Breedlove: NATO needs to better share intel

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The Associated Press

FILE – In this Jan. 22, 2015 file photo, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove attends a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The Obama administration is still struggling with whether to provide lethal, defensive weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that such a move might only escalate Russia’s military campaign there, U.S. defense leaders told Congress Wednesday. Breedlove, the top NATO commander, told the House Armed Services Committee that he has laid out military options the administration could consider for Ukraine, ranging from sending small arms to more sophisticated weapons that would take longer to arrive and require extensive training. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

SOEST, Netherlands — NATO’s top commander in Europe says that alliance nations must be willing to share their intelligence faster if its new rapid-reaction force is to be effective in countering threats.

U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove says that “we need to change our culture of intelligence-sharing.” He adds that NATO nations have a tendency to only share intelligence well “when we are scared.”

NATO defense ministers agreed last month to create a quick-reaction force of 5,000 troops to meet challenges from Russia and Islamic extremists.

But Breedlove told a conference in the Netherlands on Wednesday that the troops can only be quickly and effectively deployed “if we have an indications and warning apparatus that tells us when we need its high readiness.”

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The Associated Press