Americas

China and Russia Bring Back Cold War Tactics

By Anne Applebaum, Washington Post

We in the United States may not believe that there is any real threat to our longtime alliance structures in Europe and Asia, but other people think those alliances are vulnerable and have set out to undermine them.

Hope for Afghanistan

By Michael O'Hanlon, Washington Post

The case for hopefulness on Afghanistan is built largely on what were probably its three most notable developments of 2013

For Brazil, Just the Right Plane, and at the Right Price

By James Hasik

As has been widely reported, and after what The Aviationist called “ten years of negotiations and speculations,” the Brazilian federal government announced last week that Saab’s JAS-39E Gripen NG had been selected as the next fighter jet of the Força Aérea, beating out Dassault’s Rafale and Boeing’s F/A-18E Super Hornet. The timing of the announcement was unexpected, but the […]

Chinese Military Ship Will Help Guard Destruction of Syria’s Chemical Weapons

By New York Times, Reuters, & South China Morning Post

From Jane Perlez, New York Times:  The same day that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel of the United States blasted the actions of a Chinese ship in the South China Sea as “irresponsible,” China announced that it would deploy a military ship to work with an American vessel involved in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

France Deploying US-Made Drones to Hunt Al Qaeda in Mali

By Reuters

France will deploy its first U.S.-made unarmed surveillance drones to West Africa by the end of the year, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, as it seeks to “eliminate all traces of al Qaeda.”

A Closer Look at What Mexico’s Landmark Energy Reform Will Mean

Mexico is poised to expand its oil production so dramatically that it may become one of the world’s most strategically important oil exporters within the next decade, US analysts and a top Mexican official told a conference at the Atlantic Council. Mexico’s decision this year to end the 75-year monopoly of the state-owned company PEMEX, […]

Mexico Rising: Comprehensive Energy Reform at Last?

By David J. Goldwyn

A report released today by the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center on Mexican energy reform argues that Mexico has positioned itself to become a major player in the global market as a competitive and transparent supplier of oil. Authored by former State Department Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs David Goldwyn, […]

Atlantic Council Report Analyzes Landmark Mexican Energy Reform

WASHINGTON – A report released today by the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center on Mexican energy reform argues that Mexico has positioned itself to become a major player in the global market as a competitive and transparent supplier of oil.

China Ascendant: Is Conflict Inevitable?

By Rajan Menon

Thucydides’ purpose in his great epic was to account for “what led to this great war falling upon the Hellenes.” He acknowledged that what we know as the Peloponnesian War was produced by many different disputes and depicted them masterfully, laying bare their specificities. But, in the opening pages, he warns us that dwelling on […]

US and NATO Allies Voice Concern over Russian Deployment of Iskander Missiles

By Steve Gutterman, Reuters

From Steve Gutterman, Reuters:  The reports caused alarm in Poland and the Baltic states, which are wary of Russian military movements after decades of dominance by the Soviet Union.