"NATO chief hopeful allies will approve antimissile system" by Slobodan Lekic and Anne Gearan, Associated Press / October 15, 2010
BRUSSELS — The United States supports the missile defense proposal. But some governments such as France have taken a dim view of the proposed shield, citing high costs and saying the system cannot replace a robust nuclear deterrent....
Meaning France wants to keep their nukes.
NATO’s previous mission statement was adopted in 1999, soon after the Cold War ended and before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States led the alliance to take on missions such as counterinsurgency warfare in Afghanistan.
Washington now wants NATO to be equipped to deploy forces to missions outside its traditional theater of operations in Europe, such as Afghanistan or the anti-piracy naval patrols in the Indian Ocean.
But many European governments remain wary and argue that the alliance should not be transformed into a global policeman at a time of austerity and spending cuts.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said NATO could no longer base its security on “strategies of the past.’’
“NATO began as a regional alliance, but the threats it now faces are global, and its perspective must be global as well,’’ she said.
It's not keeping out the bullshit, readers.
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"Deal on NATO missile shield could be sealed at summit; US optimistic Russia will accept plan, report says" by Robert Burns, Associated Press / November 16, 2010
WASHINGTON — The United States and its NATO allies are close to an agreement to erect a missile shield over Europe, a project that would give the military alliance a fresh purpose while testing President Obama’s campaign to improve relations with Russia....
The United States has asked Turkey, also a member of NATO, to host some of the radar defenses and to approve the proposal for a Europewide defense network. Turkey has hesitated, saying it does not want the system explicitly to target Iran, its neighbor.
US officials close to presummit talks were optimistic that the proposed European missile shield’s remaining obstacles could be overcome. They said Russia seems to be seriously considering NATO’s plan, while Turkey’s concerns could be finessed.
Translation: The government can be bribed.
Demonstrators in Ankara protested the NATO missile shield project, a portion of which would be placed in Turkey. (Adem Altan/ AFP/ Getty Images)
I don't know how you finesse the furious.
“The Russians seem to be playing ball and seem to be somewhat open-minded about this,’’ said F. Stephen Larrabee, a specialist in European security issues at the RAND Corp. think tank....
Saturday’s NATO-Russia session is expected to discuss a bigger Russian role in the Afghan conflict.
Shouldn't they know better?
NATO spokesman James Appathurai said last week that Russia has been asked to contribute about 20 transport helicopters and provide training for Afghan helicopter pilots....
In adopting the new strategic concept, NATO is trying to adapt itself to deal with 21st century security threats. In Europe, “there is less fear of foreign intervention or aggression than there ever has been before in the history of the North Atlantic alliance,’’ Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to the United States, told a recent conference.
Then shouldn't NATO have been disbanded?
What does Afghanistan have to do with the Atlantic?
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