When Tactics Displace Strategy

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

When Tactics Displace Strategy

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

When Tactics Displace Strategy

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

New Atlanticist

Sep 3, 2009

When Tactics Displace Strategy

By Raymond Pritchett

ISAF’s mission is to help the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) defeat the insurgency threatening their country. Protecting the Afghan people is the mission. The Afghan people will decide who wins this fight, and we (GIROA and ISAF) are in a struggle for their support. The effort to gain and maintain that support must inform […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 2, 2009

Afghanistan: Strategic Retreat?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

President Obama is not Lincoln with a BlackBerry as some have suggested, but Lyndon Johnson with a war the country no longer supports and a new Cronkite yapping at his Afghan heels.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 2, 2009

NATO’s Afghanistan Dilemma

By Harlan Ullman

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has just submitted his first assessment of what needs to be done to turn the tide in that battered and war-torn nation long known as the graveyard of empires dating back to Alexander. While classified, that assessment summarizes the situation as “serious but still […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 1, 2009

Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nuclear War

By Bernard Finel

As the foreign policy community has started to seriously question whether the war in Afghanistan serves America’s strategic interests, regional experts Jari Lindholm and Joshua Foust have offered up a new rationale: preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

Afghanistan India

New Atlanticist

Sep 1, 2009

Afghanistan War All Over But The Shooting

By Judah Grunstein

Does the U.S. have a vital strategic interest in Afghanistan-Pakistan that justifies our continued military presence there? Sadly, the answer is No.

Afghanistan Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 31, 2009

Afghanistan: New Strategy or “New Math”?

By Don Snow

It is being reported that the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, is planning what is variously described as a “new strategy” for dealing with the Taliban or as simply a refinement of the current AfPak strategy based in counterinsurgency doctrine.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 31, 2009

Afghanistan’s Opportunity Costs

By Paul Bauman

The Afghan debate in the blogosphere is reaching new heights of late, mainly due to the recent Afghan elections and Admiral Mullen’s comments concerning the deteriorating US position vis-à-vis the Taliban.  One issue that seems to be lost in this discussion is the opportunity cost of US involvement in Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 26, 2009

Pakistan: Reason for a Glimmer of Optimism?

By Harlan Ullman

Despite a continuing flow of depressing reports from Pakistan about the safety and security of this strategically vital American ally, on the eve of President Asif Ali Zardari’s first anniversary as president, the latest news, at least anecdotally, offers a glimmer of optimism. Predictions of dire outcomes leading to a failed government overthrown by an […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 25, 2009

Why Do the Afghans Need Our Help?

By Shuja Nawaz

Matt Yglesias writes over at Think Progress: The other thing I wonder about is these incredibly long time horizons for getting the Afghan army up to speed. Why so long?

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 25, 2009

Afghanistan: Putting Lipstick on a Pig

By Don Snow

Two events over the weekend have dominated news from Afghanistan. One involves voting in the presidential election, results of which will not be final for several weeks but which have aroused much passionate rhetoric anyway. The other is the not very surprising conclusion by the  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the situation […]

Afghanistan
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Experts

Fellow

David H. Young

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict

Fellow

Laura Updegrove

Nonresident Senior Fellow, GeoStrategy Initiative

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense

Fellow

Nik Foster

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Energy & Environment

Fellow

Afaq Hussain

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economy & Business Energy & Environment

Fellow

Stanislava Mladenova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict

Fellow

Sudeep Kanungo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Africa Energy & Environment
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