New Atlanticist

Sharp insights and bold ideas from across the Council

From climate change to the China challenge and the contest between democracy and dictatorship, the New Atlanticist is where top experts and policymakers at the Atlantic Council and beyond offer exclusive insight on the most pressing global challenges—and the US role in addressing them alongside allies and partners.

The Council’s flagship section features big ideas, groundbreaking research, lightning-fast expert reactions, in-depth analyses, and thought-provoking commentary to shape public policy.

South Asia in 2010: A Make or Break Year for Afghanistan

New Atlanticist
Jul 29, 2025

The Russia pressure menu: Options to convince Putin to negotiate on Ukraine

As the US president cuts his deadline for Russia to ten days, there are several options for him to increase pressure on Moscow to pursue peace.

New Atlanticist
Jul 24, 2025

Dispatch from Manila: A lesson in calling out Chinese maritime aggression

By
Markus Garlauskas, Philip W. Yu

As the Philippines has focused more on Chinese threats to itself, Manila also seems increasingly inclined to see its own security as connected to that of the broader region.

China
Indo-Pacific

New Atlanticist
Jul 1, 2025

The US must enforce sanctions to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program

By
Kimberly Donovan

To ensure that Tehran cannot get its hands on the financial resources it would need to rebuild its nuclear program, Iran sanctions enforcement should start with China.

Economic Sanctions
Iran

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New Atlanticist

Jan 13, 2010

South Asia in 2010: A Make or Break Year for Afghanistan

By Jawad Joya

2010 will most likely define the character of the next decade for U.S. foreign policy in Central and South Asia. For Afghanistan and Pakistan, the year will foreshadow what awaits them in the new decade – fatal chaos, expensive stability (with some hope) or a blend of both.

New Atlanticist

Jan 13, 2010

The Coming Pentagon Boost: Obama Strong on War Funding

By Damon Wilson

For all the talk around town of increasing pressure on defense spending in a time of austerity, high unemployment and eye-popping deficits, the Pentagon budget is poised to reach the historic level of $700 billion – a 4.8 % increase over Obama’s FY2010 request (and a 125% increase since 2001).

New Atlanticist

Jan 13, 2010

Derivatives Market 20 Times Size of American Economy

By James Joyner

The nation’s chief commodities regulator told the Atlantic Council that, "A healthy financial future requires that we bring comprehensive reform to the over-the-counter derivatives markets. It is critically important that we bring transparency to this market and address the significant information advantage enjoyed by Wall Street." Gary Gensler, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2010

America’s Billion Dollar Intelligence Boondoggle

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

The Jordanian “triple” agent bomber whose suicide killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan December 30 was a physician and self-avowed jihadist whose virulent anti-Americanism was well-known in the capital city of Amman. Homam Khalil Abu Mallal al-Balawi, 33, “moderated” a Yemen-based, radical Islamic forum (Hisbah.net) on which he said his “ultimate dream in life is […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2010

Stop France Arming Russia

By David Smith

ship Mistral tied up at a downtown Saint Petersburg pier November 23. With the golden dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral shimmering in the background, the amphibious assault ship made a perfect sales promotion picture, which was precisely its mission. Some in Paris—led by the Elysée Palace—want to sell Mistral class ships to Russia, a venture […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 11, 2010

Who is Running Our Afghanistan Policy?

By Bernard Finel

In a recent report, Major General Michael T. Flynn, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence in Afghanistan levels a damning indictment against the U.S. conduct of the war in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Jan 11, 2010

Yemen Latest Front in Mad Max War

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Yemen, where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has several hundred jihadi terrorists sheltered by anti-Saudi tribal chiefs, has been getting less than $70 million a year in U.S. assistance. Afghanistan, whence Arab jihadis decamped years ago, runs U.S. taxpayers $82 million a day. The would-be Nigerian suicide bomber Umaru Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, who tried […]

Yemen

New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2010

Al Qaeda a Moving Target

By Don Snow

Connections between the Christmas Underwear Bomber and the Ft. Hood massacre to a radical cleric in Yemen have once again returned that desert country to the center of the ongoing contest against terror and its most notorious emblem, Al Qaeda. It is, of course, not the first time Americans (including much of the media) have […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2010

South Asia in 2010: Black Swans

By Cyril Almeida

Black swans. Thanks to the irascible Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the world is now familiar with the term. But perhaps few places should beware of the black swan like Pakistan should, or at least those in the business of making predictions about Pakistan.

New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2010

South Asia in 2010: Difficult Times Could Get Worse

By Bruce Riedel

The war in Afghanistan will intensify in 2010 as NATO tries to regain the initiative from the insurgency. Casualties will rise. By year’s end we will only begin to see whether or not Obama’s strategy shows signs of reversing the momentum away from the Taliban.

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