United States and Canada

The United States has enjoyed an unparalleled period of peace and prosperity since the end of the Second World War, due to its construction of a rules-based international order and maintenance of close alliances and partnerships. Canada has been a key partner for the United States, both due to their close economic links and their shared border, the world’s longest at 5,525 miles. Canada is also a key NATO ally for the United States and is active in international diplomacy around the world.

Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria

Inflection Points
Mar 31, 2025

‘What you’re witnessing is a revolution.’ Making sense of Trump’s head-spinning moves.

By
Frederick Kempe

As the past week made clear, the Trump administration is pushing ahead with what it sees as a revolution in the US approach to the world.

Economy & Business
Greenland

Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria

New Atlanticist
Mar 27, 2025

Our experts separate Signal from noise in the Trump team’s messages about bombing the Houthis

By
Atlantic Council experts

The still-unfolding revelations offer perhaps the clearest picture yet of how top officials in the Trump administration are thinking about US foreign policy.

Intelligence
Maritime Security

Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria

Issue Brief
Mar 27, 2025

Canada needs an economic statecraft strategy to address its vulnerabilities

By
Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze, Lize de Kruijf

To address threats from Russia and China and reduce trade overdependence on the United States, Canada’s federal government will need to consolidate economic power and devise an economic statecraft strategy that will leverage Canada’s economic tools to mitigate economic threats and vulnerabilities.

China
Cybersecurity

Content

NATOSource

Oct 15, 2012

Rebel Arms Flow Is Said to Benefit Jihadists in Syria

By David E. Sanger, New York Times

From David E. Sanger, New York Times:  Most of the arms shipped at the behest of Saudi Arabia and Qatar to supply Syrian rebel groups fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists, and not the more secular opposition groups that the West wants to bolster

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 15, 2012

NATO must offer Turkey military support in Syria crisis

By Jorge Benitez, Christian Science Monitor

From Jorge Benitez, Christian Science Monitor:  For the second time in five months, Turkey has turned to NATO for support in the face of Syrian attacks that have killed Turkish citizens. Unfortunately, the transatlantic alliance has responded both times with words rather than deeds.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 15, 2012

Arming Syria’s Rebels: The Least Bad Option

By Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia

From Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia:  The worst case for the United States in a post-Assad Syria would be that groups linked to al-Qaeda become dominant players either in the country’s government as a whole or in control of significant regions in a country that fragments.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 15, 2012

Syria is Obama’s greatest failure

By Jackson Diehl, Washington Post

From Jackson Diehl, Washington Post:  The deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi were a calamity — but those losses were mainly the result of poor security decisions by mid-level State Department officials, not policy choices by Obama.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 14, 2012

Europe risks giving up on defense

By James Blitz, Financial Times

From James Blitz, Financial Times:  In June last year, Robert Gates, the then US defence secretary, made a speech in Brussels on Europe’s military capabilities.

United Kingdom United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Oct 12, 2012

America Needs a Kennan Moment

By Julian Lindley-French

US strategist George F. Kennan, a hero of mine, once said, “The best an American can look forward to is the lonely pleasure of one who stands at long last on a chilly and inhospitable mountaintop where few have been before, where few can follow and where few will consent to believe he has been”.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 12, 2012

Panetta and US declaratory policy on preemptive cyber attacks

By Leon Panetta, Department of Defense

From Leon Panetta, Department of Defense:  Potential aggressors should be aware that the United States has the capacity to locate them and to hold them accountable for their actions that may try to harm America.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

NATOSource

Oct 12, 2012

Panetta on cyber threats to the US: ‘ This is a pre-9/11 moment’

By Leon Panetta, Department of Defense

From Leon Panetta, Department of Defense:  [T]he greater danger facing us in cyberspace goes beyond crime and it goes beyond harassment.  A cyber attack perpetrated by nation states are violent extremists groups could be as destructive as the terrorist attack on 9/11.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

NATOSource

Oct 12, 2012

U.S. task force in Jordan seen as prep for possible ‘operation to secure Syria’s chemical stockpiles’

By Jamal Halaby, AP

From Jamal Halaby, AP:  From the edge of a steep mountain overlooking a desert compound built into an old rock quarry, machine gunfire echoes just outside hangars where U.S. special operations forces are training Jordanian commandos. The Americans, who arrived in the kingdom a few weeks ago at the request of the Jordanians, are helping […]

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Oct 11, 2012

Germans still have a uniquely complicated relationship with their soldiers

By the Economist

From the Economist:  Germany nowadays joins its allies in sending troops to trouble spots such as Kosovo or Afghanistan. Last year it ended the draft in favour of an all-volunteer army like America’s. It is also undertaking a big reform of the Bundeswehr, which consists largely of shrinking the army from 250,000 soldiers in 2010, […]

United States and Canada
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Experts

Millennium fellow

B. Pratyusha Chennupati

Head of Regulatory Affairs, Pebble Labs Inc.

Millennium Leadership Program

Americas Technology & Innovation

Fellow

Deborah Cheverton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Industry

Staff

Alisha Chhangani

Associate Director

GeoEconomics Center

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

Fellow

Kevin P. Chilton

Distinguished Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

Fellow

Julie Chon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoEconomics Center

Americas China

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Lauren Cipicchio 

Deputy COO, Ashler Capital

Millennium Leadership Program

Economy & Business Technology & Innovation
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Events

Public Event Thu, March 12, 2026 • 10:00 am ET

Resilience in Security and Economics Dialogue
Central Europe Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy
Public Event Tue, March 17, 2026 • 9:30 am ET

Transmission 2026: Durable infrastructure and regulations for a new digital age
Energy & Environment Energy Transitions United States and Canada
Flagship Event Fri, December 11, 2026 • 8:30 am ET

2026 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual flagship convening focused on issues at the nexus of economics, finance, foreign policy, and national security.
Digital Policy Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union