Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

How to Keep Transatlantic Security AAA: Outsmarting the Crisis by Thinking Beyond Institutional Lines

On January 12, the Atlantic Council hosted H.E. Hans Hillen, the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for remarks on NATO defense spending in the context of the Eurozone crisis and the transatlantic economic downturn.

Obama Administration Edges Toward Iran Regime Change

By Barbara Slavin

The Barack Obama administration is increasingly giving the impression that it supports a policy of regime change against Iran – a policy that could backfire and convince Iran to build nuclear weapons. Senior U.S. officials have suggested recently that mounting economic sanctions are meant to “tighten the noose” around the Iranian government. The Washington Post […]

The War on Terror is Over

By Magnus Nordenman

Historians may look back at 2011 as the year that the war on terror finally ended. Counterterrorism was not removed from America’s security policy tool box but it no longer serves as a strategic priority and no longer guides how the US structures its relations with nations around the world or thinks and plans for […]

Transcript: NATO – The Case for Collective Defense in the 21st Century

Full transcript of a NATO Forum public event with the United Kingdom’s Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond.

NATO: The Case for Collective Defense in the 21st Century

On January 5, the Atlantic Council hosted the United Kingdom’s Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond for his first public remarks in the United States.

UK Defense Secretary: No Preemptive Strike on Iran

By James Joyner

While declaring "We would not be in favor of a preemptive strike on Iran," UK defense secretary Philip Hammond vowed that any attempt to disrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz "would be illegal and unsuccessful." Speaking at the Atlantic Council on NATO and the Case for Collective Defense in the 21st Century, […]

UK Defense Secretary: Europe Failing to Meet Responsibilities

By James Joyner

In his first US address since become UK’s defense secretary, Philip Hammond blasted his fellow Europeans for “failing to meet their financial responsibilities to NATO, and so failing to maintain appropriate and proportionate capabilities.” Speaking at the Atlantic Council in advance of a meeting with his US counterpart, Leon Panetta, Hammond declared, “Without strong economies […]

Guido Westerwelle: Europe’s New Hillary Clinton?

By Julian Lindley-French

Watching German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle with British Foreign Secretary William Hague this week I was reminded of a John F. Kennedy quote; “The problem with power is how to achieve its responsible use, rather than its irresponsible or indulgent use”. That is not to suggest that Westerwelle is in any way irresponsible. Indeed, what […]

Mission Not Accomplished

By Harlan Ullman

Last week, the Obama administration announced the end of U.S. engagement in the Iraq war, honoring a campaign promise and the agreement that U.S. President George W. Bush reached with Baghdad to remove combat forces by the end of 2011.   But violence and instability in Iraq and the region are far from over. And […]

European Worries Over US Commitment a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

By James Joyner

The perennial worry in London about the state of the “special relationship” took a new twist last week, with the chief of the British military chief publicly wondering what America’s Pacific focus will mean for his country’s security. General Sir David Richard, Chief of the Defence Staff, delivering his annual lecture to the Royal United Services […]

Iran Hedges Its Bets on Syria

By Barbara Slavin

Iran is courting the opposition to Syrian President Bashar al- Assad, seeking to maintain a crucial alliance in the event that Assad falls. So far, Iranian officials have met at least twice with members of the National Coordinating Committee (NCC). The Damascus-based group opposes foreign intervention in Syria and advocates reform to resolve the nine-month-old […]