Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Armchair Warriors

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

It is becoming increasingly difficult to sort fact from fiction between legacy media and the new media of libel-proof blogs sans editors. Blogmocracy is a time-consuming exercise in democracy. Media-watchers say to be well informed and up to speed one must scan at least 100 blogs. Also "Wikileaks," a Web-based investigative journalism outfit that recently […]

U.S. and India One Step Closer to Civil Nuclear Deal

By Ronak Desai

Washington and New Delhi last week announced the successful completion of a nuclear agreement granting India rights to reprocess nuclear fuel imported from the United States, moving the two countries one step closer to implementing a historic civilian nuclear deal that has become the centerpiece of the widely touted US-India “strategic partnership.” 

Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO’s Strategic Concept

In the latest Issue Brief, Strategic Advisors Group (SAG) members Boyko Noev and Harlan Ullman analyze NATO’s three options for how the Strategic Concept should deal with Afghanistan: ignore and defer; finesse; or confront. Download the PDF

Kyrgyzstan’s New Chance for Democracy

By Borut Grgic

In 2005, Askar Akayev, the then-President of Kyrgyzstan, was deposed and fled from the capital, Bishkek, to Moscow to save his life and the millions of dollars he allegedly stole from the country during his presidency. The driver of change was none other than Kurmanbek Bakiev, riding into the capital on horseback from Osh, a […]

China and the World: Are We Approaching a Tipping Point?

By Robert Manning

Is the pendulum of history shifting? Has China moved from emerging power to emerged? It is difficult not to conclude that China seems to have eaten its Wheaties: whether it is their swagger at the Copenhagen Climate meeting last December, the recent  cyber-flap with Google, or its unusually vitriolic reaction to not unexpected recent U.S. […]

NATO Defense Capabilities: A Guide for Action

Strategic Advisors Group (SAG) members Paul Gebhard and Ralph Crosby address the enduring challenge for NATO nations of how best to enhance their individual and, through the Alliance, their collective capabilities and what could be done through the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept. Download the PDF

Kyrgyzstan Revolution Topples Government

By James Joyner

Kyrgyzstan’s capital is under siege in a brutal riot that appears to have ousted Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the brutal leader who himself came to power in the Tulip Revolution.

The NPR: Obama Finally Leading on NATO Nuclear Policy

By Damon Wilson

After much internal wrangling, the Obama administration has settled on a clever and well-prepared Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) which, without explicitly addressing NATO nuclear policy, clearly steers the unruly Alliance debate in a conservative direction. Consistent with President Obama’s commitment to "listen, learn and lead," the administration is finally leading on nuclear policy. However, the […]

Iraq Video: Collateral Murder? Or Fog of War?

By James Joyner

A disturbing video which seems to show American soldiers shooting unarmed civilians in Iraq — and to contradict official accounts of the incident back in 2007 — is making the rounds. CSM’s Dan Murphy has the backstory: A video released on the Internet Monday by WikiLeaks, a small nonprofit dedicated to publishing classified information from […]

Anti-American Posturing: The Root of All Our Problems

By Bernard Finel

In his New Atlanticist post, "Is Hamid Karzai Crazy?," James Joyner argues that the Afghan president’s recent statements about the presence of “foreigners” is just about Karzai bolstering his standing at home. This assessment is probably right, but the implied U.S. response — that we ought to do just slough it off — is problematic, […]

Is Hamid Karzai Crazy?

By James Joyner

On April Fools Day, Afghan President Hamid Karzai lashed out at "foreigners" who have been criticizing his corrupt, inept government, leveling bizarre charges that the rampant fraud in the recent elections was perpetrated by UN officials, the European Union, and other non-Afghans.   It was, alas, no joke. In addition to bringing the retort from Peter […]

Plea for Pakistan

By Harlan Ullman

Last week’s visit of a very high level Pakistani delegation to Washington to meet with their opposite American numbers was at best a first step in a very long, testing and crucial journey essential to bringing a measure of peace, stability and even some prosperity to a volatile and dangerous region. To be blunt, the […]

OSCE: From Ambivalence to Relevance

By Boyko Nitzov

Dr. Boyko Nitzov, Director of Programs for the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, was interviewed by Aliyah Fridman for Azerbaijan’s News.Az.

Franco-Russian Warship Deal Meeting Little Resistance

By Vladimir Socor

French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s US visit has carefully been protected against any fallout from his proposed sale of Mistral-class power-projection warships to Russia.

What’s the Big Fat Deal?

By Harlan Ullman

U.S. Vice President  Joe Biden’s crass congratulatory whisper to President Barack Obama after the House of Representative’s March 21 passage of the healthcare bill was one bookend for an extraordinary presidential week by any account. The other bookend was the president’s surprise visit to Afghanistan, ostensibly to deliver some tough love to President Hamid Karzai […]

Belarus Press Crackdown Puts Westernization on Hold

By Matthew Czekaj

In a bid to ensure its dubious status as “Europe’s last dictatorship,” Belarus has further constrained the rights of its independent journalists. 

Can Obama Save Sarkozy’s Presidency?

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

It will be the best of times and the worst of times for Presidents Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy when they meet at the White House for dinner tonight.  Obama is riding a wave of momentum from the passage of historic health care legislation and agreement on an important arms control treaty with Russia.