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Event Recap

Apr 13, 2015

Cracking down on militancy in Pakistan

By Refayat Haque

On April 13, IHS’s Asia Pacific Country Risk Lead Omar Hamid and South Asia Center Distinguished Fellow Shuja Nawaz discussed the evolving militancy climate in Pakistan. Hamid cited the December 2014 attack on a government school in Peshawar as a “Pearl Harbor” moment for Pakistan, and suggested it enabled the nation to act swiftly and […]

National Security Pakistan

Defense Industrialist

Mar 31, 2015

Force Structure That’s Too Big to Fail?

By James Hasik

Against more challenging adversaries, temper enthusiasm for returns to scale. Ever since I was a midshipman—way back under a Navy Secretary named Lehman—pundits, analysts, and strategists have been wondering whether the US Navy’s supercarriers are too big. And so again in 2015. The new Ford-class ships are a few billion more expensive than their Nimitz predecessors, and Senate […]

Drones National Security

New Atlanticist

Mar 4, 2015

Kroenig: NATO Should Develop Credible Response to Russian Nuclear Strike

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council analyst says US, NATO lack adequate nuclear deterrence policy The United States and NATO lack an adequate nuclear deterrence policy even as Russia has put the nuclear option at the center of its national security strategy, according to Atlantic Council analyst Matthew Kroenig. “NATO should strengthen its nuclear declaratory policy and develop new, […]

National Security NATO

AfricaSource

Feb 26, 2015

Assessing al-Shabaab’s Mall Threat

By Joshua Meservey

Al-Shabaab, the terrorist organization that controls stretches of Somalia, made a splash February 21 when it released a video featuring a masked spokesman calling for attacks on malls in England, Canada, and the United States. This is the group that in 2013 attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya with terrible result, giving its threat […]

National Security Security & Defense

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

New Atlanticist

Feb 14, 2015

Declaring War on Islamic Terrorism is Not the Answer, Says LeBaron

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council analyst says White House summit must catalogue what we know about countering violent extremism A White House conference on countering violent extremism will “reinforce international will to take on the difficult issues posed by radicalization,” according to the Atlantic Council’s Richard LeBaron. The White House will host a Summit on Countering Violent Extremism […]

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2015

Airstrikes will Strengthen ISIS, says Fayyad

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister says root causes must be addressed The ongoing coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham will do very little to destroy the militant group and may, in fact, enhance its ability to recruit more fighters, according to Salam Fayyad, a former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. […]

Iraq National Security

New Atlanticist

Feb 10, 2015

A Strong Affirmation of Goals, But Short on Commitment of Resources to Diplomacy

By Francis J. Ricciardone

The Obama administration’s new National Security Strategy reflects a consistent American approach to the world, something that continues whether it is a Republican or a Democrat in the White House. The strategy accentuates a positive agenda and a confidence in America’s strength. It is explicit in rejecting fear as our basis for dealing with the […]

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2015

Our Take on the National Security Strategy

By New Atlanticist

The Obama administration rolled out its second-ever National Security Strategy (NSS) on February 6. Atlantic Council analysts weighed in on the NSS.

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2015

What Africa Strategy?

By J. Peter Pham

In the latest National Security Strategy released on February 6, President Obama asserts, “Today, the United States is stronger and better positioned to seize the opportunities of a still new century and safeguard our interests against the risks of an insecure world.” Yet, when specifically addressing Africa, which the President himself in an earlier strategy […]

National Security Security & Defense

Experts

Events