Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Initial Reactions from Council Experts on President Obama’s Remarks on Syria

After watching President Obama’s speech Tuesday night, some of the Atlantic Council’s experts weighed in with initial reactions.

The Syrian Pause Leads to a More Dangerous World

By Barry Pavel

President Obama has now turned the world’s attention to diplomatic efforts focused on requiring Assad and the Syrian military to hand over all of its chemical weapons to international control for “ultimate destruction,” as the President stated.  As these activities continue to play out over the next days and weeks, a few strategic outcomes already […]

The United States, Russia, and Europe: Trilateral Security Dialogue in the Absence of Strategic Partnership

By Isabelle François

In the latest report from the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, entitled The United States, Russia, and Europe: Trilateral Security Dialogue in the Absence of Strategic Partnership, senior fellow Isabelle François explores the ways in which the United States and its allies must consider their relationship with Russia in the midst of new powers […]

Smart Wars Don’t Need Selling

By James Joyner

President Obama is pulling out all stops in a thus-far failing bid to convince the American people and their representatives in Congress to back military action in Syria.

Is NATO Set to Go on Standby?

By Karl-Heinz Kamp

In the most recent Transatlantic Security Initiative issue brief, entitled “Is NATO Set to Go on Standby?” Research Director at the NATO Defense College Karl-Heinz Kamp asks whether NATO will maintain strategic relevance after withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2014.The author argues that when NATO withdraws from Afghanistan in 2014, it has the opportunity to focus once […]

China: Mao or Markets?

By Robert A. Manning

Why is Chinese president Xi Jinping embracing his inner Mao at a moment when China’s new leaders are on the verge of launching a new wave of reforms to retool China’s economy based on strengthening market forces? Hint: it may have something to do with the regime’s efforts to bring down the former Chongqing Communist […]

What’s Next for Syria?

A September 4 Atlantic Council discussion moderated by Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof with Research Analyst Elizabeth O’Bagy, Brent Scowcroft Center Director Barry Pavel, and Hariri Center Fellow Faysal Itani debated the reasoning and potential effectiveness a limited US strike against Syria might have in changing the military calculus of those involved […]

Universal Data Fusion: Enabling Cost-effective US/Russia/NATO Cooperative Missile Defense

By Patrick O’Reilly

As the proliferation of more capable missiles that threaten regional populations, governments, and commerce continues over the twenty-first century, so does the need to counter and disincentivize this proliferation with effective and affordable regional missile defenses. Missile defense systems are among the most expensive military capabilities, but author Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, USA (Ret.), a […]

Obama’s Hamlet Act

By James Joyner

As recently as two days ago, it looked as if strikes would commence this weekend. Yesterday, though, the president announced that he would seek permission from Congress, which won’t be back in town for more than a week. This Hamlet act is drawing jeers from friend and foe alike.

Why Obama’s Plan to Strike Syria Makes No Strategic Sense

By James Joyner

Having backed himself into a corner by declaring a “red line” that has now been crossed, President Obama is by all appearances ramping up for military action in Syria. As best we can tell from the not inconsiderable leaks coming from Washington and elsewhere, the planned strikes would use aerial assets, last only a short period, and […]

Pavel and Itani Discuss Response Options for Syria

From Obama’s “red line” to confirmation of the use of chemical weapons, events in Syria are developing quickly. Atlantic Council experts are appearing in the media daily and posting analysis as events unfold.

What Is China’s Endgame?

By Robert A. Manning and James J. Przystup

Hugh White’s recent post appears to question the premise of my recent East Asia Forum piece arguing that counterbalancing China is not containment, implying that it is a distinction without a difference. He argues that the US strategic goal in Asia is to maintain its primacy, something that China’s rise is overtaking. It is the […]

The Myth of US-India Containment

By Robert A. Manning

US Vice-President Biden’s recent trip to India appears to have reinforced fears in China of a containment strategy. This notion exaggerates US policy and underestimates India as an independent strategic actor.

In the Shadow of Forster’s Room

By Peter Haynes

What might the world look like a century from now? This is not an idle question: if we were able to forecast the ultra-long-term future with at least some degree of accuracy, our approach to policymaking would be very different. For example, if we consider federally funded R&D since World War II, much of it […]