Monthly Archives: October 2014

Garry Kasparov Asks Does NATO and EU Expansion Have Something to do with Putin #39;s Aggression
On this edition of the program, host Carol Castiel, speaks with Garry Kasparov, world-renowned chess champion and pro-democracy activist about Vladimir Putin, a leader Kasparov argues poses...

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Garry Kasparov Asks Does NATO and EU Expansion Have Something to do with Putin's Aggression - Video

NATO, Swedish Fighters Scrambled To Intercept Russian Plane
NATO and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian intelligence-gathering plane that briefly entered Estonian airspace on Tuesday, the alliance said on Wednesday. The Estonian...

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NATO, Swedish Fighters Scrambled To Intercept Russian Plane - Video

TALLIN, Estonia, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Estonia called the Russian ambassador after NATO intercepted a Russian spy plane over the Baltic after it allegedly violated Estonian airspace.

NATO said it intercepted the Ilyushin-20 plane with "Danish F-16 jets as it approached Denmark" before it flew north toward Sweden. Estonia claims the plane entered their airspace for about one minute before being intercepted.

Officers confirmed NATO sovereign airspace had been violated.

"At 12:53pm. CET the IL-20 approached Estonian airspace from the northeast," a NATO military officer told the Financial Times. "I'm not aware of any incursions into the airspace patrolled by Nato other than the brief incident yesterday."

Russia denies it violated Estonian airspace. A spokesman from the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the military plane departed Khrabrovo airfield in Kaliningrad and they only flew in the airspace "over neutral waters."

In September, Estonia accused Russia of abducting one of its security officials. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the crisis in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.

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NATO intercepts Russian spy plane

NATOs vision for its future Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is to have up to 5,000 troops from an international coalition ready at a moments notice to deploy anywhere in the world, including the Russian theater. (AP Photo/Vasily ... more >

NATO plans to create a new quick-reaction force by the fall of 2015.

Think about Ukraine. Think about ISIL. Our president spent months trying to build a coalition. Weve learned that politically, as well as operationally, it makes more sense to do that. You just get so much more capability, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Frederick Hodges, who relinquished command of NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, on Thursday, Military Times reported. His next assignment will to be to lead U.S. Army Europe.

NATOs vision for its future Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is to have up to 5,000 troops from an international coalition ready at a moments notice to deploy anywhere in the world.

SEE ALSO: Putin: I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers

Were always going to be part of a coalition, if not an alliance, Lt. Gen. Hodges told Military Times. That means youve got to train and be prepared and do on short notice contingency operations that are going to be multinational in nature. Thats why interoperability is so important.

Officials from the 28 NATO member countries will spend the next two months in Belgium establishing watch capabilities VJFT will have and where they will be stationed.

Think of the VJTF as the lead element the spearhead, if you will of the NATO Response Force, Lt. Gen. added, Military Times reported. To be a very-high-readiness organization, you have to practice the assembly and departure and go do something. This is about deterrence as well as assurance.

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NATO sends Russia message with new quick-reaction force: 'Think about Ukraine'