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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2008

Georgia Crisis: A View From Russia

By Sergei Rogov

Eighteen months ago I published an op-ed in the Washington Post, where I urged the prevention of a new Cold War.  And only a couple of months ago it seemed possible.  But since the Georgian-Russian war last month, the situation has drastically deteriorated.

Russia The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2008

Focusing the Spy Glass on Pakistan’s ISI

By Shuja Nawaz

Only in Pakistan does the appointment of a new spy chief elicit more commentary than, say, a Prime Minister under today’s political system, where the presidency holds the power strings. The appointment of Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha as the new head of the Inter Services Intelligence earlier this week has raised expectations about a […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 2, 2008

Europe Can Only Survive With Germany

By James Joyner

Alex Motyl has written a provocative piece, “Can Europe Survive Germany?” which takes Europe’s largest state — in terms of both population and economy — to task for being insufficiently committed to the West’s shared principles and asserts that, “If Europe ever dies, Germany will have killed it.”

Germany

New Atlanticist

Oct 2, 2008

Can Europe Survive Germany?

By Alexander Motyl

If Europe ever dies, Germany will have killed it.

European Union Germany

New Atlanticist

Oct 2, 2008

The End of Ideology: We Are All French Now

By Robert Manning

For many free-market conservatives, the $700 billion financial stabilization plan was a bitter pill that in the end, many swallowed. “It is financial socialism,” complained Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), “it is un-American.”

New Atlanticist

Oct 1, 2008

It Should Be So and it Will Be So!

By David Smith

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili addressed the 63rd Session of the United Nations last week.  Georgia, Saakashvili told heads of government and ambassadors of the 192 member nations, was “invaded by our neighbor.”  Rather than dwell on the war, however, the Georgian President set out two challenges for the peace.

The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Oct 1, 2008

Happy Birthday AFRICOM

By Derek Reveron

Today marks the birth of the U.S. Africa Command, “the culmination of a 10-year thought process within the Department of Defense (DoD) acknowledging the emerging strategic importance of Africa, and recognizing that peace and stability on the continent impacts not only Africans, but the interests of the U.S. and international community as well.” 

Africa

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2008

Afghanistan: Necessary But Not Sufficient

By James Joyner

Michael J. Totten takes exception to the frequently expressed view that "the war on terrorism started in Afghanistan and it needs to end there." If Afghanistan were miraculously transformed into the Switzerland of Central Asia, every last one of the Middle East’s rogues gallery of terrorist groups would still exist. The ideology that spawned them […]

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2008

NATO’s Afghanistan Strategy Needs Changes Now

By Peter Cassata

Afghanistan is in misery and the situation is likely to get worse over the next two years.  That’s the assessment retired General Barry McCaffrey delivered to the Atlantic Council following a recent trip to the country.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 29, 2008

The Challenge of Somali Piracy

By J. Peter Pham

In a metaphor that the traditionally nomadic Somalis would undoubtedly appreciate, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Last Thursday, Somali pirates seized the Ukrainian-owned, Belizean-registered freighter Faina as it neared the Kenyan port of Mombasa. It was at least the sixtieth such attack for ransom this year in the waters surrounding the […]

Somalia