Atlantic Council blogs

Update: NATO activities in Libya on September 9

By NATO

Nearly 80 NATO troops wounded in attack in Afghanistan

By Ernesto Londono, the Washington Post

From Ernesto Londono, the Washington Post:  Two Afghans were killed and nearly 80 NATO soldiers were wounded after a truck packed with explosives hidden under firewood rammed into the entrance of a military base in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said Sunday.

Paying the Consequences of 9/11 Overreach

By Chuck Hagel

Every American who is at least 20 years old remembers where he or she was on that sunny September morning 10 years ago. Sept. 11, 2001, was one of the most transformative events in the history of America. And its consequences rippled across the globe. This historic attack on the United States set in motion […]

Deterrence for the post-9/11 era

By Barry Pavel & Matthew Kroenig

Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker’s new book, Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against al Qaeda, credits our role in developing the first US government-wide strategy for deterring terrorist networks. They write that we “crafted a briefing to make the case that a combination of efforts — economic, diplomatic, military, political, and psychological … could in fact […]

Europe’s debt crisis may be biggest threat to Obama’s re-election

By Desmond Lachman, the Wall Street Journal

From Desmond Lachman, the Wall Street Journal:  A European failure to contain its debt crisis would be a monumental electoral setback for Mr. Obama.

The End of Twentieth-Century Warfare

By Anne-Marie Slaughter

9/11 was the defining event of the new millennium, but not for the reasons we thought for most of the ensuing decade. For most of that period we would have pointed to 9/11 as the beginning of twenty-first century warfare: perpetual vigilance and probing pre-emptive strikes against an ill-defined, global, networked and largely non-state enemy. […]

Update: NATO activities in Libya on September 8

By NATO

US and French intelligence contributing to hunt for Gaddafi

By the AP

From the AP:  Determined to hunt down Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s new rulers say they have dedicated a special unit of fighters to track the elusive former leader, listening in on his aides’ phone calls, poring over satellite images and interviewing witnesses.

EU official warns of spreading al-Qaida offshoot

By Aomar Ouali and Paul Schemm, the AP

From Aomar Ouali and Paul Schemm, the AP:  The European Union’s counterterrorism coordinator warned Thursday that al-Qaida’s North African offshoot is extending its footprint around Africa and said local governments need more help fighting it.