Tag Archives: NATO

A Productive NATO Summit / Egyptian Queens

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President Obama attends the NATO summit in Lisbon, returning with agreements on Afghanistan, a new strategic concept and missile defense. An unlikely partnership has developed between Qatar and Oregon. And a Queens, New York, neighborhood has a distinctly Egyptian flavor.

NATO’s Afghan Plan
President Obama has joined NATO allies in a formal agreement to transfer security control of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces to Afghan forces starting in 2011. “My goal is to make sure that, by 2014, we have transitioned, Afghans are in the lead,” says Obama, above with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a meeting at the White House

For NATO, a New Strategic Plan
The 28-nation NATO alliance has adopted a vision and an approach to collective security for the 21st century that considers such wide-ranging threats as terrorism, cyberattacks and missile attacks. At a Lisbon press conference, President Obama, above, says “the new Strategic Concept that we are embracing shows that NATO is fully united about the way forward and committing to addressing the full range of security challenges of this century.”

Missile Defense for NATO
NATO alliance leaders agree to develop a missile defense capability that will cover all NATO European territory and populations, as well as the United States. “This important step forward builds on the new Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense that I announced for the United States last year,” President Obama says at the NATO Summit in Lisbon.

From Oregon to Qatar
The U.S. state of Oregon and the Middle East nation of Qatar are working together to find sustainable solutions to shared problems faced in arid climates.

 “Little Egypt,” in New York
So many Egyptian-, Lebanese- and Moroccan-owned shops and restaurants line Steinway Street in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, that the area is known as Little Egypt. Astoria has long been a neighborhood of immigrants adapting to their new country and Little Egypt typifies the growth of an American immigrant neighborhood. Left, an Egyptian baker prepares dough at the Ageba market.

Obama and NATO / A U.S.-E.U. Energy Agreement / Nueva York

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President Obama attends the NATO and U.S.-E.U. Summits in Lisbon and discusses relations with Europe in an op-ed. The U.S.-EU Energy Council comes up with an alternative energy agreement. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will attend a European security summit next month. The U.S. Navy launches a Persian Gulf rescue. The U.S. and Russia want to save an endangered big cat. And finally, check out a photo gallery about Nueva York.

The U.S.-E.U. Relationship
President Obama praised the U.S.-European relationship for its deep cooperation and close ties as he arrived in Lisbon for the 2010 NATO Summit and U.S.-European Union Summit. Obama, right, added that these summits offer “an opportunity to deepen our cooperation even further and to ensure that NATO—the most successful alliance in human history—remains as relevant in this century as it was in the last.”  

Obama on Europe and America
As he arrives in Lisbon for the NATO and U.S.-European Union Summits, President Barack Obama calls America’s relationship with Europe “the cornerstone of our engagement with the world” in this op-ed. 

A U.S.-E.U. Energy Agreement
The U.S.-EU Energy Council agrees to enhance coordinated efforts to find additional sources of energy and to coordinate research and regulations. The deal was announced on the sidelines of the 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton.

Clinton to Join OSCE Summit
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will attend the 2010 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Summit December 1-2 in Kazakhstan, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake says.

U.S. Navy Rescues Iranian Sailors
U.S. Navy sailors come to the assistance of two stranded Iranian mariners in the Persian Gulf, providing them with care until they could be picked up by an Iranian coast guard vessel.

Teaming Up to Save the Tiger
The United States, Russia and others are meeting at the 2010 International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, November 21–25 to find new ways to protect the world’s ever-dwindling population of tigers.

Photo Gallery: Nueva York (1613-1945)
This fall, the exhibit “Nueva York (1613-1945)” will document four centuries of cross-cultural influence and cooperation between Latin America and Spain and New York. This photo gallery shows some of the pieces on display in the exhibit. At right, a baseball used by Esteban Bellán, who in 1869 became the first Latin American ballplayer to play in the major leagues.

President Obama in Portugal for NATO Summit

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First Asia, now Europe. After a whirlwind tour of India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan, President Obama is now in Lisbon, Portugal to meet with his Allied counterparts at the NATO Summit. While there, he will also attend the U.S.–European Union Summit.

NATO has a number of issues on its agenda for this Summit, including developing a plan to begin the gradual phase out of U.S. forces and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, approving a new Strategic Concept that forms the blueprint for future NATO operations, and discussing plans for a limited missile defense system for Europe.

In an opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune yesterday the president said about Europe:

“With no other region does the United States have such a close alignment of values, interests, capabilities and goals…. Neither Europe nor the United States can confront the challenges of our time without the other. These summits are thus an opportunity to deepen our cooperation even further and to ensure that NATO — the most successful alliance in human history — remains as relevant in this century as it was in the last.”

Do you agree with President Obama’s assertion that neither Europe nor the United States can confront today’s challenges without the either?

The NATO and U.S.-E.U. Summits / Fighting Cholera in Haiti / Persian Poetry in New York

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President Obama heads to the NATO and U.S.-E.U. Summits in Lisbon, Portugal. Learn what the United States is doing to help Haiti battle a cholera outbreak. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton releases a study on religious freedom and discusses the importance of protecting Americans traveling overseas. According to a new report, Asian water supplies are at risk. A top U.S. terrorism official says cooperation among nations has been successful in fighting terrorism. A group of African journalists discuss professional issues. And, in New York City, a museum displays linkages between New York and the Spanish world, while a bar showcases Persian poetry.

Upcoming NATO and EU Summits
President Obama, right, will be attending the 2010 NATO and U.S.-European Union Summits in Lisbon on November 19th and 20th. The meetings are intended to demonstrate the central role of the United States’ relationship with Europe and the U.S.-European capability to meet global challenges.



An “Aggressive Campaign” Against Cholera
U.S. officials promise an “aggressive campaign” to help Haitian authorities fight the spread of cholera in their country through prevention techniques such as providing clean, chlorinated drinking water, oral rehydration therapy, education and additional funding to expand cholera treatment centers.

Religious Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy
Promoting religious freedom is a core element of U.S. diplomacy, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says in releasing the 2010 Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom.

Protecting Americans Overseas
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important for the State Department and the American private sector to cooperate on protecting Americans who travel overseas.

Asian Water Supplies at Risk
A new report from the U.S. Agency for International Development outlines steps that can help mitigate the impacts of climate-change-induced glacier melt in the greater Himalayas area.

Nations Team Up Against Terror
Cooperation among nations fighting the global war on terror has been remarkable in the nine years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

African Journalists in the U.S.
African journalists visiting the United States as part of the fifth Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists have a lot to say about professional standards and freedom of the press as they finished their three-week stay in the United States.

Spanish Connections in NY
This fall, the exhibit “Nueva York (1613-1945),” a collaboration of El Museo Del Barrio and the New-York Historical Society, will document four centuries of cross-cultural influence and cooperation between Latin America and Spain and New York.

In NY, New Persian Poetry
Since beginning five years ago, the Persian Arts Festival in New York has grown to offer music, films and other visual arts as well as literary events. Its audience is “very diverse,” says founder Mona Kayhan, including many people with no personal connection to Iran or Persian culture. At right, Sholeh Wolpé reads aloud from her work at the festival. 

Protecting Americans Overseas / New Afghan Power Transfer Plan / An Interfaith Thanksgiving

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important to protect Americans traveling overseas. A top U.S. terrorism official says cooperation among nation’s has been successful in fighting terrorism. At the upcoming NATO summit, a new Afghan power transfer plan will be announced. Through two different State Department programs, a group of Gaza entrepreneurs and a group of 100 young foreign legislators visit the U.S. Also, thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the U.S. attend an education fair in Tripoli. 19 artifacts illegally taken from King Tut’s tomb are returning to Egypt. And finally, a minister, a rabbi and an iman come together to celebrate an interfaith Thanksgiving.

Protecting Americans Overseas
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important for the State Department and the American private sector to cooperate on protecting Americans who travel overseas. Speaking to security professionals in Washington, Clinton, right, says the Obama administration knows “how important it is not to withdraw from the world,” despite the risks that many private Americans must take when traveling.



Nations Team Up Against Terror
Cooperation among nations fighting the global war on terror has been remarkable in the nine years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

New Afghan Power Transfer Plan
The United States and its NATO partners are preparing to announce plans to transfer security control of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces to the Afghans by the end of 2014. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder says that in addition to Afghanistan, another key issue of the upcoming summit will be the adoption of a new 21st-century Strategic Concept.

Gaza Entrepreneurs Visit U.S.
Ten Gaza entrepreneurs recently made a three-week tour of America through a program sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, an International Visitor Leadership Program entitled “Entrepreneurship and Business Management.”

Future Foreign Leaders Visit
More than 100 young legislators and activists from 17 countries came to the United States this fall to learn about U.S. government, to see the U.S. midterm election, and to engage in learning sessions hosted by U.S. law makers.

In Libya, a U.S. Education Fair
Thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the United States attended the “2010 Study in the USA Education Fair” November 6–7 at Al-Fateh University in Tripoli.

Artifacts Go Back to Egypt
Artifacts illegally taken from the Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamun’s tomb are going home, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art will formally return 19 artifacts to Egypt. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, hailed the return as “a wonderful gesture.”

An Interfaith Thanksgiving
Learning more about other religious faiths helps strengthen one’s own, say a minister, a rabbi and an imam. The three came together recently — as they have each year for the last five years — to celebrate a joint interfaith service of thanksgiving with at least 200 people from the three congregations. At right, Imam Abu Nahidian, Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer and Reverend David Gray.

A Busy Day in Brussels || An Environmental Success Story || A “Paradigm Shift” in Health Care

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Busy in Brussels, Secretary Clinton discusses NATO and Pakistan. There’s hope ahead of a crucial vote in Sudan. A new initiative is spurring interfaith action to improve Muslim countries. China and the U.S. are partnering on air quality. Counterfeit drugs are a pandemic. And finally, experts call for a “paradigm shift” in health care in Africa.


NATO’s 21st Century Threats
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to focus on 21st century threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks and ballistic missiles. “Relying on the strategies of the past simply will not suffice” says Clinton, right with Gates. The two also express support for the alliance’s proposed Strategic Concept.


Taxing Pakistan’s Wealthy
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Pakistan to collect taxes on its wealthier citizens in order to help pay for the country’s recovery from flooding that could ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars.

The Timeline in Sudan
Following a week-long visit to southern Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice reports that the Sudanese people remain hopeful ahead of a January 9, 2011 referendum on the region’s independence.

“Partners for a New Beginning”
Partners for a New Beginning (PNB), an initiative joining American private sector and civil society leaders to strengthen opportunities in Muslim countries, adds further support to President Obama’s vision of “a new beginning” for the United States and Muslim communities across the globe.

A U.S.-China Success Story
AirNow International, a joint U.S.-China air quality program, is cited as a bilateral success by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson during a visit to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.

The Danger of Counterfeit Drugs
The key to fighting a global “pandemic” of counterfeit drugs is building partnerships among drug companies, pharmaceutical trade groups, law enforcement and customs officials worldwide, experts say. Rubie Mages, a security official with U.S. drug manufacturer Pfizer, says pharmaceutical companies must “monitor the supply chain” and report counterfeit drugs to authorities.

Changing Health Care in Africa
Experts say a “paradigm shift” is needed in health care in Africa to include greater focus on the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and not just infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS. Silver Bahendeka, chair of the International Diabetes Association’s Africa region, predicts that “Africa will have the highest percentage of increase in the number of people with diabetes over the next 20 years.” Left, Archbishop Desmond Tutu is examined for diabetes in South Africa.

The Democratic Nations of NATO

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building with flags

NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

Fact: The 28 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are all democracies.

How do I know this? Well, I could have just looked it up on the NATO Web site, but I actually learned this bit of democracy trivia while away on a six-month assignment to the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium.

In between all the snack breaks for delicious Belgian chocolate and “frites,” I learned that countries wishing to enter NATO are encouraged to, if needed, undertake democratic reforms (for example, the establishment of civilian and democratic control over military forces), and have to demonstrate that they possess a “functioning democratic political system based on a market economy.” In this way, for certain countries, NATO membership becomes an incentive for democratization.

Of course, democratic reforms aren’t the only requirements for membership —others include the ability and willingness to make a military contribution to NATO operations and being a European state — but they are the requirements we’re interested in talking about on this blog. Countries that are currently at some point along the path to ascension are Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

So, membership to international organizations as an incentive for democratic reforms: What do we think?

Day 74: NATO faces a “new era of global threats”

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President Obama lauded NATO’ accomplishments over the past 60 years at an anniversary summit today in Strasbourg, France. “But while we celebrate NATO’s achievements, we can’t rest upon them. The 21st century has ushered in a new era of global threats. To meet these dangers, the alliance must renew and reform itself once more,” he said.

Among those dangers are terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This topic was a focus of NATO meetings as Obama has been seeking support for his new Afghan strategy.

NATO members agreed to provide about 5,000 troops and trainers to provide civilian assistance ahead of Afghanistan’s August elections. “All of NATO understands that al Qaeda is a threat to all of us, and that this collective security effort must achieve its goals,” the president said.

Day 70: Preparing to take the international stage

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Barack Obama and Michelle Obama
Tomorrow marks the beginning of something First 100 Days’ author has been eagerly awaiting since January 20: Barack Obama’s first major international trip. Many Americans have high expectations for this trip, as do audiences overseas.

The president, who left today for London with his wife Michelle, has a packed agenda. Tomorrow he will meet with world leaders including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao. But the meeting that perhaps will generate the most buzz is the one between the Obamas and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, as they sit down for tea.

On April 2, the president participates in the G20 summit of advanced and emerging market economies. Then he’s off to Strasbourg, France and Kehl, Germany for the 60th anniversary NATO summit April 3-4. This is followed by a stop in Prague, Czech Republic for an EU summit and a day in Ankara and Instanbul, Turkey, April 6.

For a more detailed preview of the president’s travels, see “Obama Heads to Europe with Extensive Schedule.”

Are you as excited about this trip as I am? What are your expectations of Obama? Post your comments below and keep checking First 100 Days and America.gov for the latest updates.