Atlantic Council blogs

The Gates Doctrine: Discernment of US interventions

By Michael Gerson, the Washington Post

From Michael Gerson, the Washington Post:  [Secretary of Defense Robert] Gates’s skepticism about the practical applicability of foreign policy ideals is a throwback to the days of President George H.W. Bush.

Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Afghan war isn’t worth fighting

By Scott Wilson and Jon Cohen, the Washington Post

From Scott Wilson and Jon Cohen, the Washington Post:  Nearly two-thirds of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting, the highest proportion yet opposed to the conflict

NATO and the Future of Afghanistan

By Derek S. Reveron, the New Atlanticist

From Derek S. Reveron, the New Atlanticist:  While the Afghan people have the most to gain or lose from NATO’s decisions, the ministerial has reopened the debate that Europe is not doing its fair share to bring stability to Afghanistan. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates captured this recurring theme in transatlantic relations: "We can’t lose our momentum […]

Foreign Policy at the Speed of Twitter

By James Joyner

When I was in graduate school in the early 1990s and we were all trying to figure out the lay of the land in the “post-Cold War era,” international relations types were all buzzing about the so-called “CNN effect.”

NATO and the Future of Afghanistan

By Derek Reveron

The media coverage of the NATO Defense Ministers meetings last weekend was replete with discussion regarding Afghanistan.  After all, it is the largest mission the Alliance has undertaken during its history and its first outside of Europe. While the Afghan people have the most to gain or lose from NATO’s decisions, the ministerial has reopened […]

Atlantic Update 3/14/11

By Jason Harmala

Following explosions at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, Europe re-assesses its nuclear energy future. Meanwhile, France continues its pressure on allies to enact a no-fly zone over Libya, after the Arab League passed a resolution supporting such a measure.

Turkey opposes NATO Libya intervention: PM

By AFP

SACEUR on NATO Defense Ministers meeting

By James Stavridis, EUCOM

From James Stavridis, EUCOM:  We just finished an excellent two-day meeting in Brussels with the 28 NATO Defense Ministers – including, of course, my bosses Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting focused on one expected challenge — Afghanistan — and one new issue, Libya. … Libya was a […]

Former SACEUR: “Libya doesn’t meet the test for U.S. military action”

By Wesley Clarke, the Washington Post

From Wesley Clarke, the Washington Post:  Understand the national interests at stake, and decide if the result is worth the cost. We went into Lebanon with a reinforced battalion of Marines in 1982 because we believed that it was in our national interest to stabilize the situation after the Israelis had been forced out of […]

The Next Steps in the U.S.-Russia Reset

By Joe Biden, the International Herald Tribune

From Joe Biden, the International Herald Tribune:  The next frontier in our relationship will be building stronger ties of trade and commerce that match the security cooperation we have achieved. Since the reset, major American companies — including Chevron, Pepsico, Alcoa, General Electric and Cisco — have signed major deals in Russia. Last week, in […]