60 Years On, NATO Faces Identity Crisis

President Obama: Afghanistan will never be 'perfect'

(AP) - President Obama and leaders around the globe locked in place an Afghanistan exit path today that will still keep their troops fighting and dying there for two more years, acknowledging there never will be point at which they can say, "This is all done." Obama, presiding over a 50-nation war coalition summit in his hometown, summed up the mood by saying the Afghanistan that will be left behind will be stable enough for them to depart—essentially good enough after a decade of war—but still loaded with troubles. More»

White House is quietly looking for 3K to 7K NATO troops

(NEWSER) - President Obama isn't planning to go it alone: The administration has hopes that from 3,000 to 7,000 NATO troops will be committed to joining the US troop surge in Afghanistan by the time he rolls out his new strategy after Thanksgiving. Advanced talks are underway, the Wall Street Journal reports, and coordinated announcements of new troop deployments are expected as soon as Obama makes his move. More»

Mohammed cartoon row may lead them to block Danish PM

(NEWSER) - Among the tasks facing NATO leaders this weekend is the selection of a new secretary-general for the 28-member alliance. The leading candidate is Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, who has the support of the US and other major powers. But today Turkey opposed his candidacy, the Telegraph reports, saying that NATO can't be led by a man who refused to apologize for cartoons lampooning the prophet Mohammed. More»

(NEWSER) - Nicolas Sarkozy and President Obama pledged cooperation today on a host of international issues, from Afghanistan to Iranian nukes, the AP reports. “It feels really good to work with a US president who wants to change the world,” said Sarkozy at their press conference. It’s a “'helluva’ good piece of news for 2009.” Obama, for his part, said, "We're looking forward to being partners with Europe." More»

Ahead of NATO summit, president sits down with Sarkozy

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama left Britain for France today, arriving to cheering crowds in Strasbourg along the Franco-German border. Ahead of this weekend's NATO summit, Obama held a meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, who recently returned France to full membership of the military alliance after decades on the sidelines. Obama will be pushing for further NATO support for the war in Afghanistan despite deep reluctance from some European partners. More»