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Category Archives: NATO

NATO draws a hard line in the cybersand

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But the assurances of a military response tied to Article 5 are not easily converted to the digital world, Libicki said.

"In most categories of war, you have to defeat the other guy shooting back, but in the cyberworld you can do a lot just by building up your defenses," he said. "When you put cyberwarfare into the template of conventional warfare, you end up drawing a lot of conclusions that don't make sense."

But Dave Merkel, CTO of cybersecurity firm FireEye, said he isn't surprised by Friday's announcement, given the severe damage that can be caused by a cyberattack. Still, he said, governments may find it difficult to attribute the origin of a digital offensive.

Read MoreNATO: Russia 'attacking' Ukraine as rift widens

While both Libicki and Merkel agreed that many NATO members could determine the origin of an attack, those governments may not be eager to reveal their intelligence and technological capabilities.

Yet even nongovernmental firms are sometimes able to positively identify cyberattacks: In 2013, Mandiant (since acquired by FireEye) released a report detailing a wide body of evidence that a Chinese government group had conducted a widespread cyber-espionage campaign. China denies engaging in cyber-espionage.

NATO's biggest problem with enforcing a hard line against cyberattacks may simply be the wide proliferation of such warfare.

A single hacker can launch hundreds of varied attacks in a short period of time, meaning that governments may find it nearly impossible to identify, attribute and respond to cyberstrikes in a timely manner, Merkel said.

By CNBC's Everett Rosenfeld

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NATO draws a hard line in the cybersand

NATO rattles cybersabers-but experts have doubts

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But the assurances of a military response tied to Article 5 are not easily converted to the digital world, Libicki said.

"In most categories of war, you have to defeat the other guy shooting back, but in the cyberworld you can do a lot just by building up your defenses," he said. "When you put cyberwarfare into the template of conventional warfare, you end up drawing a lot of conclusions that don't make sense."

But Dave Merkel, CTO of cybersecurity firm FireEye, said he isn't surprised by Friday's announcement, given the severe damage that can be caused by a cyberattack. Still, he said, governments may find it difficult to attribute the origin of a digital offensive.

Read MoreNATO: Russia 'attacking' Ukraine as rift widens

While both Libicki and Merkel agreed that many NATO members could determine the origin of an attack, those governments may not be eager to reveal their intelligence and technological capabilities.

Yet even nongovernmental firms are sometimes able to positively identify cyberattacks: In 2013, Mandiant (since acquired by FireEye) released a report detailing a wide body of evidence that a Chinese government group had conducted a widespread cyber-espionage campaign. China denies engaging in cyber-espionage.

NATO's biggest problem with enforcing a hard line against cyberattacks may simply be the wide proliferation of such warfare.

A single hacker can launch hundreds of varied attacks in a short period of time, meaning that governments may find it nearly impossible to identify, attribute and respond to cyberstrikes in a timely manner, Merkel said.

By CNBC's Everett Rosenfeld

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NATO rattles cybersabers-but experts have doubts

Canada says its frigate buzzed by Russian warplanes during NATO drill

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Russia has made clear once again that it doesn't want NATO forces on its borders. Or on its shores. Or anywhere near foreign territory it occupies.

Canadian Defense Minister Rob Nicholson has accused the Kremlin of sending three warplanes to buzz its navy frigate Toronto on Sunday while it was taking part in NATO exercises in international waters of the Black Sea.

"While the Russian military aircraft that circled the HMCS Toronto did not in any way pose a threat to the Canadian ship, their actions were unnecessarily provocative and risk escalating tensions even further," Nicholson said Monday in a statement issued in Ottawa.

The tensions he referred to emanate from months of fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine -- a conflict inspired by Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in late February and annexation of the strategic Black Sea peninsula in mid-March.

The United States and its allies in the 28-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of violating international law with the Crimean land grab and of destabilizing southeastern Ukraine by sending Russian soldiers and weapons across the border.

"Canada and its allies are taking part in reassurance measures as a direct result of the Putin regimes military aggression and invasion of Ukraine," Nicholson said in his statement, calling the exercises a message that "Russia's reckless actions must stop."

Russia's Defense Ministry responded with a denial that its warplanes flew around the Canadian vessel and the assertion that they had done nothing wrong.

"The Russian Air Force planes flight path ran through a region where a ship from the Canadian navy, the Toronto, was located but did not approach the foreign warship, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told the RIA Novosti agency.

The two supersonic Su-24 Fencer fighter jets and an An-26 Curl military transport executed their scheduled flights "strictly in line with international rules," Konashenkov said.

Russian media cast the reported encounter as the result of a NATO buildup of forces around Russia following the Crimea annexation, which the state-run agencies refer to as the result of a local vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

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Canada says its frigate buzzed by Russian warplanes during NATO drill

NATO Creates Spearhead Force to Deter Russia

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By John-Thor Dahlburg

The Associated Press

Published: September 10, 2014 (Issue # 1828)

Three NATO ships taking part in the multinational Sea Breeze 2014 military exercise, which started on Monday in the Black Sea. Photo: NATO

NEWPORT, Wales NATOs creation of a rapid-reaction spearhead force to protect Eastern Europe from Russian bullying reflects a cool-eyed calculation that Vladimir Putin and his generals wont risk head-to-head confrontation with the U.S. and its nuclear-capable Western European allies.

The new force will be small, with just a few thousand troops, but its a powerful message from major powers that theyre willing to follow through on NATOs eastward expansion with their own metal and blood.

Why would this be enough? said Gen. Sir Adrian Bradshaw, NATOs deputy supreme European commander. Well, precisely because in becoming embroiled in a conflict with capable combat forces from across the alliance, a potential aggressor recognizes that they are taking on the whole of NATO and all that implies.

I dont think that anyone believes that Russia wants a strategic conflict with NATO, the British army general said. Anybody would be insane to wish that.

The force was ordered into life on Sept. 5 by President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders at a summit meeting in Wales to deter Putin and make NATOs most vulnerable members, such as Poland, Romania and the Baltic republics, feel safer from Russias million-strong armed forces in light of Moscows military involvement in Ukraine.

Ukraine is not a NATO member and not directly under its defense umbrella, but three other former Soviet republics have joined the alliance since the end of the Cold War, as well as the former Soviet satellite states of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (formerly one country), Romania and Bulgaria.

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NATO Creates Spearhead Force to Deter Russia

Georgia Seeks NATO Membership: Ex-Soviet State reiterates aspiration to join NATO – Video

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Georgia Seeks NATO Membership: Ex-Soviet State reiterates aspiration to join NATO
Former Soviet state Georgia has reiterated its aspiration to join NATO. Georgia #39;s Defence Minister said that the country was enacting the required reforms to...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Georgia Seeks NATO Membership: Ex-Soviet State reiterates aspiration to join NATO - Video

NATO is using the crisis in Ukraine as a pretext to move its forces closer to Russias borders – Video

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NATO is using the crisis in Ukraine as a pretext to move its forces closer to Russias borders
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the decision by the Western military alliance to create a rapid response force will sabotage the peace process in ...

By: PressTV News Videos

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NATO is using the crisis in Ukraine as a pretext to move its forces closer to Russias borders - Video

Could nearby NATO member states benefit from the Ukraine crisis? – Video

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Could nearby NATO member states benefit from the Ukraine crisis?
While much of Ukraine #39;s future seems to be in the hands of Russia #39;s Putin, other NATO member states concerned about Russian aggression may end up benefiting from the conflict. Kimberly Marten,...

By: PBS NewsHour

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Could nearby NATO member states benefit from the Ukraine crisis? - Video

NATO, Oil and Why All Yes Voters Hate Their Children (apparently) #IndyRef Mid-Weekly Review #2 – Video

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NATO, Oil and Why All Yes Voters Hate Their Children (apparently) #IndyRef Mid-Weekly Review #2
This week, Miriam takes a look at developments in the world of oil and NATO, as well as a glance at Better Together #39;s most recent campaign. Miriam also talks about the vision that Generation...

By: Stephen Paton

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NATO, Oil and Why All Yes Voters Hate Their Children (apparently) #IndyRef Mid-Weekly Review #2 - Video

LIVE – David Cameron statement to MPs on NATO Summit – Truthloader – Video

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LIVE - David Cameron statement to MPs on NATO Summit - Truthloader
Prime Minister David Cameron gives a statement to MPs in the House of Commons updating them with what was decided at the NATO Summit last week. Footage from Parbul Subscribe to our channel:...

By: Truthloader

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LIVE - David Cameron statement to MPs on NATO Summit - Truthloader - Video

US-Ukraine Naval Exercises: Ukrainian and NATO warships perform Black Sea drills near Odesa – Video

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US-Ukraine Naval Exercises: Ukrainian and NATO warships perform Black Sea drills near Odesa
Ukraine and the United States have begun naval exercises on the Black Sea near the Ukrainian port of Odesa. The manoeuvres, given the official name #39;Sea Breeze #39; will be focused on international...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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US-Ukraine Naval Exercises: Ukrainian and NATO warships perform Black Sea drills near Odesa - Video

NATO trumpets 'resolve' against threats

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BRUSSELS, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- NATO leaders are aiming to strengthen alliance capabilities amid Russian aggression in the Ukraine and growing threats elsewhere that threaten Europe.

First, leaders of the 28 member countries meeting in Wales last week resolved to maintain a continuous air, land, and sea presence in Eastern Europe -- including the Baltics -- on a rotational basis given Russian machinations in the region.

They also agreed to create a rapid response force.

"This spearhead will include several thousand land troops ready to deploy within a few days with air, sea and Special Forces support," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The force plan includes a command-and-control presence, reception facilities and pre-positioned equipment.

"This is a demonstration of our solidarity and resolve," Fogh Rasmussen said. "In these turbulent times, NATO must be prepared to undertake the full range of missions and to defend allies against the full range of threats."

The demonstration of resolve comes amid months of tension in Europe over Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and action by pro-Russian insurrectionists -- reportedly with active Russian involvement -- to take other parts of the Ukraine, which was once part of the Soviet empire. The belligerence from Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to European and American protests -- and actions such as sanctions against Russia -- has done nothing to dampen fears of a return to Cold War footing, not to mention fears for the future of territorial integrity in Baltic countries.

Canada, Germany, Portugal, Britain and others perform rotational air patrols in the region as a message to Moscow.

NATO leaders also agreed to put their money where their mouth is by reversing years of declining defense spending by member states.

NATO said the allies will focus their military budgets over the next 10 years to meet the "existing NATO guideline of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense and with a view to meeting NATO capability priorities."

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NATO trumpets 'resolve' against threats


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