Atlantic Council blogs

Iran and US Economy Remain Key Questions for Obama

By Harlan Ullman

As U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Israel for his first state visit, clearly Iran will dominate the agenda along with discussions over Syria, the Arab Spring and even the Palestinian issue (although Israeli settlements in occupied territories may be missing in action as too politically sensitive).

Despite U.S. change, Russia sticks to missile-shield demand

By Steve Gutterman, Reuters

Obama’s Cyberwarfare Strategy Will Backfire

By Jason Healey

America’s generals and spymasters have decided they can secure a better future in cyberspace through, what else, covert warfare, preemptive attacks, and clandestine intelligence. Our rivals are indeed seeking to harm U.S. interests and it is perfectly within the president’s purview to use these tools in response. Yet this is an unwise policy that will […]

America’s Losing Streak

By James Joyner

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq on March 20, it’s worth reflecting on the fact that it has been nearly seventy years since America’s last successful major war.

Rules of cyberwar: Don’t target nuclear plants or hospitals, says NATO manual

By Owen Bowcott, Guardian

From Owen Bowcott, Guardian:  State-sponsored cyber-attacks must avoid sensitive civilian targets such as hospitals, dams, dykes and nuclear power stations, according to an advisory manual on cyber-warfare written for Nato

With New Journalist Syndicate President, Hopes for a Profession in Transition

By Miriam Berger

The Egyptian journalist syndicate headquarters is a notable space of contestation between journalists, politicians, and the public. Founded in 1941 and located in downtown Cairo near many of Egypt’s main newspaper headquarters, the syndicate’s broad front steps and large halls have born witness to press conferences and protests concerning the country’s developments in the last […]

Pentagon shrinking U.S. Army in Europe, but keeps expanding its mission set

By Paul McLeary, Defense News

From Paul McLeary, Defense News:  Even as the U.S. Army’s contingent in Europe continues to shrink — losing 10,000 more soldiers to reach a postwar low of 30,000 by 2015 — service leaders say they actually plan to expand the force’s mission set.

Who Will Pay for Cyprus?

By Julian Lindley-French

In 1984 George Orwell wrote, “Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind, simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”  I was reminded of doublethink (to that add double-speak) watching Europe’s politicians and Eurocrats dance on the head of a political pin to distance themselves from the so-called ‘one-off’ Deposit Tax Levy […]

Admiral Stavridis: NATO allies provide ‘burden-sharing unparalleled in any other region of the world’

By James Stavridis, House Armed Services Committee

From James Stavridis, House Armed Services Committee:  Today, thanks to decades of sustained leadership, tireless devotion, and ironclad commitment on both sides of the Atlantic, the United States and our historic allies enjoy an unprecedented degree of freedom, interconnectedness, economic opportunity and prosperity