Hwasong-12 missiles AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

BRUSSELS, August 11. /TASS/. In case North Korea attacked the US Pacific military bases, NATO countries will not be automatically involved in the conflict on the current legal basis, a NATO official told TASS on Friday.

"The decision of the North Atlantic Council [NATOs principal political decision-making body - TASS] is what would matter in any particular case," the official said.

The NATO source added that "Article 6 of the Washington Treaty defines the geographical scope of Article 5 primarily as territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America or islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic Area north of the Tropic of Cancer." "Invoking Article 5 is ultimately a political decision," the NATO official added.

This week, Washington and Pyongyang have several times exchanged sharp statements. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told reporters that North Korea should stop threatening the United States, otherwise Washington will answer with "fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen." North Koreas Central News Agency (KCNA) later reported that Pyongyang was "carefully examining" plans for a missile strike on the Andersen Air Force Base located on the US Pacific territory of Guam.

At the same time, KCNA issued a detailed statement saying that a relevant plan is expected to be ready by mid-August. According to the plan, four Hwasong-12 missiles will fly around 3,400 kilometers, particularly crossing Japans airspace, and land in water 30-40 kilometers off the Guam coast. In Pyongyangs opinion, this step will be aimed at deterring the US forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tensions around the Korean Peninsula started to rise in light of the implementation of the North Korean missile program. In July, Pyongyang conducted two ballistic missile tests which provoked a sharp response from the United States, Japan and South Korea. Washington has been repeatedly stating that no option including the use of military force could be ruled out.

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NATO comments on North Korea's possible attack on US Pacific base - TASS

Coming to the rescue, slowly.

The D-Day landings in 1944 were the most complex military operation in history, but at least the GIs didnt need to get their passports stamped on Omaha Beach. It sounds absurd, but today U.S. and NATO forces have to contend with such formalities, and more besides, as they go about their business of defending Europe.

Obviously, in the event of war, these bureaucratic impediments would be lifted. But so far as possible they should also be lifted for the purpose of preparing for war. Better coordination and compatibility among the allies requires a good hard look at the current arrangements.

Under U.S. leadership, NATOs military partners recently completed Operation Saber Guardian in Eastern Europe; involving 25,000 troops over 10 days, it was the largest such exercise this year. For militaries that have spent more than a decade focused on fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and the Middle East, it was a vital refresher course in conventional warfare. It also helped assure the Eastern European members that the West has their back.

Along the way, forces ran into all manner of speed bumps, literal and metaphorical. For example, when the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, was flying from Bulgaria to Romania to oversee a live-fire exercise on the Black Sea, he was told to land at a Romanian air base and clear customs. He endured a similar situation involving passports in Hungary.

Forces moving eastward were unable to use roads and bridges with strict vehicle weight limits. Others ran afoul of summer-travel rules and noise ordinances. Some airports, railways and tunnels proved unable to handle newer military planes and trucks. In general,NATOs 28 members require an average of15 daysfor diplomatic clearance before troops or military equipment can move across their borders.

All this has led Hodges to call for a military Schengen Zone, modeled on the European Union agreement allowing unhindered travel across borders. At a NATO meeting in June, Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert called for this to be done. It isnt straightforward: For one thing, some EU members arent part of NATO. But Schengen is an apt model. As Hodges puts it, NATO needs something that would allow a military convoy to move across Europe as fast as a migrant is able to move across Europe.

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Russia, emboldened by its easy annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, is about to stage an exercise involving as many as100,000 troops on its western border. The alliance and the U.S. have also stepped up their presence lately, rotating an additional four armored combat brigades, some 4,500 troops each, through Poland and the Balticstates. Still, NATOs easternmost members are feeling increasingly vulnerable.

Nobody wants war, but projecting a credible response is a vital part of deterrence. The Kremlin can hardly feel imperiled by a NATO force hemmed in by customs officials.

--Editors: Tobin Harshaw, Clive Crook.

To contact the senior editor responsible for Bloomberg Views editorials: David Shipley at davidshipley@bloomberg.net .

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NATO Troops Can't Fight If They're Stuck at Customs - Bloomberg

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Russia's biggest war game in Europe since the cold war alarms NATO - The Economist

GETTY

The leader of the Democratic Socialist Party and former European Parliament President said that the increase is a bad idea because of Germanys past.

Mr Schulz has argued for developing a European defence union and ultimately a European army.

He said in an article co-written with German politician Thomas Oppermann: "Merkel and the Christian Democratic Union make themselves small vis-a-vis Donald Trump when they answer his provocations around the two-percent target by saying, 'Okay, fine, we'll put in more money,' as if we didn't have any better ideas what to do.

They said that increased military spending should be matched by humanitarian aid, crisis prevention and diplomacy.

REUTERS

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U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May react during a ceremony at the new NATO headquarters in Brussels

GETTY

Mr Oppermann has called for more investment in Germanys own army, the Bundeswehr, rather than adhere to an arbitrary spending goal.

He said: Defence expenditures will increase, but this must not be followed by an irrelevant quotas logic, but a comprehensive security logic.

The staunch opposition will likely infuriate Washington as the issue of contributions to the alliance has been raised repeatedly by Trump.

Trump said that Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO because of their consistent failure to meet the target.

Defence Minister Ursula Von der Leyen said that it was in Europes best interest that Berlin keeps its promise to increase NATO spending, which was agreed by all members in 2006.

She called the SPDs rhetoric part of a totally messed up election campaign.

The German elections are held on September 24 and the SPD currently trails behind the CPU by double digits in the polls.

Originally posted here:

Former EU President and Merkel challenger rejects NATO spending in favour of European ARMY - Express.co.uk

ISLAMABAD

Officials in Afghanistan say overnight counterterrorism airstrikes by international forces in eastern Nangarhar province have killed at least 16 civilians, including women and children.

Saaz Wali, the top administrator of the Haska Mina district where the casualties occurred, told VOA Friday the airstrikes struck a vehicle and a group of civilians in two separate areas.

Eight of the victims were in the vehicle and belonged to the same family, he added.

Were looking into the allegations and will provide an update when appropriate, a spokesman for NATOs Resolute Support mission told VOA.

Local security officials confirmed Afghan forces, backed by foreign airpower, are conducting counterterrorism operations against Islamic State militants in the district. Several districts of Nangarhar have IS militants, according to U.S. and Afghan officials.

Taliban insurgents also are active in many districts of the province. A spokesman for the Islamist insurgency, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed that shortly after missiles hit the vehicle, local residents rushed and gathered near the site when a second airstrike targeted and killed them.

The armed conflict in Afghanistan has killed more than 1,700 civilians and wounded many more since the beginning of 2017, according to United Nations documentation of civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, the U.N Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it has completed its probe into the killings of dozens of civilians in the northern province of Sar-e-Pul and promised to issue its findings soon.

The massacre of about 50 men, women and children earlier this week took place in the Sayad district. Local officials said Taliban insurgents and Islamic State loyalists jointly carried out the bloodshed. But the Taliban has denied its involvement, saying official claims are a baseless propaganda against the group.

We are deeply concerned by the harrowing reports of civilians being killed and atrocities being committed, said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto.

UNAMA, however, has urged all parties to refrain from exploiting harrowing events for political purposes and before basic facts are established.

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NATO Probing Reports Airstrikes Caused Civilian Casualties - Voice of America

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili addresses servicemen from the US and Georgia participating in the joint multinational military exercise Noble Partner 2017, at an airbase outside Tbilisi, Georgia, August 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is continuing massive military drills in Georgia near Russia.

Some 2,800 troops from the US, the UK, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine, Slovenia, Armenia, and Georgia were participating in a live-fire combat operation on the 12th day of the so-called Noble Partner 2017 war games at the Vaziani Military Base, around 20 kilometers outside the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Thursday.

The exercises are being held in Georgia for the third time.

Russian officials have not commented on the event yet, but in previous years, Moscow had warned that drills could destabilize the region, a charge denied by Georgian officials and US diplomats.

In May last year, when the previous round of the war games began in Georgia, Moscow slammed the move and called the war games a provocative step.

Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, is not a member of NATO but it contributes to the NATO Response Force (NRF). It also says that joint exercises are important for the country to strengthen ties and partnership with the military bloc.

Russia is generally unsettled by NATOs move eastward, considering it a threat to its security.

In recent years, NATO has staged multiple war games near Russias western borders, arguing that it intended to protect its members in Eastern Europe against the so-called Russian threat. Moscow dismissed allegations of such a threat, saying that the US-led bloc is creating Russophobia.

In July 15, NATO carried out military drills in Romania. On June 19, it staged war games on the border between Poland and Lithuania. A 10-day simultaneous exercise, called Iron Wolf, was also conducted in Lithuania.

NATO has also been attempting to co-opt countries near Russia, enticing them to formally join the Western military alliance.

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NATO continuing massive multinational military exercises in Georgia - Press TV

Former ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said he doesnt see North Korea backing down but believes going to war with the rogue nation would be a mistake on MSNBCs Morning Joe Thursday.

I just dont see theNorth Koreansbacking down, Burns said. There is no reason for us to be threatening a war with North Korea right now. It really is time for diplomacy.

Burns praised the15-0 votefor sanctions against North Korea, calling it a big step forward, but expressed concern over Chinas involvement in the escalation. Diplomacy between Beijing and Washington is as critical now as any other part of this crisis, he said.

Burns suggested empowering Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to threaten secondary sanctions on Chinese and other companies that do business with North Korea to force a response.

I think we have to put together a bigger coalition in Asia to try isolate the North Koreans but I dont think that war is imminent, Burns said.

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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [emailprotected].

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Former Ambassador To NATO Says North Korea Won't Back Down [VIDEO] - The Daily Caller

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Raul Khadzhimba, the leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia | Alexey Druzhinin/AFP via Getty Images

Russian president visits Abkhazia on anniversary of brief war over the territory.

By David M. Herszenhorn

8/8/17, 6:39 PM CET

NATO rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for visiting the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia on the ninth anniversary of a brief war over the territory and another disputed region, South Ossetia.

Russia has all but annexed the two regions, which exist only thanks to Russian economic aid and the protection of the Russian military and security services. Putin signed an agreement effectively integrating South Ossetia in 2015 and a similar treaty with Abkhazia in 2014.

Russia has been accused repeatedly by Georgia and the West of further encroaching on Georgias territorial sovereignty by surreptitiouslymoving the borders.

Putin met Tuesday with the president of Abkhazia, Raul Khadzhimba, in the Black Sea resort town of Pitsunda, and a NATO spokesman in Brussels quickly denounced the Russian leaders move.

President Putins visit to the Abkhazia region of Georgia on the ninth anniversary of the armed conflict is detrimental to international efforts to find a peaceful and negotiated settlement, the spokesman, Dylan White, said in a statement. We regret that this visit was carried out without prior consent of the Georgian authorities.

NATO is united in full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally-recognized borders, White said. We will not recognize any attempts to change the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions of Georgia.

At Putins meeting, the Russian and Abkhazian health ministers signed an agreement to extend Russian government health insurance to Russian citizens living in Abkhazia. Effectively, all residents of Abkhazia can obtain Russian citizenship.

Guests, from wherever they come, including from Russia, should understand and feel that they are under reliable protection, Putin said at the meeting, according to a statement by the Kremlin.

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NATO criticizes Putin visit to disputed Georgia territory - POLITICO.eu

By

August 7, 2017, 7:00 PM EDT August 8, 2017, 8:41 AM EDT

The Republic of Macedonias new government is stepping up its efforts to join NATO, arguing that membership in the military alliance will protect the Balkan nation from Russia interfering in its affairs, the countrys defense minister said.

Influences interfering in this strategic goal arent helpful, and theyre not friendly, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska said in an interview in Skopje last week. Weve seen some leaks, even before the government was elected, about Russian attempts for influence in key political and security areas. And we have been concerned about them. We believe Macedonian NATO membership can put an end to these attempts.

After undergoing the first change in leadership in more than a decade in June, the nation of 2 million people is trying to rejuvenate its efforts to join the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

As part of that push,Prime Minister Zoran Zaevs government is trying to rebuild regional ties after accusing the previous administration of deliberately fueling a naming dispute with Greece dating back to 1991, when the nation broke away from Yugoslavia and called itself Republic of Macedonia. Greece, which blocked its neighbors attempts to join NATO because of the dispute, believes that to be a territorial claim on its neighboring northern province of the same name.

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While some countries that gained independence after the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s have joined the EU and NATO, laggards like the Republic of Macedonia are now caught in a power struggle between Russia on one side and Europe and the U.S. on the other. Tensions escalated after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting the biggest standoff with the U.S. since the Cold War. They deepened further after U.S. President Donald Trump raised questions about the future of NATO and relations with Moscow.

Russia remains opposed to NATO expansion in Europe and has been accused of trying to derail the regions western accession efforts. Last year, Montenegros government said the Kremlin led a failed coup during parliamentary elections, allegations that Russia denies.

Sekerinska, the 45-year-old deputy chairwoman of the ruling Social Democratic Union, said the cabinet was seeking to improve ties with Greece and commit to domestic reforms within nine months to be able to join NATO as soon as possible.

The yield on the Republic of Macedonias euro-denominated bonds maturing in July 2023 fell two basis points to an all-time low of 3.87 percent at 2:03 p.m. in Skopje.

The country needs to address issues regarding the rule of law and judicial independence that are now seen as a problem for Macedonias NATO entry, Sekerinska said.

Well stay committed to making these reforms a reality, but well keep asking NATO member states to appreciate these efforts, take into account the results and make decisions as soon as possible, she said.

As it strives to follow the example of Montenegro, which joined the alliance in June, the country will start boosting defense spending in 2018 from below 1 percent of gross domestic product, she said.

The governments efforts may not be rewarded soon, said Dimitar Bechev, a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center.

Greece has given no indication that it will step back on the name dispute any time soon, he said by phone.

Sekerinska, who also serves as a deputy premier, hailed last weeks visit of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to Montenegro, which she said delivered a key message that removed all doubts from earlier this year about whether the U.S. remains committed to NATO and the region.

Those doubts have disappeared, she said.

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Republic of Macedonia Eyes NATO to Ward Off Russian Interference - Bloomberg

A German Tornado jet is pictured on the ground at the air base in Incirlik, Turkey | Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images

Members of the German parliament will visit troops stationed at an air base near Konya in September.

By Connor Murphy

8/8/17, 2:16 PM CET

The Turkish government will allow German lawmakers to visit soldiers stationed at an airbase in Turkey as part of a NATO delegation next month, local media reported Tuesday.

In a letter to the head of Germanys parliamentary defense committee, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the Turkish government agreed to a NATO proposal which allows German members of parliament to visit troops stationed at an air base near Konya on September 8.

Gabriel said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlt avuolu agreed to the proposal.

Germany withdrew its troops from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey in July after Ankara repeatedly refused to grant German lawmakers access to the base. Turkey also blocked a delegation of MPs from visiting the air base near Konya in mid-July.

Under the proposal, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller can take up to seven members of the German parliamentary defense committee with her on a trip to Konya.

This is in our interest, said Wolfgang Hellmich, chairman of the parliamentary defense committee. This is an important step in making it clear to NATO that the right to visit is indispensable.

Hellmich added that visiting as part of a NATO delegation does not replace a Bundestag visit, but is an important step to defuse a conflict that was not at all useful to NATO.

The move comes as the diplomatic rift between Ankara and Berlin continues to worsen. On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan accused Germany of abetting terrorists. EU Budget Commissioner Gnther Oettinger told Bild on Monday it was very unlikely the EU would hand over the remainder of a promised 4.3 billion of pre-accession aid to Turkey because of the countrys recent autocratic turn.

Originally posted here:

Turkey grants German lawmakers access to soldiers as part of NATO trip - POLITICO.eu

Will Ruger noticed that Pence repeated the pledge to bring Georgia into NATO during his visit there last week:

Pence stated, President Trump and the United States stand firmly behind the 2008 NATO Bucharest statement which made it clear that Georgia will, someday, become a member.

Since this week marks the ninth anniversary of the August 2008 war, it is worth remembering that the commitment made at the Bucharest summit earlier that year significantly added to the tensions between Russia and Georgia. If it had been up to George W. Bush, Georgia and Ukraine would have both received Membership Action Plans, but even the promise of future membership was dangerously provocative. Promising that Georgia would one day become a member of the alliance alarmed Moscow and gave false encouragement to the Georgian government.

Combined with other expressions of U.S. support for Georgia during the Bush years, this commitment by the alliance led then-President Saakashvili to believe that the U.S. and other Western powers would come to Georgias aid in the event of a conflict. He recklessly escalated the low-level conflict in South Ossetia and triggered a war with Russia by shelling Tskhinvali, where Russian troops were stationed in a supposed peacekeeping role. That attack provided Russia with the pretext to invade. The rhetorical support for Georgia proved to be meaningless, and the war drove home how big of a liability Georgia would be as an ally.

As a result of the war, Russia recognized the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, thus making their reintegration into Georgia much less likely than it was before the war. If Georgias NATO aspirations were fanciful before the 2008 war, they became preposterous after it. Reviving talk of Georgias future NATO membership today is irresponsible and dangerous. It is also cruel to keep giving Georgia more false encouragement that it will be able to join the alliance at some point. It isnt going to happen, and it does no one any good to keep pretending otherwise.

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Georgia Shouldn't (and Won't) Be a NATO Member - The American Conservative

NATO l tn tt ca T chc Hip c Bc i Ty Dng (ting Anh: North Atlantic Treaty Organization; ting Php: Organisation du Trait de l'Atlantique Nord v vit tt l OTAN) l mt lin minh qun s da trn Hip c Bc i Ty Dng c k kt vo ngy 4 thng 4 nm 1949 bao gm M v mt s nc chu u (cc nc 2 bn b i Ty Dng), vi mc ch thit lp mt lin minh phng th trong cc nc thnh vin thc hin phng th chung khi b tn cng bi bn ngoi.

Ba thnh vin ca NATO l thnh vin thng trc ca Hi ng Bo an Lin Hip Quc vi quyn ph quyt v l cc nc s hu v kh ht nhn: M, Php v Anh. Tr s chnh ca NATO t ti Brussels, B,[3], ni Supreme Allied Commander ta lc. B l mt trong 28 quc gia thnh vin NATO ti Bc M v chu u, v mi nht trong s cc thnh vin l cc nc Albania v Croatia, tham gia vo thng 4 nm 2009. Mt 22 quc gia khc tham gia vi t cch i tc quan h ca NATO trong chng trnh Ha bnh, v 15 quc gia khc tham gia vo cc chng trnh i thoi th ch ha. Chi ph qun s ca NATO chim 70% chi ph qun s th gii, ring M chim khong 50%, Anh, Php, c v gp li chim 15% chi ph qun s th gii.[4] Chi ph ca cc thnh vin NATO d tnh l 2% GDP.[5]

Mc ch thnh lp ca NATO l ngn chn s pht trin nh hng ca ch ngha cng sn v Lin X lc ang trn pht trin rt mnh chu u c th gy phng hi n an ninh ca cc nc thnh vin. Vic thnh lp NATO dn n vic cc nc cng sn thnh lp khi Warszawa lm i trng. S knh ch v chy ua v trang ca hai khi qun s i ch ny l cuc i u chnh ca Chin tranh Lnh trong na cui th k 20.

Nhng nm u tin thnh lp, NATO ch l mt lin minh chnh tr. Tuy nhin, do cuc chin tranh Triu Tin tc ng, mt t chc qun s hp nht c thnh lp. Nghi ng rng lin kt ca cc nc chu u v M yu i cng nh kh nng phng th ca NATO trc kh nng m rng ca Lin X, Php rt khi B Ch huy qun s ca NATO (khng rt khi NATO) nm 1966. Nm 2009, vi s phiu p o ca quc hi di s lnh o ca chnh ph ca tng thng Nicolas Sarkozy, Php quay tr li NATO.

Sau khi bc tng Berlin sp nm 1989, t chc b li cun vo cuc phn chia nc Nam T, v ln u tin tham d qun s ti Bosna v Hercegovina t 1992 ti 1995 v sau th bom Serbia vo nm 1999 trong cuc ni chin Kosovo. T chc ngoi ra c nhng quan h tt p hn vi nhng nc thuc khi i u trc y trong nhiu nc tng thuc khi Warszawa gia nhp NATO t nm 1999 n 2004. Ngy 1 thng 4 nm 2009, s thnh vin ln n 28 vi s gia nhp ca Albania v Croatia.[6] T sau s kin 11 thng 9 nm 2001, NATO tp trung vo nhng th thch mi trong c a qun n Afghanistan v Iraq.

Hy Lp v Th Nh K gia nhp t chc vo thng 2 nm 1952. Nm 1955 Cng ho Lin bang c (lc ch c phn Ty c) gia nhp, nm 1990 nc c thng nht m rng t cch thnh vin cho vng lnh th ng c tc Cng ho Dn ch c c. Ty Ban Nha gia nhp ngy 30 thng 5 nm 1982. Nm 1999, 3 nc thnh vin khi Warszawa c gia nhp NATO l Ba Lan, Cng ho Sc v Hungary.

Php l mt thnh vin NATO, nhng nm 1966 rt khi b ch huy qun s. Sau tng hnh dinh NATO chuyn t Paris n Bruxelles. Thng 4 nm 2009, Php quay tr li b ch huy qun s NATO, tr thnh thnh vin y , chm dt 43 nm vng bng. Iceland l thnh vin duy nht ca NATO khng c qun i ring v th lc lng qun i Hoa K thng trc ti Iceland m nhim vai tr Lc lng Phng v Iceland.

Ngy 29 thng 3 nm 2004, Slovenia, Slovakia, cc nc khi Warszawa c gm Bulgaria, Romania, cc nc vng Baltic thuc Lin X trc y l Estonia, Latvia v Litva chnh thc gia nhp NATO. Thng 4 cng nm, cc nc ny ln u tin d hp hi ng NATO.

Ngy 1 thng 4 nm 2009, Croatia v Albania chnh thc c kt np vo NATO sau 1 nm np n xin gia nhp.

Ngoi ra, NATO cn c chng trnh hnh ng thnh vin (MAP). Hin ti MAP gm Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina v Montenegro.

Theo NATO, trong hn hai thp k, NATO c gng xy dng quan h i tc vi Nga, i thoi v hp tc vi Nga trong cc lnh vc hai bn cng c li. Tuy nhin quan h ny b rn nt khi Nato co buc Nga can thip qun s vo Ukraina nhng NATO vn gi cc knh i thoi chnh tr v qun s vi Nga. NATO tip tc quan tm n cc hot ng qun s ca Nga sau s kin Ukraina.[7] V phn mnh, Nga cng li khng hong ti Ukraina l do NATO gy ra khi khng gi vng cc cam kt trc vi Nga cng nh tin hnh lt chnh quyn hp php ti y bng o chnh.[8] Trn thc t, Nga v Nato lun tn ti rt nhiu bt ng.

Theo Hc thuyt qun s Lin bang Nga, lc lng v trang Nga c t chc theo nguyn tc phng th, khng e da s dng v lc v ngn chn xung t nhm bo v ha bnh v cc li ch quc gia ca Nga, cc ng minh (bao gm cc li ch ca cng dn, x hi v nh nc) khi cc bin php chnh tr, kinh t, ngoi giao, php l v cc bin php phi bo lc khc khng c tc dng. Trong Hc thuyt qun s, Nga coi vic NATO s dng nng lc tim tng ca mnh vi phm lut php quc t thng qua qu trnh m rng l mt mi e da qun s i vi Nga ngang hng vi cc nguy c v gy mt n nh ni b ca cc quc gia, khu vc, th gii; trin khai qun t xut cc quc gia c bin gii vi Nga hoc bin gii vi ng minh ca Nga; cc h thng phng th v tn cng gy mt cn bng ht nhn chin lc ton cu; s ph bin v kh hy dit hng lot; s dng lc lng v trang khng theo lut php quc t v hin chng Lin Hip Quc; thnh lp nhng chnh ph chng Nga v ng minh m khng thng qua bu c hp php ti cc quc gia lng ging ca Nga v ng minh; ch ngha khng b v li dng chng khng b gy phng hi cho Nga v ng minh...Chnh sch i ngoi ca Nga vi NATO l i thoi trn c s bnh ng, tn trng ln nhau nhm xy dng nn an ninh vi nn tng khng lin kt v c tnh tp th (collective non-aligned), Nga v NATO cng nhau cng c vai tr ca T chc An ninh v Hp tc Chu u (OSCE).[9]

Chnh sch kt np cc thnh vin c trong khi X hi ch ngha ti ng u v cc nc thuc khng gian hu X-vit b Nga ln n l hnh ng vi phm Hip c Cc Lc lng V trang Thng thng chu u (CFE) khi Hip nh ny nghim cm cc thnh vin c trong khi X hi ch ngha ti ng u v cc nc thuc khng gian hu X-vit gia nhp NATO[10]. Bn cnh Nga cng co buc NATO khng gi ng cam kt v duy tr mc trn v s lng v kh thng thng. Vic NATO m rng v pha ng l mt trong cc nguyn nhn gy ra cuc khng hong chnh tr ti Ukraina. V c bn, NATO m rng v pha ng ti khng nh a v lnh o ton cu ca M, khng gian an ninh v khng gian sinh tn ca Nga dn b thu hp, b cc an ninh a chnh tr ca chu u thay i ng k[11].

Hoa K ch trng duy tr NATO v thc y chnh sch ng tin ca NATO, bin y tr thnh l do NATO tn ti sau chin tranh Lnh. Nga tuy tha k v th php l ca Lin X nhng khng th hng mnh mt cch ton din nh Lin X trc kia. Tuy nhin, Nga vn l mt cng quc chu u v chnh sch ng tin l kim ch Nga[11].

Sau khi Chin tranh Lnh kt thc, NATO tin hnh 3 t ng tin. Ngay trong ln m rng u tin, bin gii NATO c m v pha ng thm 900km, qun s tng thm 13 S on, tip nhn ton b v kh-kh ti cc thnh vin mi v ng c. iu ny khin cho cn cn Nga-NATO mt cn bng nghim trng. Tng qun s NATO gn 5 triu qun (cha tnh qun s ca Hoa K v cc nc ngoi chu u), trong khi Nga c 3,2 triu. ngy 27/5/1997 k kt Vn kin c bn v quan h, hp tc v an ninh gia Nga vi NATO. Trong vn kin, NATO cam kt s Nga c quyn pht ngn mc nht nh i vi cc s v ca NATO. Hn na NATO bo m khng b tr v kh ht nhn trong lnh th cc nc thnh vin mi.[11].

Chnh sch ng tin xm phm n sn sau ca Nga v e da n li ch chin lc ct li ca nc ny, mt iu m Tng thng Putin nhn mnh v lp li nhiu ln. Tng thng Nga Boris Yeltsin ni: y l du hiu u tin v iu c th xy ra khi NATO tin gn n bin gii ca Lin bang Nga. Ngn la chin tranh c th bng chy v tri khp chu u" khi NATO m rng ln th nht sau chin tranh Lnh[10]. Ngoi trng Nga Lavrov cng b cc ti liu chng minh rng NATO tng ha vi Lin X v Nga rng NATO khng bao gi m rng v pha ng[12].

Bn cnh chnh sch ng tin, h thng phng th tn la ca NATO ti ng u cng b Nga coi l mt mi e da khc. Mc d NATO tuyn b h thng ny lm nhm chng li cc mi e da t Iran nhng Nga cho rng s thiu cn bng trong vic trin khai lc lng gia ng u-a Trung Hi l minh chng cho s bao vy Nga[13]. Bn cnh , vic Iran khng c kh nng tn cng chu u nn thc t h thng ny l kim ch Nga[14]. Nm 2001, Chnh quyn ca Tng thng G.W.Bush n phng tuyn b rt khi Hip c chng tn la n o (ABM), m M v Lin X k kt nm 1972 xy dng h thng ny khin Nga cc k lo ngi khi Hip c ny l nn tng hai bn duy tr th cn bng lc lng.[15].

p tr, Nga ln k hoch vic nng cp kh nng tn cng bng tn la ca mnh, trong c k hoch trin khai tn la n o chin thut Iskander ti Kaliningrad, Krashnodar (Nga) v Belarus[16].

Ngy 13/05/2015, Nga phn ng gay gt khi Hoa K a h thng phng th tn la ng u chnh thc i vo hot ng. H thng ny tr gi 800 triu USD[17]. Ngoi ra Nga cng thnh lp 3 s on mi ti min Ty nc ny lm i trng vi NATO[18]

Pht ngn vin in Kremlin Dmitri S. Peskov ni rng: "Ngay t u, cc chuyn gia qun s ca Nga b thuyt phc rng h thng tn la ny to ra mt mi e da ln vi Lin bang Nga"[19]

Hin ti, khc phc nhng nhc im ca NATO cng nh c lp hn vi Hoa K trong chnh sch i ngoi v phng th, Lin minh Chu u a ra xut thnh lp mt qun i ring ca cc nc trong khi. C ng Jean-Claude Juncker - Ch tch y ban chu u, ln b Federica Mogherini - Cao y Lin minh Chu u v i ngoi (tng ng Ngoi trng ca khi) u ng h k hoch ny.[20] Tin trnh ny trc y b Anh phn i do lo ngi lc lng v trang ny s cnh tranh vi NATO. Theo Anh, k hoch ny s lm hng chnh sch phng th ca EU.[21] Tuy nhin, t sau khi Anh ri EU, k hoch ny li c ni li. Vic thnh lp lc lng v trang ring ca EU rt c c, Php - 2 nc ch cht trong khi ng h.[22] V pha Hoa K, vic thnh lp qun qun i EU s khin nc ny gim bt chi ph dnh cho cc nc ng minh Chu u thng qua NATO, khng phi can thip vo nhng cng vic ca ring Chu u nhng t c nh hng ti li ch ca Hoa K nh nhng s vic Balkan.[23] Vic b Mogherini tuyn b qun i EU s lm vic c lp vi NATO lm gia tng lo ngi rng qun i EU s thay th vai tr ca NATO chu u. Hungary, Italia v Sc u ng h k hoch ny.[24] T Ngi Bo v ca Anh cho rng Hoa K s ng h vic thnh lp qun i ny nu n khin cho Chu u "suy yu mt cch nhanh chng v vng chc". T bo ny cng nhn mnh rng hin ti Chu u khng thiu mt qun i m thiu mt cam kt v phng th gia cc nc Chu u v xuyn i Ty Dng.[25] Ngy 22 thng 11 nm 2016, Lin minh Chu u a ra cam kt qun i ring ca khi s i vo hot ng vo nm 2017.[26] Theo ng Sergey Rastoltsev thuc Vin Kinh t Th gii v Quan h Quc t Primakov, thuc Hc vin Khoa hc Lin bang Nga, qun i EU c th khin quan h chnh tr-qun s gia Nga-EU thm cng thng nhng trong trng hp quan h Nga-EU c ci thin, qun i EU cng c th to ra nhiu c hi hp tc hn gia Nga-EU nu so vi vai tr ca NATO do NATO vn d l mt vt tch t thi Chin tranh lnh v do s nh hng ca Hoa K ln quan h Nga-EU cng s b gim bt khi qun i ny khng c Hoa K tham gia nh NATO.[27]

c thm Giai on u

c thm Giai on Chin tranh Lnh sp kt thc

c thm Giai on hu Chin tranh lnh

c thm Lch s chung

c thm Cc vn khc

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NATO Wikipedia ting Vit

Relations between Turkey and the European Union already fraught have deteriorated swiftly over the last few months. In June, the refusal of Turkish officials to allow German parliamentarians to visit their troops stationed at the Incirlik air base in southeastern Turkey, who are part of the fight against ISIS, encouraged Berlin to pull its forces surveillance aircraft out of the country and move them to Jordan.

In a resolution passed last week, the European Parliament voted to suspend Turkeys accession talks with the EU, citing Turkeys slide into authoritarianism under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And, according to reporting from Reuters, Germany is now asking the European Commission to pause its negotiations with Ankara on the EU-Turkey Customs Union.

Squabbles between the European Union and Turkey, which has been negotiating accession to the bloc since 1999, are not new. However, the escalation in rhetorical attacks between Turkey and European powers in March Erdogan called the Netherlands the capital of fascism and compared German politicians to Nazis has been unique. That war of words now threatens to undermine the NATO alliance, especially as Turkey pursues the $2.5 billion preliminary agreement it signed with Russia to buy S-400 SAM air defense systems.

What does this mean for the U.S. and the Trump Administration, which relies heavily on Turkey for support against ISIS in Iraq and Syria?

Turkish ties to several EU countries have been damaged this year, but its relations with Germany have seen the sharpest decline. Those relations also offer the clearest look at the effects of a serious deterioration of Turkeys place in both NATO and the EU accession process. On the NATO side, Germanys decision to move its troops from Incirlik air base is significant, but it is a proposed redirection of AWACS surveillance planes from the Konya air base in central Turkey that would be most damaging to NATO unity. As Karl-Heinz Kamp, Director of the German Federal Academy for Security Policy in Berlin, notes, the AWACS fleets stationing in Turkey was not on the basis of a bilateral agreement with the country, it is part of a NATO agreement.

Not only does the anti-ISIS coalition lose the capability of the AWACS while they are in transit, the move also forms a diplomatic rift within NATO. This is why NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is currently attempting to mediate negotiations between the two allies. According to Kamp, Stoltenberg is in a very tricky situation where, faced with multiple crises within NATO, he is trying to avoid escalation in any of these conflict areas.

On the EU side of the equation, it is the perceived authoritarian and anti-European bent of the Erdogan government that is driving the diplomatic crisis, and the failed military coup against Erdogan in July of last year marks the turning point from tense relations into a burgeoning crisis. Since then, the Erdogan government has purged of over 100,000 military officers, civil servants, journalists, and academics suspected of involvement in the putsch. They also succeeded in winning a Yes vote in the countrys constitutional referendum that will grant sweeping new powers to President Erdogan when enacted.

European leaders have consistently expressed worry at what they see as the consolidation of powers in Erdogans hands and the multiple alleged human rights abuses committed by the Turkish government during the purge. In response, Erdogan and his allies deny any anti-democratic practices, claim the purge has been necessary to combat pro-coup elements in the country, and maintain that they do not need the EU accession process and that threats to end it will not influence their policy.

Many analysts believed that the severity of these exchanges would die off after Erdogan won the decision he wanted in the referendum. Secure in his power at home, the theory was that he would seek to repair his countrys ties with Europe. However, says Director of the Turkish Research Project at the Washington Institute and author of The New Sultan, Soner Cagaptay, this outcome no longer looks likely.

This is partially due to a new series of provocations including the arrest of ten Amnesty International human rights workers by Turkish authorities this July. But, says Cagaptay, this runs much deeper. According to him, what we saw before the Turkish constitutional referendum in April were not episodic glitches, they actually represented the culmination of [an Erdoganist] political ideology that is driven by a very deep sense of anti-European anti-western sentiment. This means that crises like this will continue to crop up between Turkey and Europe.

Nevertheless, Turkish economic growth is heavily dependent on foreign direct investment and tourism, and the bulk of this outside money is European. For this reason, despite the public saber rattling and chest-beating against Europe, Erdogans government is simultaneously pursuing talks to upgrade its critical customs union with the EU. Germany is now threatening that economic lifeline by asking the European Commission to halt those talks with Ankara but Erdogan still has a trump card to play here: refugees. Basically, says Cagaptay, if Erdogan wants, all three million [refugees] could be in Germany tomorrow, and the rest of Europe in three months.

This kind of exchange between economic support and curbing refugee flows may ease the current crisis with the EU, but it is hardly permanent. This presents a serious problem for the United States, especially where current and new crises intersect with NATO unity. Interestingly, questions about Turkeys place in NATO and relations with the European Union come at the same moment as similar questions about U.S. President Donald Trumps commitment to NATO and ties to key leaders in western Europe.

However, for the moment at least, the U.S. Administration needs some semblance of unity between Turkey and its European NATO allies. The U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq relies on Turkish bases, particularly the air base at Incirlik, to provide timely support to its forces and allies on the ground. Any threat to that support whether it comes from intra-NATO disputes or Turkish anger at U.S. support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG and the rise of anti-western political narratives could seriously degrade U.S. efforts to fight the terror group. As Stoltenberg attempts to negotiate a deal between Turkey and Germany, the Trump Administration should consider lending its voice to the mix.

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Turkey's Drift from the EU and NATO Could Be Permanent - The Cipher Brief

The Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) annual naval war games kicked off Monday, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced, local media reports. War ships from three NATO states are set to practice various military tactics amid the blocs build-up near the Russian border.

Starting from Tuesday, warships from Latvia, Lithuania, and Germany will take part in the BALTRON Squadron Exercise 17/2 in the Baltic Sea and Lithuanian territorial waters.

Over the course of five days, the vessels will practice naval maneuvers, submarine target defense, communication, as well as search-and-rescue and minesweeping operations under the supervision of Lithuanian Navy Commander Tomas Skurdenis.

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Taking part in the exercise will be the Lithuanian LNS Jotvingis N42 ship, Suduvis M52 and Kursis M54 minehunters, Aukstaitis P14 and Selis P15 patrol ships, Sakiai rescue vessel and H21 harbor cutter in the exercises, while the Germans will use a Pegnitz M1090 minesweeper.

The Latvian contingent will consist of its Rusins minehunter ship and Varonis support vessel.

The BALTRON naval squadron was inaugurated in 1998 and comprises the navies of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, with each contribute one to two minesweeping vessels to the group. Working under the NATO umbrella, its stated purpose is to minimize mine hazards, enhance security of the Baltic States territorial waters and help to remediate environmental damage in the territorial waters and economic zones of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The exercises come amid a heightened period of NATO build-up and military activity in the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, which has intensified since the Ukrainian crisis. In June, 5,300 troops from 10 NATO countries participated in the 10-day Iron Wolf military drills in Lithuania, with the stated purpose of deterring the perceived Russian threat.

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Part of the drills took place on a 104-kilometer (64.6-mile) patch of land in the Suwalki Gap, which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Around 1,500 troops took part in the drills, which were aimed at training them to respond to potential aggression.

Russian officials have repeatedly warned that such behavior could be seen as provocative and undermine regional security. In July, Russias permanent representative to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said that the alliances military activities near the Russian border pose a threat to national security.

Its clear for us that such activities not only ensure a reinforced military presence of the allies in the immediate vicinity of Russias borders but in fact represent an intensive mastering of the potential theater of military operations, accompanied by the development of the necessary infrastructure, Grushko told reporters.

Claiming that the growing NATO military presence in Eastern Europe undermines stability in the region, Grushko said that Moscow cannot leave such steps unanswered and will undertake necessary steps to boldly defend our interests.

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Anti-sub defense, minesweeping ops on agenda at NATO's Baltic States war games - RT

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats on Sunday rejected NATO's target of spending 2 percent of economic output on the military, and blasted German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservatives for kowtowing to the demands of U.S. President Donald Trump.

With just over a month to go before national elections, SPD leader Martin Schulz and Thomas Oppermann, who heads the SPD in parliament, issued their strongest criticism to date of Merkel, the NATO spending target and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen in an essay for the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain.

"We say a clear no to the 'two-percent target' of Trump and the CDU/CSU," the two leaders wrote, referring to Merkel's Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party.

"It's not only unrealistic, it is simply the wrong goal."

The comments put the SPD on a collision course with U.S. officials, who have began pressing Germany long before Trump's election last November to increase its military spending.

The SPD leaders, whose party is lagging Merkel's Christian Democrats in the polls by 15 percentage points, said Germany would have to nearly double current defense spending to meet the NATO target. That would make it the largest military power in Europe - a goal they said "no one could want" given Germany's Nazi history.

Instead, they said, Germany should focus on building a strong European defense union and ultimately, a European army - a stance that may resonate with a deeply pacifist German public that remains skeptical of military engagements.

"Merkel and the CDU/CSU make themselves small vis-a-vis Donald Trump when they answer his provocations around the two-percent target by saying, 'Okay, fine, we'll put in more money,' as if we didn't have any better ideas what to do," they wrote.

They said increased military spending should be matched by higher outlays for diplomacy, humanitarian aid and crisis prevention.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a former SPD leader, has also questioned the NATO target, but the Schulz-Oppermann essay was far more explicit, driving a further wedge between the parties in Merkel's right-left coalition.

Merkel, who is poised to win reelection on Sept. 24, insists that Germany is committed to reach the two percent target. She has also chided Gabriel pointedly, noting his predecessor signed off on the NATO commitment when it was first made years ago.

Merkel's conservatives have about 38 to 40 percent support in the polls, and hope to form a coalition government with one or more of the smaller parties, after the election.

In June, the SPD also reversed course and rejected plans to lease Israeli drones that can carry weapons to protect German soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Mali, sparking sharp criticism from von der Leyen and the top officer in the German air force.

The essay also criticized von der Leyen's leadership as defense minister since late 2013, citing continued problems with equipment, a lack of planning, and challenges in recruitment.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Mary Milliken

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Germany's SPD rejects NATO 2 percent defense spending target - Reuters

KABUL (Reuters) - Romanian soldiers from the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan killed an Afghan policeman who was trying to carry out an insider attack after a training session in the southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, officials said.

One Romanian was wounded in the attack while an Afghan policeman was wounded in the crossfire, a statement from Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul said.

"The advisers had completed a scheduled law enforcement training and were preparing to return to base when they were attacked by a member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police," the statement said.

Romanian soldiers providing security returned fire and killed the attacker, it said.

The attack, which came as the United States is considering increasing the number of troops it has in Afghanistan, was the latest in a series of so-called "green-on-blue" incidents that have complicated the training and assistance mission.

In June, three American soldiers were killed and seven wounded in two separate incidents, a week apart. In May last year, two members of the Romanian special forces were killed and a third was wounded when a local policeman opened fire on them.

Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Stephen Powell

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NATO soldiers suppress attempted insider attack in Afghanistan - Reuters

Published on: August 5, 2017 | Last Updated: August 5, 2017 2:03 PM EDT

File photo of HMCS Charlottetown. DND photo.

A departure ceremony for Her Majestys Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown will be held Tuesday morning in Halifax. The ship will join Standing NATO Maritime Forces (SNMF) in the North and Mediterranean Seas, according to the Royal Canadian Navy.

The ship`s deployment is in support of the military activities undertaken by Canadian Forces to support NATO reassurance operations for Central and Eastern Europe.

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HMCS Charlottetown to deploy Tuesday in support of NATO mission - Ottawa Citizen

US troops take part in a practice medical evacuation in Helmand province in Afghanistan last month. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

A Nato soldier from the country of Georgia and two Afghan civilians have been killed after a Taliban suicide bomber dressed in a burqa rammed his motorcycle into an international convoy.

The attack on Thursday evening hit the Nato patrol near the town of Qarabagh, 18 miles (30km) north of Kabul, the Afghan capital.

It was the second suicide bombing in as many days that targeted Nato. On Wednesday, a suicide attacker hit a convoy on the edge of the southern city of Kandahar, killing two US soldiers and wounding another four. Responsibility for both attacks were claimed by the Taliban.

According to the US military, three other Georgian soldiers were wounded in Thursdays bombing, as well as two US service members and an Afghan interpreter.

The military said the wounded were in stable conditions and receiving treatment at the US military hospital at Bagram airbase, also north of Kabul.

The district governor in Qarabagh, Abdul Sami Sharifi, said the attacker concealed his explosives beneath the burqa. They were set off when he rammed his motorcycle into the patrol vehicles, Sharifi said.

The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the Associated Press by phone on Friday that one of its fighters from Takhar province carried out the attack at 8pm. He claimed 11 Americans were killed, although the insurgents routinely exaggerate their claims.

Meanwhile, in southern Helmand province, the Taliban stormed a market on Friday in the Gareshk district and fired at a nearby police station, according to the district police chief, Ismail Khan Khopalwaq. The market was closed and no casualties were reported in the attack.

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Burqa-clad Taliban suicide bomber targets Nato in Afghanistan - The Guardian

WASHINGTON Members of the U.S. Senate confirmed a former colleague, Kay Bailey Hutchison, as its new ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

In this role, Hutchison will represent the United States at NATO headquarters in Belgium.

Kay has always been known for tireless advocacy on behalf of Texans and her ability to work across the aisle to get things done, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said in a statement.She has the experience, determination, and poise to strengthen our relationships on the world stage, and Im confident shell make Texas and our country proud.

NATO was created after World War II to counter Soviet influence in Europe. Hutchison will assume this position at an increasingly tense period in the United States' relationship with Russia.

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Just last week, Congress passed sanctions against Russia for interfering in the 2016 election.President Donald Trump, who appointed Hutchison, signed the sanctions bill but had he not, he likely would have faced a veto override. Trump has actively cultivated a friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a special counsel is investigating whether members of his campaign colluded with Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign.

Hutchison, whorepresented Texas in the U.S. Senate from 1993 until 2013, reassured senatorsin her confirmation hearing that she would counter Russian aggression in this new role.

In other business, the Senate confirmed Dallas businessman Ray Washburne, a longtime GOP fundraiser, to serve as president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a government agency that directs private capital into the developing world.

The Senate moved these nominations as the final votes of the summer as members were heading home for the August recess.

Disclosure: The author of this article briefly worked for Kay Bailey Hutchison more than a decade ago.

Read related Tribune coverage:

Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas told a panel of Senate lawmakerson Thursday that she will take a hard line on Russia if she is confirmed as ambassador to NATO. She appears to beon track for confirmation. [link]

President Trump has nominated former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to be the nation's new NATO ambassador. [link]

Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,under consideration for the NATO ambassadorship, played a key role in shepherding U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson through hisSenate confirmation. [link]

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Former US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison confirmed as NATO ambassador - Texas Tribune

August 4, 2017 OAN Newsroom

A NATO soldier is dead and several others injured following a suicide bombing attack in Kabul.

The incident occurred Thursday, just a day after two American soldiers were killed in a Taliban claimed bombing in southern Afghanistan.

Reports say the ambushed convoy belonged to the U.S. military, and claim the suicide bomber was a member of the Taliban.

According to officials, the NATO soldier who died was not American, but no other details were released.

A NATO statement says those injured are being treated at a U.S. military hospital, and are in stable condition.

An Afghan policeman stands guard near to the site of a suicide bomber struck at a NATO convoy in Kandahar southern of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. A suicide bomber struck a NATO convoy near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Wednesday, causing casualties, the U.S. military said. (AP Photo)

Excerpt from:

NATO Soldier Killed, 6 Injured in Afghanistan Suicide Bombing - One America News Network (press release)