United States and Canada

US and Partners Complete Destruction of Libya’s Chemical Weapons

By Eric Schmitt, New York Times

Even as the international effort to destroy Syria’s vast chemical weapons stockpile lags behind schedule, a similar American-backed campaign carried out under a cloak of secrecy ended successfully last week in another strife-torn country, Libya.

Russia Threatens to Quit START as US Deploys Aegis Destroyer to Spain

By RT

The US has deployed a ballistic missile defense destroyer to Spain to boost NATO’s anti-missile shield in Europe. The move, allegedly aimed at curbing the Iranian threat, has sparked talks about Russia possibly scrapping the START nuclear treaty.

Palestinian Leader Seeks NATO Force in Future State

By Jodi Rudoren, New York Times

Six months into peace talks dominated by discussion about security, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority has proposed to Secretary of State John Kerry that an American-led NATO force patrol a future Palestinian state indefinitely

Obama Skirts Egypt in State of the Union Address

By Barbara Slavin

In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama devoted most of a limited section on foreign policy to the Middle East but uttered not one word about that region’s most populous and influential nation: Egypt.

US Intelligence Community’s Threat Assessment of Russia

By Office of the Director of National Intelligence

The following excerpt is from the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, delivered by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, January 29, 2014.

US Disclosed to NATO that Russia is Testing New Missile Prohibited by Treaty

By Michael R. Gordon, New York Times

The United States informed its NATO allies this month that Russia had tested a new ground-launched cruise missile, raising concerns about Moscow’s compliance with a landmark arms control accord.

Dealing with Chinese Military Modernization

Asking Hard Questions and Supporting Tough Decisions As China modernizes its armed forces, the United States’ huge advantage in military technology is eroding – and US policymakers cannot realistically hope to reverse that change with increased spending, according to Roger Cliff, an Atlantic Council specialist on East Asian security. To maintain US military’s edge over […]

State of the Union 2014: Any Foreign Policy Strategy There?

As Barack Obama began the sixth year of his presidency with a State of the Union address tilted heavily toward domestic issues, how well did he reflect a clear strategic vision on the global challenges to US interests? Not too well, says Atlantic Council Vice President Barry Pavel. Not too badly, say Council member Jane […]

Intelligence Community’s Assessment of Cyber Threats to the US

By Office of the Director of National Intelligence

The following excerpt is from the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, delivered by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, January 29, 2014.

The Danger of Divergence: Transatlantic Financial Reform and the G20 Agenda

The United States and the European Union cannot afford to follow separate paths on financial reform, according to Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT), EU Ambassador to the US João Vale de Almeida, and a number of leading experts from the Department of the Treasury, the SEC, the European Commission, the private sector, and academia.  Following the […]