New Atlanticist

Global Economic Impact of Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Bill

By Alexei Monsarrat

Alexei Monsarrat, director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics program, interviewed Tom Joyce, debt capital markets strategist for Deutsche Bank, on the impact of the Dodd-Frank bill on the finance industry and global markets. A transcript of their discussion follows. ALEXEI MONSARRAT:  Thanks very much, Tom, for taking part in our 5 Questions […]

Russian Spy Arrests: James Bond Meets Woody Allen

By Harlan Ullman

Reports of the arrests last week of 11 alleged Russian agents operating a deep cover espionage ring for Moscow Center in the heart of the United States sounded more like farce and folly than serious spying. So far no classified material has been found in the spies’ possession and the major charge against them is […]

Significance of U.S. Treasury’s Iran Sanctions

By Jonathan Schanzer

The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced targeted financial sanctions on a long list of Iranian companies, people, and entities. Some of the designations specifically target Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, while others target its energy sector.  Still others target the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a brutal group of regime loyalists who crush democratic […]

America’s Uncertain Trumpet

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

No better proof of a dysfunctional — and broke — system of government than the U.S. Congress passing additional funding for the Afghan war — $300 billion thus far — while simultaneously denying the unemployed an extension of benefits — and then taking a 10-day Independence Day vacation. With the jobless hovering just less than […]

Poland Elections Victory for EU

By James Joyner

Bronislaw Komorowski’s victory over Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of  former president Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a tragic plane crash in April, is good news for economic reform and integration with the EU.

Can NATO Be Saved?

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Sarwar Kashmeri, Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s International Security Program, was interviewed by Vermont Public Radio about NATO, its future, and how it could be saved by allying with the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy. You can listen to the interview using the audio player below, or read the transcript that follows. Audio […]

Central Asia: Reset Won’t Fix It

By David Smith

Cyber Attacks and Article 5

By James Joyner

As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization completes its new Strategic Concept, it should be resist expanding its guarantee of automatic response to include cyber and other unconventional attacks. Otherwise, it may fracture the alliance while, perversely, decreasing security against said actions. In a February speech to the Atlantic Council, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly suggested that […]

U.S.-EU Bank-Data Transfer Deal Explained

By Kurt Volker

The United States and the European Union have signed a bank data-transfer agreement that will give U.S. authorities access to EU bank transfer data, under EU supervision, in an effort to combat terrorism. In an e-mail interview, Kurt Volker, Atlantic Council senior adviser, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and managing director of the Center on […]

The Afghans’ War, not the Afghan War

By Derek Reveron

The confirmation of General David Petraeus as the new commander in Afghanistan has sparked renewed debate on the efficacy of counterinsurgency and the likelihood of success in Afghanistan. Though there will be a new commander in Kabul, we should not expect a new strategy.