United States and Canada

NATO Seen as ‘Still Essential’ by Majority of Europeans and Americans

By Stanley Sloan

In times of diminished resources for defense, having reliable allies willing to share the burden of collective defense becomes even more important to American interests.

Commission: Obama’s Efforts to Coordinate US Cyber Activities Have Largely Failed

By David E. Sanger, New York Times

[T]he National Commission for the Review of the Research and Development Programs of the United States Intelligence Community, concludes that President Obama’s efforts to differentiate the roles of competing agencies have largely failed.

US and European Allies Building Libyan Army Bilaterally, Instead of Through NATO

By Frederic Wehrey , Foreign Affairs

Last month, discussing the Obama administration’s plans for a more modest Middle East policy, National Security Adviser Susan Rice noted that Washington “can’t just be consumed 24/7 by one region, important as it is.”

Kerry Praises Poland’s Role in NATO

By John Kerry, Department of State

[A]s a NATO member now for almost 15 years and as an EU member for nearly 10 years, Poland’s influence in both organizations has grown significantly over that time.

The Role of the US Air Force in the French Mission in Mali

By Gabe Starosta, Air Force Magazine

France’s intervention in Mali earlier this year—helping its former colony defend against Islamic extremists—didn’t get the media attention lavished on the overthrow of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi or the crisis in Syria. But the Mali mission has so far proved successful

The Widening Gap Between France and Germany Over Defense

By Judy Dempsey, Strategic Europe

Steadfast Jazz takes place against the background of a widening gap between France and Germany over defense and security matters.

Too Much Crisis, Too Little Defense

By Jon Kyl and Joe Lieberman, POLITICO

The most obvious impact of the defense cuts on the economy is the loss of jobs in the private and public defense sector, but there are even greater negative economic effects that are less visible.

Star-Studded Panel Closes Out 2013 Members Conference

The Atlantic Council’s 2013 Members Conference concluded with a star-studded panel, “US Strategy in a World in Transition,” featuring former National Security Advisers Brent Scowcroft, Stephen Hadley, and Zbigniew Brzezinski, moderated by Atlantic Council President & CEO Frederick Kempe.

The Geopolitical Contradictions of the NSA Scandal

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

Europe’s infatuation with Barack Obama started and ended in Germany. The European public fell head over heels in 2008, when then-candidate Obama addressed hundreds of thousands of adoring Germans at the Victory Column. His story was compelling and reminded Europeans of everything they loved about America. Best of all, candidate Obama spoke like a European, […]

Politicians Must Weigh the Cost of Tapping Allies’ Phones

By Ivo Daalder, Financial Times

As the US Ambassador to Nato for the past four years, I spent a good deal of time talking and listening to my colleagues trying to figure out the positions of, and divisions within, allied nations on many critical issues