-surge reduction of violence in Iraq has coincided with resurgent Taliban activity in Afghanistan; both NATO and US commanders there say they need several additional...

Troubled Afghan Mission Under Review

Prospect of failure in 'forgotten war' prompts probes, if not surge

(Newser) - With insurgent violence in Afghanistan soaring to the highest level since 2001, the Bush administration and NATO have begun three sweeping reviews of a mission that was considered a success, but now seems increasingly threatened. Lack of coordination in fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda, rising opium production, and the weakness...

US Pleads for Help in Afghanistan
US Pleads for Help in Afghanistan

US Pleads for Help in Afghanistan

Gates zings Germany for sticking to peaceful zones

(Newser) - US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates yesterday pleaded with NATO allies to play a bigger combat role in Afghanistan. "I would like for all of the allies to be involved in a comprehensive strategy," Gates said at a NATO meeting in Edinburgh. Violence in Afghanistan has increased sharply...

NATO &amp; Afghan Forces Rout Taliban
NATO & Afghan Forces
Rout Taliban

NATO & Afghan Forces Rout Taliban

Taliban leaves stronghold as UK Prime Minister arrives

(Newser) - Taliban troops retreated from their last major stronghold in the southern town of Musa Qala in Afghanistan yesterday, ceding control to NATO and Afghan troops, the New York Times reports. After heavy bombardment and a troop attack, the Taliban was overcome by "heavy casualties," said a local police...

Georgia Says Russia Behind Mass Upheaval

Former Soviet republic declares state of emergency after alleged coup attempt

(Newser) - Saying Russian intelligence was behind six days of mass protests, the president of the former Soviet republic declared a state of emergency today in the capital, Tbilisi, Reuters reports. "There was an attempt at a coup and creating disorder," the prime minister said after police attacked unarmed demonstrators...

White House Cozy for Sarkozy
White House Cozy for Sarkozy

White House Cozy for Sarkozy

French president wooing 'heart of America'

(Newser) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday demonstrated why he is dubbed “Sarko l’Américain,” bursting onto the Washington scene hugging and backslapping, reports the New York Times. He clearly enjoyed his first official visit to the US despite lingering pain over his pending divorce from wayward wife, Cé...

Progress in Sudan Has Eluded Prez
Progress in Sudan Has Eluded Prez

Progress in Sudan Has Eluded Prez

Why Bush passion hasn't translated into effective policy

(Newser) - President Bush has such a personal passion for Darfur that he’s been nicknamed the “Sudan desk officer”, but his zeal hasn't translated to results, reports the Washington Post. He’s insisted on consequences for genocide both publicly and among his aides, but has been unable to mobilize support...

Turkish Troops Said Missing
Turkish Troops Said Missing

Turkish Troops Said Missing

Troops and trucks mass on northern Iraqi border after Kurdish ambush; incursion looms

(Newser) - A Turkish convoy with dozens of military vehicles joined tens of thousands of troops massed on the Iraqi border today, as the military announced that eight soldiers were missing, in addition to 12 killed, in an ambush by Kurdish militants early yesterday morning. The Turks shelled Kurdish camps over the...

Pelosi Vows to Push Turkish Genocide Vote

She ignores knocks from Turks, GOP, as Turkey fires shells into Kurdish villages

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi vows to take the Turkey-genocide vote to the floor despite renewed Turkish threats and Republican jabs, the New York Times reports. Turkey’s army chief warned today that “military relations with the United States can never be the same" if the vote passes. GOP lawmaker John Boehner...

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