Security & Defense

One of the most fundamental responsibilities of governments is to protect their citizens from all threats, internal or foreign. Policy makers must prepare for potential conventional warfare, terrorism and other asymmetrical attacks, and the repercussions of natural disasters and climate change to ensure the safety of their citizens. The motivation to protect against future threats must also be partnered with regular dialogue and partnership with allies and neighbors to prevent the triggering of violent conflict or destabilizing arms races.

Content

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
Former head of UK Secret Intelligence Service John Sawers, April 13, 2009

NATOSource

Mar 3, 2015

Former Chief of Intell Service: UK Needs More Defense Spending to Deal with New Threats

By BBC

Sir John Sawers, who recently retired after five years as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Russia poses a “state to state threat.”

Intelligence Russia
Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Feb. 4, 2015

NATOSource

Mar 2, 2015

Norwegian Defense Minister: NATO Decision Making Process Too Slow To Deal with Emerging Crises

By Mick Krever, CNN

Western relations with Russia will never again be the same after the war in Ukraine, Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.

NATO Northern Europe

Event Recap

Feb 27, 2015

Germany’s Future Role in Transatlantic Security: A Conversation with Vice Admiral Andreas Krause, Chief of the German Navy

By Brent Scowcroft Center

Over the past year, tensions between Russia and NATO over the war in Ukraine have extended past NATO’s south-eastern border up to its most vulnerable north-eastern partners. It is along this border that Russia has launched three surprise military exercises in the past year, incorporating land, air, and sea offensive elements in scenarios eerily resembling […]

Germany NATO
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UK PM David Cameron, & President Barack Obama, June 25, 2009

NATOSource

Feb 27, 2015

NATO Defense Spending Promises Largely Ignored

By Sam Jones, Financial Times

Only two of Nato’s six biggest defence spenders — the US and France — will fulfil a pledge to protect military budgets made at the alliance’s summit five months ago.

France Germany
Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama, Sept. 4, 2014

NATOSource

Feb 26, 2015

Report: Six European Members of NATO Will Cut Defense Spending and Break Agreement Made at Wales Summit

By Denitsa Raynova & Ian Kearns, ELN

Preliminary reports from fourteen countries examined for fiscal year 2015 suggest that only one (Estonia) will spend 2% of GDP on defence.

Germany Hungary

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

In the News

Feb 26, 2015

Healey on the Need for a Broader Discussion on Cybersecurity

By Jason Healey

Federal Computer Week quotes Cyber Statecraft Initiative Director Jason Healey on the need for a broader, more imaginative public discussion about future cyber threats:

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

In the News

Feb 26, 2015

Business Insider Cites the Atlantic Council

By Ian Brzezinski and Nicholas Varangis

Business Insider cites an Atlantic Council chart demonstrating the NATO-Russia exercise gap from a NATOSource article by the Scowcroft Center’s Ian Brzezinski and Nicholas Varangis:

NATO Russia
Chairman of the Bundestag defense committee Hans-Peter Bartels, Dec. 31, 2012

NATOSource

Feb 26, 2015

Political Leaders in Germany Question Readiness of the Bundeswehr

By Local (Germany)

The Bundeswehr (German army) is currently only 75 percent equipped with tanks and other heavy weapons, with equipment shared between different units as and when they need it under a so-called “Dynamic availability management” system.

Germany NATO

Experts

Events