Tag: nato

Will NATO’s 60th Anniversary Be Its Last?

  If you think the Afghan War is increasingly unpopular in the United States, try Europe. A recent German Marshall Fund poll offered these figures on the question of the “share of population who want to reduce or withdraw troops” from that country: Romania, 71 percent; Poland, 68 percent; United Kingdom, 60 percent; Germany, 57 … Continue reading “Will NATO’s 60th Anniversary Be Its Last?”

German Peace Movement Demands Withdrawal From Afghanistan

On Sept. 4, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force conducted an air strike on a fuel tank hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. The attack killed dozens of people, including civilians, according to NATO sources. However, the German minister of defense, Franz Josef Jung, has stubbornly denied that the attack harmed civilians, insisting instead that … Continue reading “German Peace Movement Demands Withdrawal From Afghanistan”

Black Sea Wars

In August, the Georgian navy seized a Turkish tanker carrying fuel to Abkhazia, Georgia’s former province whose declaration of independence a year ago is recognized by Russia but not the West. The Turkish captain was sentenced to 24 years. When Ankara protested, he was released. Abkhazia has now threatened to sink any Georgian ship interfering … Continue reading “Black Sea Wars”

The West’s Reckless Approach to Russia

The failure last week of Russian talks with the European Union on energy supplies to Europe is one more occasion for Russian-Western tension. This has sent the Europeans off to look for other energy sources. The Russians have in past winters turned the gas off when it suited them, and the Europeans would like more … Continue reading “The West’s Reckless Approach to Russia”

Back to the Balkans

A story I read years ago culminated with the protagonist holed up in a cheap hotel in the Balkans, listening unwillingly through the paper-thin wall as the man in the room next door beat his wife. As he pummeled her, she cried again and again, "Balkan! Balkan!" "Balkan," it seems, may be a term of … Continue reading “Back to the Balkans”