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.

Somali Pirates: Al Qaeda’s Navy?

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.

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Somali Pirates: Al Qaeda’s Navy?

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

Somali Pirates: Al Qaeda’s Navy?

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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Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2009

Somali Pirates: Al Qaeda’s Navy?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Hollywood’s glamorization of the Barbary Pirates over the years blurred the horror of a seaborne plague. Between 1530 and 1789, some 1.5 million European Christians and Jews, and American sailors and travelers, were kidnapped and enslaved in Islamic North Africa.

Somalia

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2009

Nabucco No Guarantee of EU Energy Security

By Alexandros Petersen

Last month’s euphoria over the European Union’s agreement with Turkey on the Nabucco gas pipeline was perhaps a little premature—Brussels still has a long way to go to reduce its energy dependence from Russia.

Energy & Environment European Union

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2009

An Alternative Counter-Terrorism Strategy: International Elements

By Bernard Finel

My colleague Evelyn Farkas challenged me to provide a follow-on to my somewhat critical review of John Brennan’s speech outlining the Obama Administration’s counter-terrorism policy. 

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2009

Pakistan and the Taliban: Leaders Caught Betwixt and Between

By Shuja Nawaz

Following the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud from an American drone attack, Pakistan faces a number of challenges. Will it be able to take an offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as it faces disarray? Will it be able to resist the US pressure to “do more” against the Afghan Taliban now that the United […]

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2009

Weak Russia, Dangerous Russia

By Donald Bandler and Jakub Kulhanek

The reaction from the American defense establishment to news that Russian submarines have been operating off the U.S. coast has been fairly nonchalant, bordering on smug. The submarine operation is widely seen as a rather feeble show of strength by the Russian military after a series of embarrassments over botched missile tests and undistinguished conduct […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2009

Cyber Attack Shuts Down Twitter and Facebook

By James Joyner

Yesterday, Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media sites were brought to a halt by distributed denial of service attacks.  It appears the target was a lone blogger in Georgia and the attack was timed to coincide with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2009

There Is a Military Option on Iran

By Chuck Wald

In a policy address at the Council on Foreign Relations last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said of Iran, “We cannot be afraid or unwilling to engage.” But the Iranian government has yet to accept President Obama’s outstretched hand. Even if Tehran suddenly acceded to talks, U.S. policy makers must prepare for the eventuality […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2009

U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue

By Patrick deGategno and Damien Tomkins

If you think the first U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue last week lacked substance, you are wrong.  It was a promising step in the growing bilateral relationship.

China United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2009

The Global War on Terror Now Just A Global War on Terror

By Bernard Finel

John Brennan, President Obama’s senior advisor on terrorism, gave a speech yesterday that was supposed to signal something of a new approach to the challenge. But in proclaiming that al Qaeda “remains the most serious terrorist threat we face as a nation” and “the most immediate and extreme threat to global security the possibility that […]

New Atlanticist

Aug 6, 2009

Bill Clinton’s North Korea Gambit

By James Joyner

While the release of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee from a North Korean prison has universally been hailed as good news, the trip by former President Bill Clinton that made it possible has been controversial.

Korea
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