Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Federalism for Afghanistan: Success Won’t Be Found in Kabul

By Derek Reveron

Even though we are about two months away from “surge force levels” in Afghanistan and five months away from the planned strategy review, a number of commentators have used the Stanley McChrystal – David Petraeus transition as an opportunity to reconsider the mission’s success. Unfortunately, military operations like those in Afghanistan defy the use of […]

It’s Time to Ratify the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties

By Jonathan Ruemelin, Damon Wilson, and Jeff Lightfoot

During David Cameron’s first visit to Washington as Britain’s Prime Minister, a new Atlantic Council issue brief calls for the White House and Senate to act to ratify the U.S.-UK and U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties. To affirm the U.S.-UK special relationship, and to advance timely military, economic and diplomatic interests, Cameron’s visit is the […]

Help Our Friends Fight with Us: Ratify the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties with the UK and Australia

By Damon Wilson and Jonathan Ruemelin

President Obama will host British Prime Minister David Cameron for the first time at the White House on Tuesday as both sides try to reassure the other that the ‘special relationship’ is indeed special.  There is no better way to calm the waters in the special relationship than by decisive Senate action to approve the […]

AfPak Success Requires India Inclusion

By Ayesha Jalal

Iran Sanctions Saga: Enter the EU

By Emanuele Ottolenghi

Next week the European Union will introduce new sanctions against Iran. These new measures, which expand UN sanctions and follow comparable measures in the United States, will target Iranian energy, air transport and shipping lines, and financial institutions in an effort to compel Tehran to abandon its unlawful nuclear activities. In the past, the EU […]

Kyrgyzstan Sits on a Precipice

By Ross Wilson and Damon Wilson

Sanctions Alone Won’t Work on Iran

By Charles S. Robb and Charles Wald

Crossing the Great Divides

By Harlan Ullman

As the Vietnam War was beginning to split American society asunder, Harvard Professor Stanley Hoffmann icily observed that when it came to strategic thinking, we Americans expected others to reason as we did or be in need of being brought up to our level. Was this sheer arrogance at work? Perhaps. But more likely the […]

What Can Be Learned from Clinton’s Caucasus Visit

By Alexandros Petersen

Russia Smiles

By David Smith

As America defeated Algeria to advance in the World Cup, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in California to kick off a round of intense diplomatic activity. Smiling, he toured Silicon Valley in search of money and technology. Still smiling in Washington, he accepted US President Barack Obama’s backing for Russian membership in the World Trade […]

Afghanistan-Iraq-Iran: A three-front war?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

There is no better illustration of the futility of the $1 trillion Iraq war than news photos of a long line of gasoline tankers lined up bumper to bumper as they leave Iraq to enter Iran. The U.N. Security Council decision to strengthen economic measures against Iran and U.S. President Barack Obama signing into law […]

Did China Just Win the Caspian Gas War?

By Alexandros Petersen

Natural gas is in the midst of a transformative moment. The advent of shale gas, the growth of seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG), and a new “green” image for the old hydrocarbon brought more uses, attention and yes, even controversy, to global gas markets. But the world’s most influential player in all this is neither […]

Transatlantic Data Sharing: Moving Forward By Moving Backwards

By James Joyner

With a refreshing candor almost never seen from sitting officials, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and European VP for Justice Viviane Reding vowed to work together to share data on terrorism and criminal investigations while safeguarding privacy of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.  Despite the can-do attitude, they made it clear that the U.S. […]

NATO Strategic Concept Drivers

By Harlan Ullman

Since its creation in 1949, NATO has been at one crucial crossroads or another in which the future of the alliance seemed at stake. Today, as NATO is working on a new Strategic Concept to replace the current one approved eleven years ago in 1999, the alliance must come to grips with the challenges and […]

Russian Spy Arrests: James Bond Meets Woody Allen

By Harlan Ullman

Reports of the arrests last week of 11 alleged Russian agents operating a deep cover espionage ring for Moscow Center in the heart of the United States sounded more like farce and folly than serious spying. So far no classified material has been found in the spies’ possession and the major charge against them is […]

Can NATO Be Saved?

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Sarwar Kashmeri, Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s International Security Program, was interviewed by Vermont Public Radio about NATO, its future, and how it could be saved by allying with the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy. You can listen to the interview using the audio player below, or read the transcript that follows. Audio […]

Central Asia: Reset Won’t Fix It

By David Smith

Cyber Attacks and Article 5

By James Joyner

As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization completes its new Strategic Concept, it should be resist expanding its guarantee of automatic response to include cyber and other unconventional attacks. Otherwise, it may fracture the alliance while, perversely, decreasing security against said actions. In a February speech to the Atlantic Council, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly suggested that […]

The Afghans’ War, not the Afghan War

By Derek Reveron

The confirmation of General David Petraeus as the new commander in Afghanistan has sparked renewed debate on the efficacy of counterinsurgency and the likelihood of success in Afghanistan. Though there will be a new commander in Kabul, we should not expect a new strategy.

South Caucasus on the Brink of War

By Borut Grgic