Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Changing Rules of Warfare

By Derek Reveron

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen recently gave a speech in Kansas where he outlined a vision of warfare for the current era. Reflecting on nine years of continuous warfare in Central Asia and twenty years military involvement in Iraq, he proposed three rules that challenge traditional notions of using the […]

NATO Forum: Slovak Defense Leaders at the Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council hosted Slovak Minister of Defense Jaroslav Baška and General Ľubomír Bulík, Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, for a NATO Forum strategy session.

NATO Transformation on the Cheap

By James Joyner

General Stéphane Abrial, Commander Allied Command Transformation (ACT), declared that, "With defense budgets under growing competition from other lines of public expenditure it is therefore imperative that we are able to assure our publics that we are wasting nothing, that we have not spared ourselves any necessary reform and ask for nothing that is not […]

NATO-EU Partnership: Small Obstacles Loom Large

By James Joyner

There’s a growing consensus that NATO and the EU must strengthen their cooperation on military planning. Yet the chief obstacles to doing so — they rhyme with Freece and Gurkey — are so taboo Allied leaders are reluctant to mention them by name.

Hillary Clinton Hits BRIC Wall Over Iran Sanctions

By James Joyner

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned home from Brazil unable to secure cooperation on increased pressure against Iran’s nuclear program.  Nick Gvosdev says we shouldn’t be surprised — and that the ramifications go far beyond this one vote.

Iran Sanctions: Failing But Multiplying

By James Joyner

America’s regime of sanctions on Iran are ineffective but we’re likely to see more of them.  That’s the conclusion of a panel of experts assessing the state of US-Iran relations at an event rolling out a comprehensive compendium of policies, laws, and regulations pertaining to Iran.

U.S.-Iran Relations: Policy Compendium

This Compendium contains the text of major regulations, laws, and other documents governing U.S. interactions with Iran. Also provided are the text of U.N. Security Council Resolutions, agreements between Iran and several other countries on various issues, and other documents that represent major policy decisions in U.S. relations with Iran.  The publication was launched at […]

What Should NATO’s Strategic Concept Say About Russia?

By Tomas Valasek

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, NATO has strived to reduce mutual suspicions with Russia and to build a more co-operative relationship. So it is vexing that 20 years on, Russia continues to view NATO as a hostile alliance.

Russia: NATO Member?

By James Joyner

Should NATO invite Russia to join?  The idea isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

Are Nuclear Weapons Obsolete?

By James Joyner

Do all sane people agree that a nuclear weapons-free world would be best?  Are nuclear weapons militarily obsolete, desirable only for political posturing? That seems to be the consensus of an influential group of European leaders making the rounds in Washington this week. Earlier this week, the Atlantic Council hosted a delegation from the  Pugwash […]

Iran: China 1972 or Russia 1987?

By James Joyner

Should the United States try to reach a grand rapprochement with Iran in the manner of our opening to China under Nixon?  Or should we instead overtly support domestic reformers and try to topple the regime as we did with the Soviet Union under Reagan? 

Face of the New NATO: Lillelund Bech at Atlantic Council NATO Forum

The Atlantic Council hosted Danish Minister of Defense Gitte Lillelund Bech for a NATO Forum strategy session on her first visit to the United States as Minister and only days after she took office. Atlantic Council Board Director and former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe General Joseph Ralston, now Vice Chairman at The Cohen Group, hosted […]