By: Kavita Bapat. Taliban leader Mullah Mohamad Omar was a recluse even before the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001. It is therefore no surprise that along with his comrades, he has eluded capture by western coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past 10 years. Richard Holbrooke, the late US envoy Read More…
5. Authors of the NCC
A list of authors, past and present
What Now for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process?
By: Cameron Becker On April 27th 2011, following a bitter 4-year split, the rival Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation agreement that sets out parameters for diplomatic participation and an eventual Palestinian election that will include both Hamas and Fatah on the ballot. In 2006, following the unilateral disengagement of the Israeli Read More…
Signs of US Policy Shift in Afghanistan
Shuffling US National Security Shuffles US Policy in Afghanistan By: Kavita Bapat. On April 28th President Obama announced a major shuffle of America’s national security team beginning with the upcoming retirement of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, reflecting a shift in America’s policies vis-a-vis Afghanistan. It is interesting to note that the announcement was made on Read More…
Following the Somali Pirates’ Money Trail
By: James Bridger. Somali pirates took in approximately $240 million in ransom payments last year, an enormous sum, particularly for a country where the average yearly income is roughly $600. While the NATO Council’s previous article addressed the myriad risks posed by the expansion of Somali piracy, the question of how this money is spent Read More…
Canada’s Maritime Security: A Guide to the Issues
By James M. Bridger. As a nation surrounded by three great oceans, Canada’s maritime security has been of preeminent importance throughout the country’s history. Once boasting the world’s third largest navy, Canadian forces were instrumental in the Allied victory during the Battle of the Atlantic and have since played a significant global role in Read More…
Ligang Chen, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto, speaks to the NCC
By: Sean Palter Ligang Chen, Consul General (Ambassadorial Rank) of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto, spoke to members of The NATO Council of Canada on February 16 about Sino-Canadian relations in the 21st Century. Chen, a lifelong diplomat, holding positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China since 1976, has served in Read More…
Admiral James Stavridis discusses his role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe
By: Sean Palter Depending on the orbit of the moon, the distance from the earth to the lunar surface is roughly 240,000 miles. While that may seem far to most, to Admiral James Stavridis that distance does not even amount to a year’s travel. The current NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) logged over 300,000 Read More…
Dr. Ronald Deibert speaks on Geopolitics of Cyberspace
On January 26 the NATO Council of Canada hosted a roundtable event with Dr. Ronald Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre, University of Toronto. Dr. Deibert, a leading expert in the fields of internet censorship, surveillance and information warfare, spoke on the rise of cyber espionage and the geopolitics of cyberspace. Read More…
Somali Piracy and the World’s Response
A Failed State, Small Boats and Big Money: The Expansion of Somali Piracy and the World’s Response. By James Bridger. More Attacks, Higher Costs Over the course of the past decade, Somali piracy has transformed from a localized nuisance into an international crisis. In 2004, the first response to the growing threat posed by piracy Read More…
Maxed Out: NATO and the Growing Debt Crisis
NATO is the most powerful military alliance the world has ever known. But that power, at its core, is a reflection of the economic might of the nations in the Alliance. In times of dire economic circumstances, the capacity and the motivation to maintain strong armed forces and project military might around the world is Read More…