Security & Defense

Missile Defense Debrief

The Honorable Alexander Vershbow, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, joined the Atlantic Council for an exclusive teleconference briefing on the Obama administration’s decision to pursue alternative technologies and architectures for missile defense in Europe.

Transcript: Missile Defense Debrief

Full transcript of the September 22, 2009 conference call featuring The Honorable Alexander Vershbow, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency.

Missile Defense: What Scowcroft Missed

By Adrian Karatnycky

Brent Scowcroft has issued a strong statement of support for President Obama’s decision to scrap George Bush’s planned missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic in favor of a sea-based system.  General Scowcroft, however, elides the main point. While there may be a strong case in favor of the Aegis alternative, the announcement should […]

Brzezinski Endorses Obama Missile Decision, Slams Rollout

By James Joyner

Yesterday, I noted that Brent Scowcroft supports President Obama’s missile defense decision.  Another distinguished member of our International Advisory Board,  Zbigniew Brzezinski, has voiced his support as well — albeit in an extremely colorful manner that’s not particularly flattering to the president.

Brent Scowcroft Supports Obama’s Missile Defense Decision

By James Joyner

While I remain highly critical of the optics of yesterday’s decision to change course on missile defense in Eastern Europe, timed as it was on the 70th anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Poland and coming after a year of bellicose actions from Moscow, it would be remiss not to point out that General Brent Scowcroft […]

Obama’s Missile Defense Decision: The View From Europe

By James Joyner

President Obama’s decision to abandon the missile defense systems in Poland and Czech Republic agreed to by his predecessor has created a firestorm of controversy, with quite different reactions in Russia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and domestically.

Brent Scowcroft Supports Obama’s Missile Defense Shield Decision

Former National Security Adviser Backs Administration Position on Europe Missile Defense Shield Washington, D.C. — Brent Scowcroft, Chairman of the Atlantic Council International Advisory Board and National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, today supported the Administration’s decision to pursue alternative technologies and architecture for the planned missile defense shield in […]

TSCP Welcomes French Republic as New Member

By Reuters

From Reuters: As the pressure from cyber security attacks around the world escalates, the Transglobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP) today announced a third expansion in membership this year, with the addition of the French Republic. France’s Network and Information Security Agency (ANSSI), responsible for defining government policy and safeguarding information systems against cyber threats, will […]

NATO – Russia Strategic Partnership?

By James Joyner

New NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called for “open-minded and unprecedented dialogue” with Russia to create a “true strategic partnership” on issues ranging from Afghanistan to terrorism to nuclear proliferation. While “Russia should realize that NATO is here and that NATO is a framework for our transatlantic relationship,” he argued, “we should also […]

Al Qaeda 360

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Pity the al Qaeda analyst in the 16-agency, 100,000-strong U.S. intelligence community that spends $50 billion a year, much of it to track al Qaeda operatives the world over.