Tag Archives: NATO
19 February 2013
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that he would forbid his military forces from requesting American or NATO forces to conduct airstrikes. The announcement follows a joint Afghan-NATO attack last week in the Kunar Province (in eastern Afghanistan), that killed ten civilians. The airstrike was reportedly requested by the Afghan National Directorate of Security.
Source: The New York Times | Karzai to Forbid Afghan Forces From Requesting Foreign Airstrikes
30 January 2013
Italy’s highest criminal court has ruled that Italian radar systems did not adequately protect jets from stray missiles, and that Italy must compensate the victims’ families. It held that there was “abundantly” clear evidence that a stray missile caused an Italian passenger jet to crash into the Mediterranean Sea in 1980, resulting in the death of all 81 people aboard.
It remains unclear who fired the missile. One theory is that the jet was caught in the crossfire of a military aerial fight, with a Libyan plane possibly the target. French, U.S. and NATO officials have denied military activity in the skies that night.
Source: The Washington Post | Italian court: Missile caused 1980 Mediterranean plane crash; Italy must pay compensation
22 January 2013
NATO Patriot missiles began arriving at the Turkish border with Syria on 21 January 2013. The missiles are intended to protect Turkey from a potential Syrian attack. Turkey had formally requested protection from NATO last November. Six missile batteries are provided by Germany, the Netherlands and the US, which are amongst the few NATO members in possession of these advanced air protection systems.
Source: Reuters | NATO Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey to counter Syria risks
13 January 2013
On 11 January 2013, President Barack Obama, after meeting with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, said that the United States (US) would accelerate the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in the coming months, because of gains made by Afghan security forces.
After the NATO combat mission will end in 2014, the mission would be focused on advising and supporting Afghan troops, and targeting the remnants of Al Qaeda. Mr. Karzai said the United States had agreed to turn over control of the prisons that house terrorism suspects to Afghan control. He also said he would push for legal immunity for US soldiers – which is a requirement for the US to leave troops behind in Afghanistan.
Source: The New York Times | Obama Accelerates Transition of Security to Afghans
12 January 2013
The International Herald Tribune reports that because of the financial crisis and euro crisis, most member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) will most likely spend less on, and invest less in, defense. EU governments hesitate ‘to really improve Europe’s military technology sector or its security.’ Analysts say that Europe should take ‘more responsibility for its own security’ now the Obama administration’s security agenda focusses more on Asia.
Both NATO and the EU believe there is one way to deal with reducing resources: through smart defense or “pooling and sharing.” In practice, it would mean NATO and EU members, the majority of whom belong to each other’s organization, cooperating much more on defense.
Source: International Herald Tribune | How Much Are Americans Willing to Spend to Defend Europe?