Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Explore the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s latest insights, commentary, articles, media hits, and in-depth reports

All commentary & analysis

New Atlanticist

Sep 26, 2018

Trump accuses China of meddling in midterms. It’s all about trade.

By David A. Wemer

Trump offered no specific evidence of China’s purported “meddling” during his speech, but tied it directly to the trade issue, saying Beijing wants him to lose “because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade and we are winning on trade.”

China Trade and tariffs

New Atlanticist

Sep 25, 2018

Trump puts America first at the United Nations

By Ashish Kumar Sen and David A. Wemer

“The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship,” US President Donald J. Trump told the assembled leaders, but “we only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.”

International Organizations Iran

In the News

Sep 25, 2018

Metzl Joins CNN to Talk Trump and UNGA

By Jamie Metzl

Watch the full discussion here.

New Atlanticist

Sep 25, 2018

Europe unlikely to avoid Trump’s Iran sanctions

By Samantha Sultoon

The establishment of a sanctions evasion tool would undermine the EU’s own sanctions enforcement by creating a domestic workaround that could to be applied to any other sanctions program now or in the future.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion France

IranSource

Sep 25, 2018

Making Sense of Iran’s Economy Once All US Sanctions Resume

By Hoorozan

Though August 6 marked the first set of re-imposed US sanctions against Iran, the economy had already started feeling the pain months earlier. Uncertainty about the future stirred up turbulence in the Iranian foreign exchange, and caused scarcity as well as a sharp price increase of essential goods, in addition to the gradual withdrawal of […]

Iran

In the News

Sep 24, 2018

Ullman in UPI: Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court Hearings Present a Different Danger

By Harlan Ullman

Read the full article here.

United States and Canada

In the News

Sep 24, 2018

Vershbow Joins Fox Business to Discuss North Korea

By Alexander Vershbow

Watch the full discussion here.

Korea

NATOSource

Sep 24, 2018

ANGRY TRIDENT

By August Cole

Editor’s note: This short story describes a hypothetical future war in northern Europe between Russian and NATO forces using advanced technology. RUSSIA-NORWAY BORDER Small mountains of bicycles marked the Norwegian-Russian border at the Storskog crossing, piled high like shimmering haystacks in the November moonlight. Alongside them on the Russian side were cars and buses dusted […]

Conflict Defense Technologies

In the News

Sep 21, 2018

Manning in the Hill: Positive Moon-Kim Summit Creates a Diplomatic Opening in North Korea

By Robert A. Manning

Read the full article here.

Korea

IranSource

Sep 21, 2018

The Books the Trump Administration Should Read to Understand Iran

By Holly Dagres

When US President Donald Trump delivered his Iran strategy speech in October 2017, rather than focus on the important points that were being made, most Iranians zeroed in on him referring to the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf.” It was seen as a major insult by many Iranians who proudly view the body of […]

Iran

IranSource

Sep 20, 2018

Iranian Attacks in Iraq Are More About Messaging Than Reality

By Borzou Daragahi

US and Iranian officials traded accusations earlier this month over an attack on Iran’s consulate in the southern city of Basra, followed by mortar or rocket attacks that appeared to target US missions in the capital, Baghdad. Tehran blames Washington for being behind the trashing of its consulate. The allegation was simply untrue. The protesters […]

Iran Iraq

Report

Sep 19, 2018

Whose truth? Sovereignty, disinformation, and winning the battle of trust

By John Watts

In an era of increasing technological, cultural and geo-political change, the rise of disinformation undermines the institutions that nations rely on to function and creates risks across society. At the heart of the challenge is the battle of truth and trust. In this report, “Whose Truth: Sovereignty, Disinformation and Winning the Battle of Trust, John […]

Disinformation Media

In the News

Sep 19, 2018

Woods Quoted in MIT Technology Review on California Cyber Law

By Beau Woods

Read the full article here.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Sep 19, 2018

Testing North Korea’s nuclear offer

By Ashish Kumar Sen

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has agreed to dismantle missile facilities in the presence of international inspectors and take steps toward denuclearization—provided the United States takes “corresponding measures.”

Japan Korea

In the News

Sep 17, 2018

Manning in Global Times: No Country Gains in US’ Reckless Trade War

By Robert A. Manning

Read the full article here.

Economy & Business

In the News

Sep 16, 2018

Simakovsky and Brzezinski Quoted in Politico on Russia and China War Games

By Mark D. Simakovsky and Ian Brzezinski

Read the full article here.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Sep 14, 2018

Prosperity across Three Seas: An opportunity awaits in Bucharest

By Ian Brzezinski

The development of Central Europe’s cross-border infrastructure is not only essential to the region’s economic development, but also to its integration into Europe as a whole.

Central Europe Eastern Europe

IranSource

Sep 14, 2018

Ahmadinejad Tried Making a Comeback—Until Iran’s Judiciary Stepped In

By Arash Azizi

As is the norm for most authoritarian regimes, fortunes rise and fall quickly for men of power in Iran. But the former chief of staff and vice president of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had it coming for a long time. As the closest confidante of the former president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei has long been despised by much […]

Iran

In the News

Sep 13, 2018

Metzl Joins CNN to Discuss China Trade

By Jamie Metzl

Watch the full discussion here.

China

IranSource

Sep 13, 2018

Why on Earth is former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tweeting?

By Holly Dagres

Over the past year and a half, the former Iranian president has been a social media enigma. All of Ahmadinejad’s tweets are in English—leading many to believe that he's not the author.

Iran

Newsletter

Stay connected with us by signing up for our weekly newsletter “The Strategist” to be notified of all upcoming events, new publications, recent media hits, and exclusive updates within the Scowcroft Center:

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world.