NATO Summit in Lisbon
 

NATO leaders at their summit in Lisbon will hear that security in Afghanistan will be progressively handed over to local forces, with the aim of withdrawing foreign troops by 2014.
The alliance hopes to move to a training and support role over the next few years, although there are fears that a worsening security situation could push back any withdrawal date.
Afghanistan will dominate this two-day summit, but there will also be talks between the Americans and the European Union, as Euronews’ correspondent Miguel Sardo reports:
“21 of the 27 EU countries are NATO members, and all are here in Lisbon. But Washington wants to strengthen its links across the EU, and talks on energy policy have already taken place ahead of the main summit.”
As well as the EU talks, President Obama will meet Russia’s President Medvedev. The Kremlin said he will lay out Moscow’s vision of a shared anti-missile system to put an end to years of NATO/Russia mistrust.


Links:


http://www.euronews.net/

http://www.nato.int/strategic-concep...c-concept.html

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/events_66529.htm

Thanks :salute:

I curious what this has to do with a defense pact?:doh:

Some would say armies need fuel to operate. In Texas is a deep pit with lotsa oil.

In Afghanistan they are negotiating with the former enemy under which conditions he can take over power. That he will stay with the finally agreed conditions, must be doubted.

Anything more to know about NATO's reorientation?

The greatest vulnerability of any miliutary is that it plans the next war by the strategies and tactis of the last war. That way, it always runs behind the present. What has been reported in outlining baout the new NATO strategy, I would rate as already outdated. Not to mention that a political will and determination as well as unity is missing.

Companies know the term of "core competences". It means that business is tailored to focus on the original branch the com pany was dealing with, and has followed longest amongst all it'S later businesses. NATO should refocus on what it originally was meant for, straighten out its overstretched fronts, and in times of tightening budgets and growing lack of political spine make sure that it'S tools are not already one generation behind when they get officially adopted.

Finally, arrogance and self-conviction should not once again lead the West to ignore the proposals of Russia, becasue for Russian conditions Medwedew has a surporisngly far-.leading paqckage of suggestions for cooperations in his luggage. But neither him nor Putin will allow to get fed with just empty promsies againb that later will once again be broken, like after 1990. Precidntion for this is that the West stops thinking that Rjussia must become like the West, but the West must learn that Russia is - Russia. Not Europe, not Asia. It is a category in itself. I am coinvionced that the Wetsern state mnodel doie snot work in Russia, and will only lead to growing destabilisation, like it once already had, 20 years ago. But stability in Russia and control over the military is what must be the West's top priority regarding Russia. Any other demands - are just noise. At best it just does no harm. At worst it leads to a regional civil wars like there already have been some, and a coup of the military, or even nation-wide civil war.

and what if the West doesn't learn that? They gonna hit us with the gas pipe?
Anyways, for me what you have written, smells Yalta 1945.