South Asia

South Asia

South Asia is home to over 1.8 billion people and the largest youth population in the world. It includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, it serves as a strong economic link between the East and the West. South Asia’s strong global connections make it a zone of opportunity for businesses and governments engaging in infrastructure development, trade, and economic development.

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Third Annual Members’ Conference – Exit or Exodus: Implications of the Drawdown for Afghanistan and Pakistan

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

Third Annual Members’ Conference – Exit or Exodus: Implications of the Drawdown for Afghanistan and Pakistan

New Atlanticist
Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By
Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.

Economy & Business
India

Third Annual Members’ Conference – Exit or Exodus: Implications of the Drawdown for Afghanistan and Pakistan

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By
Tatevik Khachatryan, Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.

Economy & Business
India

Programs

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

Event Recap

Sep 16, 2011

Third Annual Members’ Conference – Exit or Exodus: Implications of the Drawdown for Afghanistan and Pakistan

By Jason Harmala

Summary of the town hall “Exit or Exodus: Implications of the Drawdown for Afghanistan and Pakistan” at the 2011 Annual Members’ Conference. Participants Marc Grossman, United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, United States Department of State Moderated by Barbara Slavin, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council South Asia Center

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 16, 2011

Moscow Plans for a Post-NATO Afghanistan

By Jakub Kulhanek

The looming withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan slated for 2014 poses for Moscow a serious geopolitical predicament. In spite of their conspicuous silence on the matter, Russian officials have been growing increasingly uneasy about the potential vacuum. Yet still some in the Russian leadership see this as a welcome opportunity to expand […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 15, 2011

International Partnership and NATO’s Future in Afghanistan

By William B. Caldwell IV

Reflecting on ten years of United States involvement in Afghanistan, the greatest long-term effect the international community can have in Afghanistan is through continued partnership. Today, nearly a quarter of the world’s nations are working with the Afghan government to rebuild a war-torn society, stimulate economic activity, and develop their security forces. In spite of […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 8, 2011

Tragedy, Hope, and 9/11 Remembered

By William B. Caldwell IV

Ten years have passed since the United States suffered tragedy on September 11th, but the implications continue to ripple throughout American discourse and international politics. As we mourned during the weeks and months that followed the attack, Dan Rather wrote, “if any good has come out of such evil, it is this: we have been […]

Afghanistan United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Sep 6, 2011

Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Eurasian Security in the 21st Century

By Rafael Zhansultanov

As NATO draws down troops from Afghan soil, the continued fight in this beleaguered country and a possible resurgence of the Taliban pose three acute problems to Eurasian security: demographic decline, regional instability, and international terrorism. To cope with these challenges to peace in Eurasia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization should take a more comprehensive role in […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 2, 2011

Afghan Security Faces Long-Term Challenges

By Barbara Slavin

U.S.-led efforts to build Afghan security forces capable of preventing Taliban resurgence face a series of challenges, from the reluctance of southern Pashtuns to serve in a national army, to maintaining the billions of dollars in infrastructure and equipment provided by the U.S. and other foreign countries over the past decade. Brig. Gen. Guy “Tom” […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 30, 2011

Leadership Lessons of an Afghan Colonel

By William B. Caldwell IV

For the past 22 months, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan has been charged with developing the Afghan Army, Air Force, and Police. Since day one, developing Afghan leaders has been the command’s number one priority to ensure NATO can transition geographic and institutional lead to Afghanistan. We know in our militaries that good leaders make the most […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 17, 2011

Droning on in Afghanistan

By Sarwar Kashmeri

A century ago, gunboats enforced England’s dominance in the far corners of the world. Kill a British colonial governor and you’d wake up one morning to see a Royal Navy gunboat steaming in over the horizon, guns blazing, as it leveled a village in retaliation. Today it is the drone — the ubiquitous pilotless airplane […]

Afghanistan Drones

New Atlanticist

Aug 17, 2011

Ramazan’s Lost Chance for an Afghan Truce

By Maleeha Lodhi

A slew of questions were raised when a Chinook helicopter was shot down on 6 August in Afghanistan ’s Wardak province killing 30 US servicemen – most of them elite Navy seals – and eight Afghans. Will the heaviest loss of American lives in a single incident since 2001 heighten doubts about the Afghan mission […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 15, 2011

NATO and the Afghan Surge

By William B. Caldwell IV

Five months ago, Senators Carl Levin and Jack Reed wrote in the Washington Post, “the best way to bring our troops home sooner while succeeding in Afghanistan is to build a stronger Afghan military and government.” Since we stood up the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan over 21 months ago, we can say that developing the Afghan […]

Afghanistan NATO
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Experts

Fellow

Grace Abuhamad

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Digital Policy Internet

Fellow

Elliot Ackerman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Policy

Fellow

Paul Amato

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence

Fellow

Peter Arvo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

China Human Rights

Staff

Rayhan Asat

Former Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, China Lead

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Central Asia China

Fellow

Kyle Atwell

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Colombia
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