Content

Photo: REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Issue Brief

Mar 12, 2015

Morocco’s gradual political and economic transition

By Mohsin Khan and Karim Mezran

In contrast to popular uprisings throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, Morocco has emerged relatively unscathed, avoiding destabilizing political upheaval or economic impact. The case of Morocco has surprised many observers because its weak and problematic social, political, and economic indicators are much like those of the other transitioning countries. In “Morocco’s […]

Morocco
North Africa

Global Aggregation of Cyber Risk

Feb 18, 2015

Breaking the Cyber-Sharing Logjam

By Brent Scowcroft Center

The Internet makes everyone neighbors in cyberspace, connected by a digital infrastructure that serves as the bedrock of their communities. But despite pockets of excellence, the neighborhood-watch system is broken. Not all kinds of sharing are equal, as many organizations involved in cyber defense are net consumers—not suppliers—of shareable cybersecurity information.

Books

Feb 17, 2015

‘Boom time’ for private security contractors

By Ashish Kumar Sen

‘The Modern Mercenary’ author McFate says contractors fill security vacuum left by departing troops One of the biggest fallacies in Washington is that once the United States is done with private security contractors in Afghanistan and elsewhere they will simply pack their bags and head home, says Sean McFate. In fact, these private armies go […]

Defense Industry
National Security

Issue Brief

Feb 17, 2015

False dichotomy: Stability versus reform in the Arab world

By Danya Greenfield and Faysal Itani

To cling to current short-sighted policies and to help sustain dysfunctional states in the Middle East for the sake of short-term security would condemn the region to poverty and further instability, which threaten to have negative consequences for US interests. A new Atlantic Council report rejects the notion that the United States must choose between […]

Democratic Transitions
Middle East

Report

Feb 2, 2015

Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do

By Atlantic Council, the Brookings Institution, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

The Kremlin is waging a hybrid war in Ukraine’s east. Initially covert, Moscow’s intervention became increasingly open when it sent in regular army units in August. Since the Minsk ceasefire, signed in September, Kremlin-supported separatists seized 500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory. The ceasefire was an illusion. Despite the agreement, Russia continued to send hundreds […]

Europe & Eurasia
NATO

Issue Brief

Jan 21, 2015

A transatlantic approach for the Arab world: Stability through inclusivity, good governance, and prosperity

By Fran Burwell, Danya Greenfield, Amy Hawthorne

A new Atlantic Council report warns against the tendency of Europe and the United States to sideline political and economic reform in the Middle East while they pursue urgent security priorities in this turbulent region. Instead, the transatlantic partners should forge a shared strategy to encourage political systems that can protect Arab citizens’ basic rights, […]

European Union
International Organizations

Report

Jan 16, 2015

Antimicrobial resistance as an emerging threat to national security

By Maxine Builder

In Antimicrobial Resistance as an Emerging Threat to National Security, Maxine Builder, Research Associate for the Council on Foreign Relations' Global Health Program, outlines the growing threat posed by this issue, and its potential implications for national security, before positing several potential solutions and policy recommendations.

National Security
Security & Defense

Issue Brief

Dec 23, 2014

The case for a new federalism in Libya

By Karim Mezran and Mohamed Eljarh

Following Muammar Qaddafi’s ouster more than three years ago, Libya fragmented, and the absence of a capable central government opened up the space for a violent political struggle over the country’s key resources and state institutions that continues today. Given Libya’s troubled history with centralization, there is a need for a rethink about a post-revolutionary […]

Libya

Issue Brief

Dec 23, 2014

The Die Is Cast: Confronting Russian Aggression in Eastern Europe

By Christopher Musselman

Despite a crumbling economy, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains defiant in increasing Moscow’s influence in eastern Europe. In Ukraine, cease-fire agreements have only prolonged Kyiv’s battle against Russian-backed separatists in its east. Simultaneously, the Kremlin’s subversive economic and political actions in eastern Europe and former Soviet states continue unabated, confirming that Ukraine is unlikely to […]

NATO
Russia

Report

Dec 15, 2014

Addressing the food, water, and energy nexus: transatlantic perspectives and Africa’s great chance

By Peter Engelke

Addressing the Food, Water, and Energy Nexus: Transatlantic Perspectives and Africa’s Great Chance, a joint collaboration between the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and the Strategic Foresight Initiative of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, examines how Africa can best leverage its food, water, and energy resources for sustainable development.

Africa
Energy & Environment
Dispatches-NewSection-20251212