Osama Bin Laden’s Perverted Legacy

Issue Brief
Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By
Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Osama Bin Laden’s Perverted Legacy

Issue Brief
Nov 14, 2024

Mapping South Asia’s digital landscape

By
Mark Linscott, Gopal Nadadur

Data protection regulations are becoming critical for South Asia, where some countries are increasingly driven by digital economies.

Bangladesh
Digital Policy

Osama Bin Laden’s Perverted Legacy

Memo to…
May 16, 2024

Memo to the UN secretary-general: Establish a UN conflict prevention mechanism for the Afghanistan region

By
Laurie Nathan and Nilofar Sakhi

The risk of conflict between Afghanistan and its neighbors has been rising since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, and is now at a critical point. The UN has tools that have lowered the risk of major conflict in other tense neighborhoods. It’s time to deploy them for Afghanistan.

Afghanistan
Central Asia

Events

Online Event
Mon, February 12, 2024 • 10:00 am ET

Pakistan’s political economy after elections

Elections
Pakistan
South Asia

The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2011

Osama Bin Laden’s Perverted Legacy

By Harlan Ullman

A bullet to the brain ended Osama bin Laden’s life on Earth. But, in a perverse twist of fate, his death ironically and iconically strengthened a bloody legacy to the detriment of much of the civilized world in at least three powerful ways. First, bin Laden abetted the economic and financial misfortunes of the United […]

Pakistan

Event Recap

Feb 1, 2011

Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army’s Experience with Counterinsurgency

On February 1st, the South Asia Center launched its new report, Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army’s Experience with Counterinsurgency, by Director Shuja Nawaz.

Pakistan

Report

Feb 1, 2011

Learning by doing: The Pakistan army’s experience with counterinsurgency

By Shuja Nawaz

In the South Asia Center report “Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army’s Experience with Counterinsurgency,” Center Director and author Shuja Nawaz examines the doctrinal shift toward counterinsurgency (COIN) that has taken place in the Pakistan army in recent years. The army appears to have learned many lessons from its experiences in Swat in 2008 and […]

Extremism Pakistan
Man in front of Pakistan flag

Report

Jun 28, 2010

Pakistan in the danger zone

By Shuja Nawaz

The Atlantic Council presents the executive summary from its new report, Pakistan in the Danger Zone: a Tenuous U.S.-Pakistan Relationship by Shuja Nawaz, Director of the Council’s South Asia Center. The Afghanistan war may be lost on the battlefields of Pakistan, where a vicious conflict is now being fought by Pakistan against a homegrown insurgency […]

Pakistan Politics & Diplomacy
Pakistan soldiers

External

Jun 11, 2010

The Afghanistan-Pakistan theater: Militant Islam, security & stability

What is the optimal strategy for the United States and its allies to pursue in Afghanistan? Observers across the political spectrum agree that military operations alone are not enough to secure Afghanistan against a powerful insurgency linked to global jihadism. There is increasing consensus as well that Pakistan – a refuge for important al-Qaeda figures, […]

Afghanistan Extremism
STOCK - NATO-OTAN

Issue Brief

Apr 9, 2010

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

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Dec 16, 2009

Is Pakistan Too Big to Fail?

By Harlan Ullman

The best-known sound bites from the George W. Bush presidency ranged from “mission accomplished” to “you are either with us or against us.” For the moment and given the financial crises, the equivalent slogan from President Barack Obama’s young administration is “too big to fail.”

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Dec 3, 2009

Who’s Really Running Pakistan?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

From his former incarnation as strategic adviser to Pakistan’s politico-religious parties, the one-time Pakistani intelligence chief Hamid Gul has resurfaced as de facto minister of propaganda and disinformation for the Taliban insurgents. In a dramatic reincarnation for the “meray mutabiq” (“my opinion”) program on Geo television, Gul said the Taliban has 88,000 troops and 35,000 […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 25, 2009

Is Pakistan Serious about the U.S.?

By Harlan Ullman

Convened for the first time by the Canadian Ministry of National Defense and the German Marshall Fund – a think tank established by the German government in honor of Gen. George Marshall and the plan for European recovery that bore his name – the Halifax International Security Forum met over the weekend.

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2009

Taliban Targets Pashtun Expats

By Luv Puri

On a Saturday morning, 38-year-old Khalid Khattak is packing his luggage to move to Virginia in a last-ditch attempt to land a job appropriate to his skill set. A few months ago, Khattak was working as a recruiter in the human resource department of a large company and earning a decent salary. His wages covered […]

Pakistan
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Experts

Staff

Manal Fatima

Assistant Director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Disinformation Middle East

Fellow

Erum Haider

Assistant Professor, Political Science and Environmental Studies, The College of Wooster

South Asia Center

Civil Society Economy & Business

Fellow

Hameed Hakimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

South Asia Center

Migration Security & Defense

Fellow

Carrie Lee

Senior Advisor

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Central Asia

Fellow

Paul D. Miller

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Pakistan

Fellow

Cameron Munter

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center South Asia Center

National Security Conflict
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