Atlantic Council blogs

To Promote US Cybersecurity, Don’t Erect Borders in IT Procurement

By Maryam Cope

Wrapped up in last year’s Federal funding bill is a creeping policy seeking to improve cybersecurity in federal procurements of information technology (IT).  Since becoming law, however, this policy has done the opposite: it has threatened the health of the U.S. economy, particularly the job-creating tech sector, and negatively impacted the ability of federal agencies […]

EU-NATO: Playing at Defense

By Julian Lindley-French

 The European Union (EU) and NATO are in deep crisis. The EU is in trouble for at least three major reasons. First, EU is organized around Germany, which for understandable historical reasons trades down military power as it trades up economic and political influence. Second, Britain, one of the EU’s two serious military powers, is now […]

Ukraine Crisis in Tweets

Atlantic Council Vice President Damon Wilson shares his insightful comments and insider knowledge on the developing situation in Ukraine via Twitter. Below is a live feed of some of his tweets, mentions, and retweets.

Getting to Zero in the Middle East

By Bilal Y. Saab

As Syria dismantles its chemical weapons infrastructure and Iran places verifiable limitations on its nuclear program for the next six months and potentially longer, an opportunity for further progress on the elusive goal of ridding the Middle East of all weapons of mass destruction (WMD) presents itself. While old challenges remain and new ones have […]

Legislation Will Soon Expand Cyber Power of French Government

By Wall Street Journal

The pending French measures would require Internet providers, telecom operators and content companies to give up “communications, information or documents processed or preserved by their networks or electronic communications services” when demanded by law enforcement.

Syria: Geneva and the Alternative to the Assad Regime

By Frederic C. Hof

If the Geneva peace conference scheduled for January 22, 2014 features a credible proposal by the Syrian opposition for a transitional governmental alternative to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the conference itself can contribute to the end of corruptly brutal clan rule in Syria.

NATO Extends Rasmussen’s Tenure As Secretary General

By NATO

On 11 December, the North Atlantic Council decided to extend the Secretary General’s tenure of office to enable him to prepare and preside the NATO Summit which will take place in South Wales on 4-5 September 2014.

Top News: Second Judging Panel Withdraws from Brotherhood Trial

By EgyptSource

A second panel of judges has withdrawn from the trial of Muslim Brotherhood leaders accused of inciting the killing of protesters. The defendants refused to recognize the court, dubbed it “void” and “illegitimate,” and chanted “down with the military rule.” 

Syria: Kerry’s Chance for a Pivot to Humanitarian Access at Geneva

By Matthew Hall

January 22, the latest in a long string of dates penciled-in for Geneva II, is six weeks from today. Hotel rooms are being booked in Montreux, Russian and Iranian ministers are meeting to plot their game plan, and the opposition Syrian National Council has agreed—under great duress and with several preconditions—to attend the peace talks.