From atlantic-community.org:  [B]y the very end of the Bush presidency, the administration issued a presidential directive on Arctic Region Policy, to update US assessments of the north. In this directive, the administration underlined that the United States has broad and fundamental national security interests as well as fundamental homeland security interests in the Arctic. The directive presents both priorities that the US traditionally has had in the region, such as the freedoms of the seas, deployments of sea and air systems, missile defense and early warning, in addition to policy elements more directly affected by the retreating Arctic ice-cap, such as safe maritime activity, energy security and environmental sustainability.

From the New Atlanticist: Lord George Robertson, NATO Secretary General from 1999 to 2004, says that the Alliance and its constituent members are "on the edge of a precipice looking down on a world of growing disorder and discontent and only blunt talk and straight language will save us from falling over." The decision two weeks ago by the Dutch to end its participation in Afghanistan and the announcement by Canada that it will do the same is the harbinger of this dire moment. Robertson asked, "If these two robust allies and those who may be thinking of doing the same, and additionally those who contribute less than they should, can all shy away from their obligation stemming from the decision taken unanimously in 1993, what is it other than a crisis?"  (photo: Atlantic Council)

From Foreign Policy:  Perhaps the end of the Cold War was an opportune time to kill off NATO, but the Balkan crises of the 1990s and post-9/11 security challenges proved that the alliance was still needed. The same is true today.

From RIA Novosti: Russia is ready to provide permanent accreditation for NATO diplomats in Moscow in a sign of warming ties with the alliance, the country's envoy to NATO said on Friday.

From the New York Times:  After the collapse of its coalition cabinet, the Netherlands is set to withdraw its 2,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year.

From SHAPE: Ten NATO nations will task seven submarines, 18 aircraft (including ship-based helicopters) and eight surface ships to take part in Noble Manta 10, NATO's largest annual Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise from 10 to 24 February.

The exercise will take place in the Ionian Sea to the Southeast of ...

From RIA Novosti: A group of NATO experts will visit Moscow on February 10 to discuss the alliance's future plans, NATO official representative James Appathurai said on Tuesday.

He added that the so-called group of wise men, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, would hold discussions in the Ru...