Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Assessing Pakistan’s Crackdown on the Afghan Taliban

By Bernard Finel

Who knew it would turn out to be quite so simple to round up much of the senior leadership of the Afghan Taliban?

Jones: NATO Must be Lean, Agile, and Flexible

By James Joyner

In a provocative closed door session yesterday, National Security Advisor Jim Jones proclaimed that “NATO must be prepared to address, deny, and deter the full spectrum of threats, whether emanating from within Europe, at NATO’s boundaries, or far beyond NATO’s borders.”

Clinton: EU No Threat to NATO

By James Joyner

In her Atlantic Council speech on the future of NATO, Hillary Clinton declared unequivocally that the Alliance should work closely with the European Union on security issues, a welcome evolution in America’s foreign policy.

NATO Reform and Decision-Making

Edgar Buckley and Kurt Volker, members of the Strategic Advisors Group (SAG), outline four crucial areas of the NATO decision-making process that require immediate consideration for reform in the SAG issue brief “NATO Reform and Decision-Making.” Download the PDF

Article 5 and Strategic Reassurance

Edgar Buckley and Ioan Mircea Pascu, members of the Strategic Advisors Group (SAG), discuss the implications of the use of force, preemption, and assessment of new risks as it relates to the Strategic Concept in the SAG issue brief “Article 5 and Strategic Reassurance.” Download the PDF

Clinton on Russia and NATO

By James Joyner

Hillary Clinton addressed the Atlantic Council this evening on “The Future of NATO” as a kickoff to a conference on a new strategic concept for the sixty-year-old Alliance.   She worked very hard to square the circle on NATO-Russia relations, both advocating increased cooperation and leaving the door open for further contentious expansion.

Hillary Clinton: NATO’s Future

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke on the future of NATO before the Atlantic Council on February 22.  Council Chairman Senator Chuck Hagel offered welcoming remarks, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright introduced Secretary Clinton.

The Challenge: NATO Amidst Geopolitical Realities

Rob de Wijk, member of the Strategic Advisors Group (SAG), highlights the need for NATO to address three new challenges as it drafts the 2010 Strategic Concept in “The Challenge: NATO in the Realm of New Geopolitical Realities.” Download the PDF

India and Pakistan: Give Dialogue a Chance

By Sherry Rehman

The resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan is always weighed down by anxiety about outcomes. After the July 26 blasts in Mumbai, New Delhi cut off the composite dialogue process with Islamabad. The foreign secretaries of both countries are now scheduled to meet on Wednesday, February 24th to begin talks again.

Pakistan Optimism Premature?

By James Joyner

While the cooperation of Pakistan’s intelligence service in the capture of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been highly touted as a sign of improved relations with the United States, some are not convinced.

Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance: Canada in Afghanistan

Canadian Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, the former Commander of Joint Task Force 5-09 who until recently commanded all Canadian and NATO Forces in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, spoke before the Atlantic Council on counterinsurgency in Afghanistan from a Canadian perspective.

Extending Vietnamization to Afghanistan

By Don Snow

The war in Afghanistan took a familiar turn this week, as the U.S. Marines began an Aghan “surge” to wrest the city of Marja in the opium-infested province of Helmand from the Taliban. The term “surge” kept coming up to describe the purpose and intent of the operation, presumably because of the widely advertised “success” […]

Iran Options: Sanctions and Strikes

By Jonathan Paris

The inexorable march of the Iranian regime towards nuclear weapons has produced a growing international consensus for serious sanctions. After a year of engagement by President Obama, the Iranians have made it clear that they are not eager to reciprocate by compromising on their nuclear program. The international community now appears to be following a […]

U.S. – Pakistan Capture Taliban Commander

By James Joyner

The apparent capture of Afghan Taliban military commander Abdul Ghani Baradar is not only great news in NATO’s war against the militants but potentially a very strong signal of improved cooperation between Pakistan and the United States. Mark Mazzeti and Dexter Filkins broke the news this morning in the NYT. The Taliban’s top military commander […]

Taliban and Al Qaeda: A Shotgun Wedding

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

When U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed the Afghan war as his own the reason he gave was "because that’s where al Qaeda is."  In point of fact, al Qaeda skedaddled out of Afghanistan shortly after Oct. 7, 2001, when U.S. troops invaded.

Hawk-Industrial Complex Hamstrings USA

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

"Clueless in Washington" was how The Economist, a British weekly read by movers and shakers the world over, headlined America’s crisis in governance. Neither the president nor Congress shows any sign of knowing how to tackle the budget deficit.