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2. False Dichotomy: Stability Versus Reform in the Arab World
- Author:
- Danya Greenfield and Faysal Itani
- Publication Date:
- 02-2015
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- To cling to current short-sighted policies and to help sustain dysfunctional states in the Middle East for the sake of short-term security would condemn the region to poverty and further instability, which threaten to have negative consequences for US interests.
- Political Geography:
- United States and Middle East
3. A Blueprint for a Comprehensive US Counterterrorism Strategy in Yemen
- Author:
- Danya Greenfield and Barbara K. Bodine
- Publication Date:
- 10-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- With the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the explosion of violent conflicts from Tripoli to Gaza, the Middle East is looking more unstable and unpredictable than ever. While the focus in Washington is centered on jihadist extremists in Iraq and Syria at present, the threat from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) against the United States continues. Top al-Qaeda leadership in Yemen is hailing the territorial gains of ISIS in Iraq, and some al-Qaeda operatives are imitating ISIS' techniques such as public slaughters of those deemed infidels, prompting fears of cooperation between two of the most active Islamist militant networks. Recent aggression by the Houthi movement, a Zaydi Shia rebel militia, against state institutions and tribal opponents has opened a new front of instability and security vacuum that AQAP is all too ready to exploit. Inattention to the interconnected nature of tribal conflict, terrorist activity, poor governance, economic grievances and citizen discontent is proving to be a dangerous combination for both Yemen and the United States. The Yemeni context may seem far from the current focus on Baghdad and Damascus, but getting the US strategy right in Yemen will have consequences for regional stability and core US interests throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, Economics, Terrorism, Foreign Aid, Labor Issues, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Arabia, and Syria
4. Do Drone Strikes in Yemen Undermine US Security Objectives?
- Author:
- Danya Greenfield and Stefanie A. Hausheer
- Publication Date:
- 10-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In a May 2013 speech outlining his counterterrorism policy and addressing the use of drone strikes, President Barack Obama insisted that the United States uses the "highest standard" of criteria when selecting targets. The United States, the president said, only strikes "terrorists who pose a continuing and imminent threat to the American people...and before any strike is taken, there must be near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured." More than a year later, the administration seems to continue brazenly violating its own standards while also failing to fulfill its pledge to increase transparency and oversight with respect to the use of drone strikes. The administration has yet to explain how strikes such as the December 2013 attack on a wedding convoy in Yemen, which resulted in fourteen deaths and twenty-two injuries, could possibly fall within the guidelines laid out in the president's speech. US drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere raise similar questions.
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, and United States
5. Diplomacy for a Diffuse World
- Author:
- Peter Engelke, Roxanne Cabral, Katherine Brown, and Anne Terman Wedner
- Publication Date:
- 10-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Globalization, urbanization, and fragmentation are reshaping the world order by diffusing power throughout the global system. In order to remain relevant, American diplomacy will require a fundamental retooling that includes a more deliberate and serious engagement with novel forces and actors. America's leaders must recognize that these forces and actors not only are buffeting foreign nations but also are at work within the United States itself, strengthening the capabilities of American cities, communities, individuals, and networks to reach beyond US borders. Building a stronger partnership between the federal government's diplomatic community and these nonstate actors will enhance America's leadership and standing around the world.
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
6. ISIS War Game: The Coming Stalemate
- Author:
- Bilal Y. Saab and Michael S. Tyson
- Publication Date:
- 10-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- On September 10, 2014, President Barack Obama delivered a speech outlining the administration's strategy to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS. Achieving success requires four key elements, Obama said: a systematic campaign of airstrikes, increased support to allied forces fighting ISIS on the ground, robust counterterrorism to prevent ISIS attacks against the West including the US homeland, and continued provision of humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians. Airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and recently in Syria have supported the first, third, and fourth elements of this strategy.
- Political Geography:
- United States and Iraq
7. Cybersecurity and Tailored Deterrence
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer and Melanie J. Teplinsky
- Publication Date:
- 01-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Cyber has become the new conflict arena. It ranks as one of the greatest national security challenges facing the United States for three reasons. First, as the revelations about the National Security Agency's (NSA's) activities suggest, cyber offense has far outpaced cyber defense. Second, cyber capabilities are prevalent worldwide and increasingly are being used to achieve the strategic goals of nations and actors adverse to the United States. Third, it is highly unlikely that cyber espionage and other cyber intrusions will soon cease. While the NSA disclosures focus on the United States and the United Kingdom, there is little doubt that China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and others are engaged in significant cyber activities. The fundamental question is whether the cyber realm can, consistent with the national interest, be made more stable and secure.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Science and Technology, and Military Strategy
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, China, United Kingdom, Iran, and North Korea
8. Zooming in on Syria: Adapting US Policy to Local Realities
- Author:
- Faysal Itani and Nathaniel Rosenblatt
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- As the conflict in Syria enters its fourth year, US policy has consistently failed to achieve its stated object: a negotiated political transition based on the mutual consent of the regime and opposition. The United States and its Western allies have focused on summits and high-level diplomacy as the most effective means to that laudable end. This approach ignores an essential missing ingredient: an opposition able to coordinate different anti-regime forces, exercise agency on their behalf, and provide decent local governance, without which Syrians will continue to suffer and fight irrespective of whether the regime is overthrown.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Middle East, Syria, and North America
9. The Hard Reality for International Climate Agreements in the United States
- Author:
- Bill Brownell and Scott Stone
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The release of the second installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report on March 31, 2014, provoked the usual calls for urgent and immediate action in response to climate change, including in particular at the international level in the form of a new climate treaty built upon domestic regulatory regimes. Irrespective of whether these calls for action are overly strident or carefully measured, the law plays a central role. In almost any discussion, the breadth and stringency of national and sub-national regulations and the extent to which a treaty can make them “legally binding” assumes paramount importance. But this emphasis on law is misplaced, because it runs headlong into the hard reality that would confront any international climate agreement in the US Senate. And given the soaring use of coal around the world, it also draws attention and resources away from far more achievable opportunities to develop and deploy advanced coal technologies that would allow the world's most abundant, accessible, and affordable energy resource to meet critical energy needs in balance with each country's environmental, economic, and security priorities.
- Topic:
- Security, Climate Change, Economics, and Energy Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States and North America
10. NATO's Framework Nations: Capabilities for an Unpredictable World
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- As the Ukraine crisis demonstrates, in an unpredictable world, military capabilities can be a critical factor. The longstanding goals of the United States and its NATO allies have been to create a Europe whole and free, and globally to support such goals through collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. Ukraine raises the issue of how best to accomplish those ends. As part of the Ukraine response, there have been and will continue to be diplomatic, economic, and energy efforts. However, one key element will be to create more effective integrated capabilities that will support NATO's military tasks, and thus the values and goals that NATO represents.
- Topic:
- NATO, Diplomacy, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Ukraine, and North America
11. Turkish-Iranian Rapprochement and the Future of European and Asian Energy
- Author:
- Pinar Dost-Niyego and Orhan Taner
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The recent events in Ukraine have revived the question of European dependence on Russian natural gas. The security of Europe's natural gas supply has been a consistently important issue in Russian-European Union (EU) relations. Russia provided 34 percent of EU gas in 2012, and Russian policies can have a direct impact on EU supplies. After the West-Russian confrontation over Ukraine, a lot has been said about the 'US shale gas revolution' and the possibilities of the United States becoming an energy exporter for future European energy needs. Although US energy independence seems to promise new perspectives for future European energy security, as well as for the balance of power in the Middle East, this is not for this decade. We cannot expect that the European Union would be able to cut off all of its energy relations with Russia, but we can foresee–or at least agree–that the European Union should diversify its natural gas supplies.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Economics, and Energy Policy
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Middle East, and Asia
12. Losing Syria and Iraq to Jihadists
- Author:
- Faysal Itani
- Publication Date:
- 06-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Jihadists are steadily capturing territory and resources and establishing a state in Syria and Iraq. The most capable jihadist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), now controls swathes of territory, energy resources, and sophisticated military hardware in both countries. Although the extremists are currently occupied with fighting other nonregime armed groups and the Syrian and Iraqi regimes, these efforts are a means to an end: building a state from which to confront and target the United States, its allies, and its interests in the region. These jihadist groups also bring boundless suffering to the populations they control, and serve as a magnet for and inspiration to jihadists worldwide.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, Armed Struggle, Sectarianism, and Sectarian violence
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Middle East, and Syria
13. The US and the Gulf States: Uncertain Partners in a Changing Region
- Author:
- Richard LeBaron
- Publication Date:
- 02-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Two important issues are testing relations between the United States and its allies in the Gulf: democratic transitions in the Arab world and regional security. Their outcome will either strengthen or disrupt what has been a long-term partnership. The United States and its Gulf allies are well into their second year of reacting to, and attempting to influence, the rapid political change in the Middle East and North Africa, but their efforts are informed by differing motivations. Meanwhile the looming threat of Iran attaining nuclear weapons has brought greater urgency to efforts to enhance Gulf security, but also some disquiet in the Gulf about any possible US deal with Iran that would serve global non-proliferation interests but threaten their vital regional security interests.
- Topic:
- Democratization, International Security, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Middle East, North Africa, and North America
14. An Economic NATO: A New Alliance for a New Global Order
- Author:
- C. Boyden Gray
- Publication Date:
- 02-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In the aftermath of World War II, the greatest concern facing the United States and its European allies was restraining the Soviet Union and preventing the spread of communism. Cooperation on military security was paramount, and the United States and Europe rose to the challenge by creating NATO, a new type of multilateral defense agreement. Once again, the transatlantic relationship is at a new and perilous crossroads. But now it is economic, rather than military security that is at risk. Crisis grips the economies of Europe, just as the United States, mired in historic levels of unemployment in the wake of the 2008 recession, is rethinking its strategic priorities and place in the world. As before, fears mount concerning the future of liberal democracy and Western capitalism. The question is whether transatlantic cooperation will again rise to the challenge.
- Topic:
- NATO, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, Financial Crisis, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
15. A Strategy for US Engagement in the Middle East: Contain Threats, Embrace Dignity
- Author:
- Michele Dunne and Barry Pavel
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In President Barack Obama's first term, his administration withdrew US forces from Iraq, ratcheted up pressure to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, began the adjustment to relations with post-authoritarian governments in Arab countries including Egypt, struggled with how best to handle an increasingly bloody rebellion in Syria, and attempted to restart diplomacy on the Israeli/Palestinian problem. At the beginning of his second term, US interests are at significant risk as the region continues to undergo profound changes, and Arab and European allies are asking for greater US engagement. The region also presents the United States with unanticipated opportunities, such as the development of Arab democracies and a reduction in Iranian influence. The challenge facing the United States is how to lead without dominating, and how to protect and promote US interests without absolving other actors of responsibility. Thus, the task for this administration is to develop a strategy: to match the president's positive rhetoric with meaningful follow-up in terms of diplomacy, assistance, and security cooperation.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, International Security, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and North America
16. The Political Kaleidoscope Turns Again in Crisis-Challenged Iran: 2013 Elections
- Author:
- Barbara Slavin and Yasmin Alem
- Publication Date:
- 05-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Iran has never had what the West would regard as free, fair, and competitive elections. Some would point to the brief periods following the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and between the end of World War II and 1953, when a CIA-backed coup re-installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as possible exceptions to this rule. The upcoming presidential elections this June will be no such exception, with candidates restricted to eight proven loyalists to the regime. Nevertheless, the vote will be an important barometer of the stability and durability of an embattled regime that is increasingly unpopular domestically and isolated internationally. The elections will also produce a new turn of the kaleidoscope within Iran's shrinking political elite, as existing factions break apart and regroup. The next president is likely to be more moderate in tone, if not in policy, and more competent and less divisive than the outgoing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This could have important implications not just for the country's domestic course but for Iran's confrontation with the United States and the international community over the nuclear question.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Democratization, Islam, Nuclear Weapons, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- United States and Middle East
17. Iran: How a Third Tier Cyber Power Can Still Threaten the United States
- Author:
- Barbara Slavin and Jason Healey
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- When most people think of the "military option" against Iran, they imagine a US attack that takes out Iran's most important known nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, Arak, and Isfahan. They expect Iran to retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz, sending missiles into Israel, and/or supporting terrorist attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Topic:
- Security, Science and Technology, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iran, Middle East, and North America
18. Mutually Assured Stability: Establishing US-Russia Security Relations for a New Century
- Author:
- Celeste Wallander
- Publication Date:
- 07-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Obama administration's goals for arms control and security cooperation with Russia are the right ones, but they cannot be achieved as long as US-Russian strategic stability is in question. Unless leaders in both capitals confront the new requirements for strategic stability in the twenty-first century, they will fail to seize the opportunity for further arms reductions and enhanced national security.
- Topic:
- Security, Diplomacy, Military Strategy, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Russia and United States
19. Universal Data Fusion: Enabling Cost-effective US/Russia/NATO Cooperative Missile Defense
- Author:
- Patrick O'Reilly
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- As the proliferation of more capable missiles that threaten regional populations, governments, and commerce continues over the twenty-first century, so does the need to counter and disincentivize this proliferation with effective and affordable regional missile defenses. Missile defense systems are among the most expensive military capabilities, but their costs can be dramatically reduced, their performance improved, and geopolitical pressure increased if the United States, Russia, and NATO deployed systems cooperatively.
- Political Geography:
- Russia and United States
20. Building a Better US-Gulf Partnership
- Author:
- Richard LeBaron
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Tension between the United States and its partners in the Gulf flared up visibly in the last several months, notably with Saudi Arabia's public displays of displeasure with the US approach to the Syria conflict, nervousness about an interim nuclear deal with Iran, and sharp differences over Egypt. Gulf distrust of US intentions and actions is nothing new, and is in no small part rooted in the Gulf states' deep frustration with how the United States executed the war in Iraq, which they perceive as placing Iraq under Iran's sphere of influence. But these latest tensions also point to a fundamental gap in expectations about the US role in the region and its commitment to security for the Gulf states.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Iran, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt
21. Morocco's Vital Role in Northwest Africa's Security and Development
- Author:
- J. Peter Pham
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The links between the United States and Morocco are among the oldest of the US' diplomatic bonds. In 1777, Morocco's Sultan Mohammed III was the first foreign sovereign to recognize the independence of the thirteen former British colonies. Subsequently, the 1786 Treaty of Peace and Friendship—negotiated by Thomas Barclay and signed by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams—established diplomatic relations between the two countries. Modified in 1836 with the addition of various security and commercial protocols, the accord is still in force, making it the United States' longest unbroken treaty relationship. But as venerable as this history is, the strategic importance of Morocco to pursuing the Atlantic community's interests in the security and development of northwestern Africa has only recently become fully apparent to US policymakers and analysts. President Barack Obama's invitation to King Mohammed VI to make an official visit to the United States this year indicates the importance that both countries attach to this significant strategic relationship.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, North America, Morocco, and Northwest Africa
22. Iran, Afghanistan, and South Asia: Resolving Regional Sources of Instability
- Author:
- Barbara Slavin and Fatemah Aman
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- When compared to its often rocky relations with Arab countries to the west, the Islamic Republic of Iran has managed to retain largely cordial ties with its neighbors to the east. Historic linguistic, religious, and cultural connections have helped Iran keep its influence in South Asia and become a key trading partner despite US-led sanctions. Because of its strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, Iran provides India with access to Afghanistan and Central Asia that does not require transit through Pakistan. However, Iran and its neighbors, including Pakistan, face acute challenges such as scarce and poorly managed water resources, ethnic insurgencies, energy imbalances, and drug trafficking that require regional solutions.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, Iran, South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Arabia, North America, and Persia
23. Global Trends and the Future of NATO: Alliance Security in an Era of Global Competition
- Author:
- Barry Pavel and Magnus Nordenman
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The current turbulent global landscape recalls past key transition points in history such as 1815, 1919, 1945, and 1989, when the path forward was not so clear-cut and the world faced the possibility of very different global futures. As the US National Intelligence Council suggested in its landmark 2012 report, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, the transatlantic community is entering a new era in history that will pose a very different set of challenges and offer unprecedented opportunities. If it is to survive, the NATO Alliance must navigate this crucial period by fundamentally reconsidering its place in the global landscape as well as its future roles, missions, and functions from a strategic, long-term perspective. The world is changing rapidly, and if NATO does not adapt with foresight for this new era, then it will very likely disintegrate.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, NATO, Demographics, Economics, Politics, Military Strategy, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States
24. A Transatlantic Perspective on Natural Gas Security in Central and Southeastern Europe
- Author:
- David Koranyi
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The fundamentals of the natural gas sectors of the United States and European Union (EU) are on divergent paths. While the US prepares for gas exports on the back of the unconventional gas revolution, Europe is facing declining indigenous production and growing dependence on imports. The Central and Southeastern Europe (CSEE) region has moved closer to integrate into the EU's internal energy market, but it remains in a vulnerable position in the short-term compared to the rest of the EU and especially the US due to the region's historic exposure to Gazprom's monopolistic abuse. A concerted US, EU, and regional effort is needed to implement a diversification strategy, where US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports could make a real difference. In the medium and long run, the region can benefit from and play a crucial role in Europe's gas supply diversification strategy and may even succeed in adapting the US unconventional experience, contributing to a healthier energy import balance on the continent.
- Topic:
- Economics, Energy Policy, Science and Technology, and Natural Resources
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
25. Big Data Is Changing Your World... More Than You Know
- Author:
- Banning Garrett
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- “This is some of the best driving I've ever done,” Steve Mahan joked at the end of a ride in the Google self-driving car. Mahan's 2012 drive—to buy tacos for lunch and pick up his laundry—was especially remarkable since he is 95 percent blind. His hands-free test drive (accompanied by Morgan Hill Police Department Sergeant Troy Hoefling and recorded in a YouTube video) would have been impossible not only without advanced sensors, computers, and software, but also without big data, which both enabled development of the driverless car and inform its movement along the streets and freeways of California. The Google car itself gathers nearly 1 gigabyte of data per second as it scans and analyzes its environment. Think of the potential data gathering of 100 million self-driving cars on the roads of the United States. How will that data—100 million gigabytes per second—be transmitted, stored, and analyzed?
- Topic:
- Security, Human Rights, Intelligence, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- United States and California
26. The Kurdish Question and US-Turkish Relations in a Changing Middle East
- Author:
- Jeffrey Mankoff and Müjge Küçükkeleş
- Publication Date:
- 03-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Growing disorder throughout the Middle East has created the possibility for major changes to the status of Kurdish minorities in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Turkey's handling of its Kurdish population and its relations with Kurdish groups throughout the region are creating new challenges for US foreign policy and US-Turkish relations. US policy toward the Kurds remains subordinate to wider regional security interests. Officially, the United States does not support the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. In practice, however, US policy is often inconsistent: the United States backs Kurdish groups in some states while opposing them in others.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Ethnic Government, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, Turkey, Middle East, Syria, North America, and Kurdistan
27. Kazakhstan and the United States: Twenty Years of Ambiguous Partnership
- Author:
- Sean R. Roberts
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In looking at twenty years of independence in the former Soviet region of Central Asia, Kazakhstan stands out in most respects as a stable oasis in a desert of uncertainty. It is the wealthiest country in Central Asia. It has not suffered any serious conflict since gaining independence, and the development of its economy, financial sector, and private sector has been steadily moving forward as has its engagement with the global economy. It is little wonder, therefore, that the most stable and fruitful bilateral partnership for the United States in the region over the past twenty years has been with the Republic of Kazakhstan. US-Kazakhstan relations have never experienced a significant crisis, and there has been ongoing cooperation between the two countries in a variety of areas, including nuclear non-proliferation, economic development, and energy extraction.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Diplomacy, Economics, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan
28. The Path Towards Kazakhstan's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy: Convergence of US-Kazakh Interests
- Author:
- Douglas Townsend
- Publication Date:
- 01-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Upon its conclusion in December 2011, the main part of the sixty-sixth United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 66) session adopted forty-seven resolutions and five decisions in its continuing effort to encourage a more flexible approach to revitalizing the multilateral disarmament process.
- Topic:
- Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, International Trade and Finance, Nuclear Weapons, Bilateral Relations, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- United States and Central Asia
29. The United States and the Global Future
- Author:
- Banning Garrett, James B. Steinberg, David Ignatius, and Uri Dadush
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- How will the US economy evolve over the next twenty years and what might be the impact of various US economic scenarios on the global system? Will the United States have a Japan-like decade or two of anemic growth? If so, would this lead the United States to reduce its foreign involvement and commitments, become more protectionist, and focus on its internal problems? Or will the United States solve its fiscal and debt problems, reinvigorate growth and innovation, and return to sustainable economic growth? Would this underpin a renewed commitment to active US global leadership in mobilizing international cooperation to manage security, economic growth, and global challenges?
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Debt, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Hegemony
- Political Geography:
- United States and North America
30. The Transatlantic Bargain After "the Pivot"
- Author:
- Barry Pavel and Jeffrey Lightfoot
- Publication Date:
- 03-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The "tough love" farewell speech of former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates last June was more than a major policy speech on the state of NATO. His remarks were also highly symbolic, coming from a legendary Cold Warrior whose forty-year career had been oriented around the transatlantic relationship. Secretary Gates used his final appearance at the bully pulpit not only to warn Europeans that declining defense budgets risked undermining the credibility of the Alliance among US policymakers, but also that a new wave of American decision-makers would not necessarily share his generation's knowledge of, concern for, or sentimental attachment to the transatlantic alliance.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, International Cooperation, and International Security
- Political Geography:
- United States, America, Europe, Middle East, and North America
31. The US Cyber Policy Reboot
- Author:
- Jason Healey
- Publication Date:
- 04-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Over the course of 2011, the United States government released a coordinated set of policies that represents the most energetic cyber statecraft in nearly a decade.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- United States and North America
32. It's Time to Put the Nuclear Issue Behind Us: The Chicago Summit Has More Urgent Priorities than Nuclear Theology
- Author:
- Kori Schake, Lord Robertson, and Franklin C. Miller
- Publication Date:
- 05-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Slightly over two years ago, NATO was embroiled in an internal controversy of its own creation which bore within it the seeds of a deep crisis within the Alliance. Several governments, impelled by a heady mix of domestic politics and a newly fashionable interest in nuclear disarmament among certain elites, actively sought the removal of US nuclear weapons from the European portion of the Alliance. In doing so, they raised serious questions about their adherence to the central core of the Alliance: the Article 5 guarantee.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, NATO, and Nuclear Weapons
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
33. Security Challenges to Libya's Quest for Democracy
- Author:
- Karim Mezran and Fadel Lamen
- Publication Date:
- 09-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The fragile progress towards a more pluralistic, if not yet democratic, Libya is threatened by several serious security problems. Car bombings, political assassinations of high ranking officials, attacks on foreign diplomatic staff and NGOs, and violent quarrels between armed militiamen have become daily events. It is in the interests of the United States and other members of the international community to aid Libya's nascent government in achieving national reconciliation to avoid an otherwise inevitable descent into anarchy.
- Topic:
- Arms Control and Proliferation, Democratization, Diplomacy, and Armed Struggle
- Political Geography:
- United States, Libya, and North Africa
34. When "Not My Problem" Isn't Enough: Political Neutrality and National Responsibility in Cyber Conflict
- Author:
- Jason Healey
- Publication Date:
- 09-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Since the Internet makes us all neighbors, more nations are likely to be affected by conflicts in cyberspace than in the air, land, or sea. Nations are increasingly looking to limit potential cyber conflicts using the same devices that have limited more traditional wars: treaties, conventions, and norms.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, International Cooperation, Science and Technology, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States
35. Water Insecurity: A Threat for Pakistan and India
- Author:
- Shahid Ahmad
- Publication Date:
- 10-2012
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- For over thirty years (1960-90), the Indus Water Treaty has proved to be an outstanding example of conflict resolution between India and Pakistan. Due to the increase in water stress in the basin states since the early 90s, the Treaty has come under strain. It may find it difficult to survive into the next decade, even though there is no exit clause in the Treaty. Rising Pakistani demand and the continued building of hydro-power and other dams by India on the western rivers may further threaten the Treaty. What is the reality behind the emerging debates between the two basin states on water access and usage?
- Topic:
- Security, Climate Change, and Water
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, United States, Europe, South Asia, India, and Southeast Asia
36. U.S. European Command and NATO'S Strategic Concept: Post-Afghanistan and Beyond
- Author:
- Harlan Ullman
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Regardless of how the conflict in Afghanistan (along with NATO's role, presence, and draw down) is resolved, one consequence will be to increase the importance of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) both in Europe and for the entire transatlantic community. Whether Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) produce a stunning victory in which Afghanistan emerges as a stable state under the rule of law with a viable government or a rocky withdrawal in the midst of continuing violence with no clear solution in sight, NATO nations will have long tired of that war. Fortunately, the Lisbon Summit with a 2014 end date has eased domestic political pressures over Afghanistan. However, that relief is by no means permanent.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Economics, International Cooperation, Military Strategy, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, and Europe
37. Iran Sanctions: Preferable to War but No Silver Bullet
- Author:
- Barbara Slavin
- Publication Date:
- 06-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The broadest and toughest sanctions regime imposed on any country except Libya has not convinced Iran's leaders to abandon a program that appears aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Instead of seeking even more crippling economic penalties—such as an oil embargo—that would fracture the international consensus on Iran, the United States should tighten implementation of measures already in force and enact more sanctions linked to human rights, which have a wide constituency in Europe and demonstrate to the Iranian people that international concerns extend beyond nuclear weapons. The U.S. should also work with its diplomatic partners to craft new proposals that would couple acceptance of limited uranium enrichment with rigorous international monitoring, and encourage China, Iran's major trading partner, to use its leverage in support of nonproliferation.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Rights, Nuclear Weapons, Sanctions, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and Iran
38. The Second Wave of Wireless Communications: A Game Changer for Global Development?
- Author:
- Banning Garrett and Patrick Degategno
- Publication Date:
- 02-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The world is about to experience the emergence of a second wave of wireless technology. It will be a "disruptive technology" globally and could contribute to accelerating the socioeconomic development trajectories of the world's poorest countries, according to a presentation made by Jeffrey Reed of Virginia Tech and James Neel of Cognitive Radio Technologies during a workshop entitled "The Second Wave of Wireless Communication - A New Wave of Disruptive Technology."
- Topic:
- Development, Globalization, Science and Technology, and Communications
- Political Geography:
- United States
39. US Declaratory Policy and Striking Back in Cyber Conflict
- Author:
- Jason Healey
- Publication Date:
- 09-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- If you pull a knife on a gunslinger, don't be surprised if you get shot. This is one of the messages of the president's International Strategy for Cyberspace. Some media outlets have taken to extreme headlines, such as OBAMA RESERVES RIGHT TO NUKE HACKERS, or HACK US AND WE'LL BOMB YOU. These headlines, although perhaps intended as hyperbole, highlight the routine misunderstandings that take place when applying national security concepts to the technical domain of cyberspace. This issue brief will analyze the relevant part of the Strategy, especially focusing on whether, and how, the United States might respond to cyber attacks, and under what circumstances, if any, such responses would be nuclear.
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and Science and Technology
- Political Geography:
- United States
40. Primary Energy and Transportation Fuels and the Energy and Water Nexus: Ten Challenges
- Author:
- Blythe Lyons
- Publication Date:
- 11-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- A substantive dialogue has emerged in the United States under the rubric of "the energy and water nexus," representing the deepening understanding of the circular relationship between water and energy. Both are essential building blocks of US economic and physical security, and interface with efforts to improve health and prosperity. On a national level, the criticality of this relationship to economic and public prosperity is often ignored, as energy and water impacts are largely specific to a watershed or a local surface water source. The United States today needs new policies and significant infrastructure investment in order to meet the increasing demand for water and energy, while dealing with the constraints of growing water scarcity and potential threats to water quality.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy, Environment, Oil, Natural Resources, Water, and Biofuels
- Political Geography:
- United States
41. US Lessons for the Eurozone: Restoring Confidence through Transparency
- Author:
- Julie Chon
- Publication Date:
- 12-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- When it comes to resolving financial crises, size matters, but so does transparency. In both the US and European crises, the drive for size—firing off enough public funds to plug the hole in the financial system—has proven to be self-defeating as markets raise ever higher, unrealistic, and inappropriate expectations for government policy. This strategy addresses some of the economics and none of the politics of crisis management. The race to meet the size test distracts policymakers from addressing the real impediment to restoring investor and public confidence: the inherent uncertainty and lack of transparency associated with extraordinary government actions in times of crisis. The absence of transparent decision-making inflicts a costly blow to the credibility of policymakers because markets and citizens cannot see or believe what leaders are doing to stabilize the financial system.
- Topic:
- Debt, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
42. Naval Future: International Preponderance Through Naval Partnership
- Author:
- Martin Murphy and Lee Willett
- Publication Date:
- 12-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In 2005 US Navy ship numbers fell lower than at any point since 1916 and little has changed since then. The Royal Navy now has fewer ships and sailors than Nelson had at Trafalgar. It is of course true that counting hulls is no longer a reliable way of assessing naval power yet numbers matter.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, International Cooperation, International Security, and Military Strategy
- Political Geography:
- United States
43. The United States, NATO and the European Union : Partnership in the Balance
- Author:
- Robert Hunter and Sven Biscop
- Publication Date:
- 02-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The drafters of the new Strategic Concept for NATO must realize that the transatlantic context in which the Alliance operates has changed fundamentally. Accordingly, in addition to improving NATO-EU relations and streamlining the NATO apparatus, basic changes in the organization of transatlantic relations overall are required, taking into account two major developments.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation and International Security
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
44. NATO Initiatives for an Era of Global Competition
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer
- Publication Date:
- 03-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The transatlantic partnership has historically been at the heart of U.S. foreign policy, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been at the heart of the partnership. But the factors that long made "transatlantic" the dominant foreign policy construct have fundamentally changed – and with it has come a need for concomitant strategic and operational changes to meet new requirements.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Economics, International Cooperation, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, Europe, and North America
45. International Maritime Safety and Security Exchange: A Promising Business Model for Global Maritime Safety and Security
- Author:
- Harry G. Ulrich
- Publication Date:
- 07-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The United States Government experienced a remarkable rebirth in aviation security after 9/11. We have become familiar with air marshals, enhanced baggage screening, passenger information exchanges, no-fly lists, body scanning and travel document standardization. As our image of aviation security matures, we have become more accepting of previously objectionable government-authorized technological applications, routines and procedures. In fact, we are much more appreciative of the persistent dimension of aviation security, especially after the attempted hijacking or destruction of American Airlines Flight 63 by the "shoe bomber" Richard Reid on December 22, 2001 or more recently Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009 by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
- Topic:
- Maritime Commerce and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States and North America
46. Uncertain Kyrgyzstan: Rebalancing U.S. Policy
- Author:
- Ross Wilson and Damon Wilson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Kyrgyzstan is lurching forward, its future uncertain. Eleven weeks after street protests forced the collapse of the regime of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and three weeks after the worst ethnic violence in the country's history, a measure of security-enforced calm has returned. The apparently successful June 27 referendum on a new constitution and mandate for Interim President Roza Otunbayeva will provide legitimacy and confidence to the government. But Otunbayeva and the group around her appear to underestimate the difficulties they face and to overestimate their ability to control events. They will have to work hard to overcome divisions among their ranks, staggering political and economic challenges, the risks of renewed violence in the south and antipathy toward Kyrgyzstan elsewhere in Central Asia.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Central Asia
47. It's Time to Ratify the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties
- Author:
- Damon Wilson, Jonathan Ruemelin, and Jeff Lightfoot
- Publication Date:
- 07-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This week, David Cameron will visit Washington for the first time as Prime Minister to reaffirm Great Britain's 'special relationship' with the United States. Cameron will look to build on his June meeting with President Obama in Toronto as well as the recent visit of UK defense secretary Liam Fox by returning to Great Britain with concrete deliverables in exchange for London's long-standing staunch support of U.S. foreign policy goals. Despite his criticism of former PMs Blair and Brown's handling of the relationship with Washington, Cameron has vowed early in his tenure as prime minister to continue the UK's strong engagement in Afghanistan and to put a priority on relations with Washington. His ministers have nonetheless cautioned that London would not "slavishly" follow Washington's lead. A successful visit, as judged by the British public and media, will help end the unhelpful debate in the UK on the health of the 'special relationship.'
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Treaties and Agreements, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and North America
48. Cyber Security: An Integrated Governmental Strategy for Progress
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Cyber security has emerged as a critical challenge in an era defined by global interconnectedness and digital information. While there are multiple ongoing efforts that seek to enhance cyber security, an integrated governmental strategy to meet that challenge has only begun and has yet fully to take shape. All strategies demand recognition of risk and prioritization of resources, and cyber strategy will be no different.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Intelligence, Science and Technology, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and North America
49. Conflicting Policy Presumptions about Cyber security: Cyber–Prophets, –Priests, –Detectives, and –Designers, and Strategies for a Cybered World
- Author:
- Chris Demchak
- Publication Date:
- 08-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- A spate of attacks from both state and nonstate actors have provoked other Western nations to join the United States in emphasizing cyber security as a national security priority. As noted by Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn last July, any peer state, proxy organization, or skilled group of close friends anywhere in the world with unfettered internet access is able to attack in milliseconds due to the global, open, and easy nature of the world's now huge telecommunications systems. The world of "cybered conflict" is one in which even the part-time foreign attacker can to an unprecedented degree flexibly choose the scale, proximity, and precision of any attempted attack. They can at their leisure aim at any state's military, government or commercial networks, or those of any of our allies, or associates.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Science and Technology, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States
50. The Iran Stalemate and the Need for Strategic Patience
- Author:
- Barbara Slavin
- Publication Date:
- 11-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Seventeen months after disputed presidential elections, the Iranian government has forced opposition protestors off the streets but continues to face an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy that is undermining its capacity to implement effective domestic and foreign policies.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iran, and Middle East
51. Save NATO: Merge it with CSDP
- Author:
- Sarwar A. Kashmeri
- Publication Date:
- 11-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- General Brent Scowcroft, dean of the American foreign policy establishment, has proposed a deceptively simple test to determine whether NATO is still relevant. His test is a question: "What is NATO for? "
- Topic:
- Defense Policy and Reform
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
52. Missile Defense in NATO: A French Perspective
- Author:
- Bruno Gruselle
- Publication Date:
- 11-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In France, missile defense comes with a long and complicated history. When the U.S. Congress passed the "National Missile Defense Act of 1999," which called for the development and deployment of a U.S. national missile defense system, Paris reacted negatively. At that time, France still considered missile defense to be both unnecessary and destabilizing. French policy makers still considered the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction to be the cornerstones of strategic stability. French thinkers viewed missile defense as jeopardizing both the doctrine and the Treaty, as well as risking a new arms race with Russia.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Nuclear Weapons
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, France, and North America
53. Adapting the U.S.-EU Summit for a Globalized World
- Author:
- Annette Heuser and Frances G. Burwell
- Publication Date:
- 11-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The U.S.-EU Summit has lost its moorings. The Obama administration's decision on January 31, 2010 to postpone the May 2010 U.S.-EU Summit was a tacit recognition that the Summit lacks clarity of purpose and strategic vision. Neither side had successfully articulated any particular reason to meet. While Obama's decision was largely based on domestic political calculus, the move prompted some deep soul-searching in Brussels. Confidence in Brussels about the new administration's commitment to the U.S.-EU Summit process, and to working with the EU in general, reached a low point when Anne-Marie Slaughter, the Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department, said that the Summit should take place “only when necessary.”
- Topic:
- NATO, Globalization, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and North America
54. Central Europe and the Geopolitics of Energy
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer, John R. Lyman, and Mihaela Carstei
- Publication Date:
- 12-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Energy security presents quintessential geopolitical challenges. In Central Europe, achieving energy security can be a critical element for a continent seeking to resolve vestigial Cold War complexities with Russia and toward meeting 21st century challenges including balanced economic development, energy diversity and climate change. Central Europe, utilizing both European Union support and Western European national assistance and enhanced by United States technical assistance, can take five key steps that will go far toward resolving energy security challenges and help to reframe the geopolitics of the continent.
- Topic:
- Security, Economics, Energy Policy, Oil, and Natural Resources
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Europe
55. Creating the Demand Curve for Cybersecurity
- Author:
- Melissa Hathaway
- Publication Date:
- 12-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- America's future economic and national security posture, enabled by the digital revolution, is at risk. If the Obama administration is serious about mitigating that risk by increasing the security of the nation's information and communications infrastructure, it should exercise every instrument of power at hand to move the United States toward a better place.
- Topic:
- Communications
- Political Geography:
- United States and America
56. Enhancing Democracy Assistance
- Author:
- Lincoln A. Mitchell and David L. Phillips
- Publication Date:
- 01-2008
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Research Project on Enhancing Democracy Assistance is undertaken by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, and the Atlantic Council of the United States. This report recognizes that democracy assistance is essential to the promotion of US foreign policy and global interests, and offers political and technical recommendations in order to enhance democracy assistance.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Democratization, Development, Globalization, and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- United States
57. U.S.-China Energy Security Cooperation Dialogue Report
- Publication Date:
- 06-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Atlantic Council of the United States and the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations organized the first "U.S.-China Energy Security Cooperation Dialogue," held in Beijing on 31 October-1 November 2006. Conference participants included foreign policy analysts and energy experts from the U.S. and Chinese governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and universities in both the United States and China. The agenda covered a broad spectrum of energy and energy-related geopolitical issues, including long-range forecasts for energy supply and demand, energy sources ranging from oil and gas to coal, nuclear and renewables.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, Beijing, and Asia
58. North Korean Relations: U.S. Policies, Laws Regulations
- Author:
- Kenneth Katzman
- Publication Date:
- 03-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This compendium contains the text of major regulations, laws, and other documents governing U.S. interactions with North Korea. Also provided are the text of U.N. Resolutions, agreements, and other documents that represent major policy decisions in U.S. relations with North Korea. Accompanying each major document, law, or regulation is a brief analysis discussing the policy reflected by that document and major significance of the provisions of the law or regulation promulgated.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- United States, Asia, and North Korea
59. Law the Lone Superpower: Rebuilding a Transatlantic Consensus on International Law
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell and William H. Taft IV
- Publication Date:
- 04-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Throughout 2006, allegations of U.S. involvement in "renditions" of suspected terrorists from Europe to prisons in Afghanistan and elsewhere reverberated around European capitals. Charges that the United States had established secret prisons in some European countries raised the temperature even further. The European Parliament and the Council of Europe initiated investigations, while some European leaders called for the United States to close its detention facility in Guantanamo, describing the facility as contrary to international law.
- Topic:
- Terrorism and Torture
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, and Europe
60. Korea and Northeast Asia Peace and Security Framework
- Author:
- James Goodby and Jack N. Merritt
- Publication Date:
- 04-2007
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The United States has few more important policy goals than eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The risk that the repressive Pyongyang regime could transfer nuclear weapons and materials to rogue states or terrorist groups weighs particularly heavy on the minds of U.S. policymakers.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Political Geography:
- United States, Asia, and North Korea
61. Transatlantic Transformation: Building a NATO-EU Security Architecture
- Author:
- David C. Gompert, Jan M. Lodal, Leslie S. Lebl, Walter B. Slocombe, and Frances G. Burwell
- Publication Date:
- 03-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Since 1989, the security environment facing the United States and its European allies has changed beyond recognition. The Soviet Union has disintegrated, as has the division of Europe between East and West, and new threats have arisen. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s demonstrated that instability and war emerging from failing states could affect the peace and security of Europe. After 2001, global terrorism became the priority threat, especially when linked with the prospect of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, and Development
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia
62. Libya and the United States: The Next Steps
- Author:
- Ronald Bruce St. Jon
- Publication Date:
- 03-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- On the evening of December 19, 2003, the Libyan Foreign Ministry issued a statement, the product of nine months of tough negotiations with the United Kingdom and United States, renouncing weapons of mass destruction and related missile delivery systems. The statement said Libya had “decided, with its own free will, to get rid of these substances, equipment and programmes and to be free from all internationally banned weapons.” It added Libya intended to comply with the Missile Technology Control Regime, the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, and international biological and chemical weapons agreements and treaties. It pledged to “take these measures in a transparent way that could be proved, including accepting immediate international inspection.” Soon after the issuance of this statement, Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi publicly endorsed the move, terming it a “wise decision and a courageous step.”
- Topic:
- International Relations and Security
- Political Geography:
- United States, United Kingdom, Middle East, Libya, and North Africa
63. Security Cooperation and Non-State Threats: A Call for an Integrated Strategy
- Author:
- Albert Zaccor
- Publication Date:
- 08-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- There is widespread recognition that the struggle against international terrorism relies heavily on the cooperation of our partners and allies. The National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United States declares that the U.S. will hold partners responsible for doing their part in the struggle -- including efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and trafficking of illicit drugs -- but admits that weaker nations may not be able to fulfill that responsibility. That strategy and other subordinate strategies call for U.S. assistance to those states that lack the capacity to counter effectively those threats. This places foreign assistance and building partner and allied security capabilities at the center of the struggle against terrorism and related transnational threats.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Security, Development, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States
64. Germany and the Future of the Transatlantic Economy
- Author:
- Jan Neutze and Philipa Tucker
- Publication Date:
- 08-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- A senior delegation from the Atlantic Council of the United States, led by W. Bowman Cutter and Paula Stern, visited key government, parliamentary, and private sector stakeholders in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Brussels in spring 2005. The delegation presented the findings of the Atlantic Council report, "The Transatlantic Economy in 2020: A Partnership for the Future?" to numerous business, government, and think tank audiences. This report summarizes the delegation's discussions.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Germany, and Berlin
65. Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat
- Author:
- Jason S. Purcell (ed) and Joshua D. Weintraub (ed)
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Brussels Conference on “Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat” was the first of three conferences whose principal purpose was to explore specific themes associated with the world-wide effort to cope with and counter the threat of terrorists. Held in three different European capitals (Brussels, Vienna, and Budapest), the conferences drew on divergent presenters and audiences. Each conference convened subject-matter experts from the United States and Europe with the express intent of considering various perspectives on some of the most difficult challenges facing the transatlantic community. While reaching a consensus on each of the major topics would certainly have been a desirable outcome, where a consensus proved elusive, a major objective was to gain a better understanding of the divergent views and the rationale that underpins those views.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and Vienna
66. Global Futures and Implications for U.S. Basing
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer and C. Richard Nelson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This report provides the working group's insights about the future of overseas bases derived from U.S. experience over the last 60 years. It highlights key assumptions about the future security environment, proposes recommendations and identifies issues that need further study.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Security
- Political Geography:
- United States
67. The New Partnership: Building Russia-West Cooperation on Strategic Challenges
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell
- Publication Date:
- 04-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- By the beginning of 2005, the improvement in relations between Russia and the West had lost momentum and come to a standstill, as serious concerns emerged in the United States and Europe about developments in Russia. European and U.S. commentators who disagree over economic policies and Iraq find themselves in broad critical consensus about Russian political and economic evolution. Will the term that has been moribund since the death of the Cold War — “containment” — emerge as an option for those in the United States and Europe making policy toward Russia? Already some argue for isolating Russia from Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet republics; will they encourage the building of a new fence around Russia? Or will there be a new effort at engagement, albeit one that is more cautious about Russia's future in the West?
- Topic:
- Cold War, Development, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, and Asia
68. Re-Engaging Russia: The Case for a Joint U.S.-EU Effort
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell
- Publication Date:
- 02-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- For the past decade, both the United States and the governments of Europe — including the European Union — have sought to engage Russia with the goal of having a stable and democratic country increasingly integrated into the western political and economic system. Recently, however, many U.S. and European observers have become concerned that the Russian government seems to be moving in a more authoritarian direction, centralizing government decision-making, while backsliding on some reforms and neglecting others. Although economic growth has been robust, there is less confidence about the application of the rule of law. Instability persists in many of the states neighboring Russia, offering opportunities for regional conflict and for misunderstanding between Russia and the West.
- Topic:
- International Relations
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, and Asia
69. The Post 9/11 Partnership: Transatlantic Cooperation Against Terrorism
- Author:
- David L. Aaron, Frances G. Burwell, C. Richard Nelson, Anna M. Beauchesne, K. Jack Riley, and Brian Zimmer
- Publication Date:
- 12-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- On September 11, 2001, the world was introduced to a new type of terrorism, one that was truly global in its organization and its impact. In both Europe and the United States, it was immediately clear that an effective response would require new levels of cooperation across the Atlantic and around the world. The initial response was in part military, as NATO invoked its mutual defense clause for the first time ever and a military campaign began in Afghanistan. But equally important was the decision by both the European Union and the United States to boost the capacity of their domestic law enforcement agencies and judiciary to respond to global terrorism and to look for ways to cooperate with each other in doing so. Since then, U.S.-EU cooperation in combating terrorism has been one of the success stories of transatlantic relations.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Security, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, and Europe
70. The Transatlantic Economy in 2020: A Partnership for the Future?
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell, W. Bowman Cutter, Paula Stern, and Peter S. Rashish
- Publication Date:
- 11-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The United States and the European Union maintain the world's largest and most significant economic relationship, which in turn is a foundation supporting the transatlantic political partnership. By some estimates, the transatlantic economy — including two-way trade and foreign affiliate sales — totals $2.5 trillion and is responsible for 14 million jobs in the United States and Europe. It is not just the scale of the transactions, however; the transatlantic economy is deeply interconnected through impressive levels of foreign direct investment in both directions. Together, the United States and the EU have been key players in managing the global economy through the World Trade Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. They have been responsible for the major accomplishments in international trade liberalization of the last 40 years, and have spurred the adoption of global standards in a wide range of sectors.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Cooperation, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
71. Partners in Frustration: Europe, the United States and the Broader Middle East
- Author:
- Geoffrey Kemp, Bruce Stokes, William Drozdiak, Flynt L. Leverett, Christopher J. Makins, and Christopher Caldwell
- Publication Date:
- 09-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Europeans and Americans view the Middle East through historical lenses of different hues. Their different experiences of the region and differing priorities and interests greatly contributed to the transatlantic rift over the war in Iraq and other issues in 2003. During 2004, however, there have been some more hopeful signs of potential transatlantic rapprochement over the broader Middle East. The prospective advantages of closer U.S.-European cooperation on the Middle East remain enormous. With a new U.S. administration due to take office in January 2005, it is timely to review the prospects for such cooperation.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and Middle East
72. Turkey at the Threshold: Europe's Decision and U.S. Interests
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell, William Drozdiak, Richard R. Burt, Donald K. Bandler, Eric Melby, and Morton I. Abramowitz
- Publication Date:
- 08-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In December 2004, the European Union will decide whether to begin negotiations ultimately leading to Turkey's membership. This will be a crucial decision not only for the European Union and Turkey, but also for the United States and transatlantic relations. For strategic reasons, the United States has long been a strong advocate of Turkish accession to the EU, in the belief that membership is in the long-term interests of all the parties. But if the decision in December is to be positive, the EU must first determine that Turkey has met the “Copenhagen criteria,” and the EU must also reconcile its concerns about Turkey's impact on European social integration and governance. The United States can contribute to a positive decision by pursuing an active but differentiated approach.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, Turkey, and Eastern Europe
73. NATO's Role in Confronting International Terrorism
- Author:
- Richard A. Clarke, C. Richard Nelson, and Barry R. McCaffrey
- Publication Date:
- 06-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic agree that a successful global effort to confront terrorism will require a multi–faceted approach that draws on the strengths and unique assets of many international organizations. One such, the European Union (EU), has already taken a leading role in coordinating national efforts in areas closely tied to many of that organization's key functions (i.e. judicial and law–enforcement cooperation, financial controls and border security). Similarly, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has and ought to have an important role coordinating other aspects of Western national responses, notably – though not exclusively – those in which military forces are likely to play a primary or a supporting part.
- Topic:
- NATO, International Cooperation, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
74. Do Economic Sanctions Work? Lessons from ILSA Other Sanctions Regimes
- Author:
- Stuart E. Eizenstat
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The 1990s saw a cascade of contentious sanctions legislation. Congress passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, including an amendment to the Sovereign Immunities Act, which permits lawsuits against governments on the terrorism list – a major step in denying foreign governments normal immunity from suit in U.S. courts. The Iran–Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) was also passed in 1996, with the goal of discouraging third–country companies from investing in Iran or Libya. This sparked outrage from European countries, which objected to the act's “extra–territorial” reach, and from the European Union (EU) institutionally, which responded with a law barring any European company from complying with the legislation (and with similar provisions regarding Cuban trade under the controversial Helms–Burton Act).
- Topic:
- International Relations, Economics, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
75. NATO Transformation: Problems and Prospects
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson, Arthur K. Cebrowski, Jacques Lanxade, Michel Maisonneuve, Montgomery C. Meigs, and Andrew J. Goodpaster
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The substantially changed world security environment of the 21st century demands comparably substantial changes within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ). These amount to a full-scale transformation to re-align the Alliance to meet new, more uncertain challenges. This transformation, however, is complicated by the lack of common purpose among member nations and deep fractures within NATO. Nevertheless, the continuing value of NATO is incontestable and I trust that sufficient common interests will be found for the members and partners to go forward with the transformation required to reshape the Alliance so that it may act in concert against new risks and dangers.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States and North Atlantic
76. Clean Air for Asia - China - India - Japan - United States Cooperation to Reduce Air Pollution in China and India
- Author:
- Richard L. Lawson, John R. Lyman, Donald L. Guertin, Tarun Das, Shinji Fukukawa, and Yang Jike
- Publication Date:
- 07-2003
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- For China and India, rapid economic growth is imperative to alleviate poverty, raise income levels and improve their citizens' quality of life. In 2000, China and India's combined populations of 2.3 billion represented over 38 percent of the world's population. With both countries determined to grow their economies rapidly, there will be an associated rapid rise in energy demand. One of the most significant problems facing the two countries is the existing and increasing level of air pollution that will accompany growing energy consumption. This report focuses on the challenge of developing economic, energy, and environmental policies that will complement existing policies designed to reconcile the drive for economic growth with the need for greater environmental protection of air quality.
- Topic:
- Economics and Environment
- Political Geography:
- United States, Japan, China, India, and Asia
77. Missile Defense in Asia
- Author:
- Walter B. Slocombe, C. Richard Nelson, Michael P.C. Carns, and Jacques S. Gansler
- Publication Date:
- 06-2003
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The prospect of North Korea developing both nuclear weapons and long–range missiles has been at the core of the U.S. rationale for early deployment of a missile defense and of Japan's interest in defense for itself. In the face of North Korea's missile programs and its acknowledgement of an active program to develop nuclear weapons, the problem of defense against those weapons assumes new urgency — as does the question of how defenses affect the broader dynamic of security in Northeast Asia.
- Topic:
- Security and International Law
- Political Geography:
- United States, Japan, Asia, and North Korea
78. U.S. - Libyan Relations: Toward Cautious Reengagement
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson and Chester A. Crocker
- Publication Date:
- 04-2003
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The current U.S. strategy towards Libya – an implicit strategy of isolation – was developed for a very different international context than the one that currently exists. Put in place during the 1980s, the strategy was appropriate for the Cold War context and for dealing with Libya's hostile behavior at the time. Since then, however, both the general context and specific Libyan behavior have changed, rendering the current set of accumulated laws and regulations that govern U.S. relations with Libya outdated and inappropriate. Furthermore, the current strategy provides no vision for U.S.–Libyan relations once the remaining issues surrounding the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 are resolved. Thus, U.S. strategy needs to be changed to reflect better the new environment and new opportunities.
- Topic:
- Security and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Africa and United States
79. Winning the Peace: Managing a Successful Transition in Iraq
- Author:
- Richard Murphy
- Publication Date:
- 02-2003
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Winning the peace in Iraq – assuming the current regime will be displaced by war or by other means – will require successful management of several challenges. Chief among these is building the necessary consensus on a common vision for the future of Iraq. In this connection, three interrelated issues merit the highest priority attention: power sharing arrangements, Iraq's economy and oil sector, and regional stability.
- Topic:
- Peace Studies and United Nations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iraq, and Middle East
80. Risk and Reward: U.S. - E.U. Regulatory Cooperation on Food Safety and the Environment
- Author:
- David L. Aaron and C. Boyden Gray
- Publication Date:
- 11-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- In recent years, environmental protection and food safety have been among the most volatile issues in the U.S.-European relationship. While they are now overshadowed somewhat by the transatlantic debate over Iraq and other political and military matters, tensions over environment and food safety are just below the surface, and — if not addressed — w ill have enduring corrosive and divisive effects. Indeed, the current acrimony over these issues has contributed to concern about an erosion of shared transatlantic values and a deterioration in U.S.-European relations generally. Moreover, as recently demonstrated at the Johannesburg UN summit on sustainable development, the failure of the United States and Europe to work together on these issues does not just have bilateral consequences. It represents a significant lost opportunity to provide leadership in addressing environment and food safety on a global level. The United States and Europe have both been leaders in these areas — a fact that is overlooked far too often in the current debate. The impact of their current differences has been felt most concretely in the transatlantic trade arena, in a series of persistent disputes. But these differences represent far more than just another transatlantic trading issue. Unless they now find a way to reconcile their different perspectives and approaches, the United States and the European Union will miss real opportunities to work together in addressing global environmental and public health issues.
- Topic:
- Environment and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
81. New Capabilities: Transforming NATO Forces
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson, Robert Hunter, and George Joulwan
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Of the three important topics on the agenda for the Prague summit – New Capabilities, New Members and New Relationships – the issue of “ new capabilities ” is particularly critical. How well this issue is handled will determine in large measure how members and others, particularly potential adversaries, think about NATO in the future.
- Topic:
- Security and NATO
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
82. Staying the Course: Limitations in U.S. -China Relations
- Author:
- Gen. Jack N. Merritt
- Publication Date:
- 09-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The People's Republic of China (PRC). As of mid-2002, the PRC's policy is to emphasize the positive, stressing its desire for an improved – and hopefully more stable – relationship with the United States. This policy reflects China's recognition of the need for stability at a time of many challenges. In the next few years, the PRC leadership will be seeking to extend economic reform and build prosperity beyond the limited areas in big cities and the eastern provinces that have made great strides in recent years. China will need to adjust the economy to the market-opening demands that World Trade Organization (WTO) membership will bring and it will face the problem of moving successfully over the next decade through a transition in leadership without compromising the continued power of the Party leadership group.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, and Asia
83. New Frontiers for U.S. - Japan Security Relations
- Author:
- Christopher J. Makins, L. Gordon Flake, and Akio Watanabe
- Publication Date:
- 02-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- A strong U.S.-Japan security alliance remains in dispensable to the interests of both partners in East Asia and beyond. Through strategic cooperation, both formal and informal, the United States and Japan can achieve international objectives that would otherwise be out of reach. Bilateral cooperation also contributes to the kind of stable, predictable relations on which the increasingly interdependent economies of the East Asian region depend.
- Topic:
- Security and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, Japan, Israel, and East Asia
84. Managing Proliferation Issues with Iran
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson and David H. Saltiel
- Publication Date:
- 01-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Any government in Tehran will be inclined to seek weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile delivery options given the realities of its strategic environment. These weapons might help Iran to deter potential external threats, to achieve equality with other major regional powers armed with WMD, and to attain self-reliance in national security, given the isolating experience of arms embargoes. A more pluralist leadership in the future, however, may examine broader choices and trade-offs, and perhaps be less likely to cross key thresholds in WMD acquisition. In any event, Iran's WMD behavior is likely to be determined by both external factors, mainly the availability of crucial components, and internal factors, including calculations of costs, risks, and benefits. Among the benefits, psychological factors, such as prestige, will play an important role. Other important factors that might well shape Iran's WMD behavior include developments in Iraq, relations with the United States and other Gulf states, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the future price of oil.
- Topic:
- Security and Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Political Geography:
- United States, Iran, and Middle East
85. The Bulgarian Defense Industry
- Author:
- Curtis M. Coward and Jeffrey P. Bialos
- Publication Date:
- 07-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This Report identifies strategic options available to the Bulgarian government and its defense industry, as well as the United States and its NATO partners, for transforming and repositioning the industry for the 21st century and facilitating its integration into the NATO and European Union industrial base. Since other Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries that are aspirants to NATO membership face similar difficulties concerning their defense industries, many of the recommendations herein apply to these countries as well. The report is based on numerous interviews with officials of government entities, private sector firms, and nongovernmental organizations and a review of pertinent governmental and private reports and original documents. A number of the members of the Atlantic Council's working group visited Bulgaria and several of its defense firms in April 2001. Given limitations of time and access to information, the report does not, however, attempt to set forth a thorough review of each firm in the Bulgarian industry.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States and Eastern Europe
86. Thinking Beyond the Stalemate in U.S. - Iranian Relations, Volume I - Policy Review
- Author:
- Brent Scowcroft, C. Richard Nelson, Lee H. Hamilton, and James Shlesinger
- Publication Date:
- 05-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The current stalemate between the United States and Iran, while emotionally satisfying to many Americans, does not serve overall U.S. interests well. It hinders the achievement of several key U.S. geopolitical interests, especially over the longer term. These interests include, but are not limited to, regional stability, energy security, and the broader and evolving geopolitical relationships between the United States and China and Russia in the Persian Gulf and Caspian basin. Furthermore, the leading industrial countries are moving to improve relations with Iran.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, China, and Middle East
87. Permanent Alliance? NATO's Prague Summit and Beyond
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson, Chas W. Freeman Jr., Wesley K. Clark, Max Cleland, Gordon Smith, and Robert L. Hutchings
- Publication Date:
- 05-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- With U.S. leadership, the Alliance has undertaken an impressive transformation over the past decade: from the July 1990 London Summit, which heralded a “Europe whole and free,” to the April 1999 Washington Summit, which welcomed three former Warsaw Pact members as new allies, even as NATO forces were engaged in combat for the first time. But the Alliance has not yet realized its full potential as an institution embracing all democratic nations of Europe dedicated to collective defense and embodying the interests and values of the transatlantic community. Moreover, the allies still confront important challenges to their shared goal of bringing lasting security to the European continent as a whole, as well as to the overall vitality of the transatlantic relationship.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and London
88. Changing Terms of Trade: Managing the New Transatlantic Economy
- Author:
- David L. Aaron and Donald L. Guertin
- Publication Date:
- 04-2001
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The economic relationship between the United States and the European Union (EU) is in the midst of a significant transition. In the past, the dominant element of that relationship was trade. This was only natural, given their large share of the global trading system: the United States generates 19 percent of world trade, and the European Union 20 percent. Moreover, the United States is the EU's largest trading partner, while the EU is the single largest importer into the United States and the second largest market for U.S. exports. But in recent years, several new elements have become more prominent in the transatlantic economic relationship, bringing with them both challenges and opportunities.
- Topic:
- Economics and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
89. U.S. - Japan Energy Cooperation to Help Achieve Sustainable Energy Development in Asia
- Author:
- Richard L. Lawson, Donald L. Guertin, Shinji Fukukawa, and Kazuo Shimoda
- Publication Date:
- 11-2000
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Given the dramatic increases in economic growth, energy use and attendant environmental problems in Asia, it is timely for Japan and the United States to increase their bilateral cooperation and cooperation with other Asian countries in the energy field as an integral part of their efforts to help Asia achieve sustainable development. The magnitude of growth in Asia in energy use is well illustrated, for example, by a projected doubling in China from 1990 to 2020. Projections indicate energy demand in China could triple by 2050, relative to 1990. These increases are not only of great significance to individual Asian economies, but also globally, as projections indicate that most of the growth in energy demand in the next century will occur in Asia (and principally in China and India). Achievement of such growth in energy demand, to improve the living standards of the 3.3 billion Asians that now represent about half of the world's population, is essential from the viewpoint of equity, social development and the economic well-being of people throughout Asia.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, Israel, East Asia, and Asia
90. European Views of National Missile Defense
- Author:
- Stephen Cambone, Christopher J. Makins, Ivo Daalder, and Stephen J. Hadley
- Publication Date:
- 09-2000
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- A delegation under the auspices of the Atlantic Council of the United States visited Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris from 10 to 14 July 2000 for discussions with government officials and nongovernmental experts about the proposed deployment of missile defenses of U.S. national territory. The purpose of the trip was to engage a range of European leaders in in-depth discussions of a broad range of issues associated with missile defense. This report reflects the visitors' assessment of what they heard and the conclusions they drew in terms of U.S. policy and relations with the European allies.
- Topic:
- Security and NATO
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
91. Panama Canal Transition: The Final Implementation
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson, Jr. Gillespie, Brandon Grove Jr., and David E. McGiffert
- Publication Date:
- 07-1999
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The implications of the transfer of the Panama Canal go well beyond U.S. relations with Panama. This complex transition provides an important lesson for Latin America and the rest of the world on how countries of vastly different size and outlook can work together. The success of this 20 year process lies mainly in first identifying the primary common interest of the United States, Panama and the major canal users: access to an open, safe and efficient canal. Important but secondary concerns, including U.S. military access to facilities in Panama, were addressed during the process but never were allowed to displace the primary interest. By focusing on this clear, compelling key objective, both Panama and the United States were able to accommodate fundamental changes in the political, economic and security context, including several changes in administrations, tough negotiations and even a military confrontation.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- United States and Latin America
92. Building an Asia-Pacific Security Community: The Role of Nuclear Weapons
- Author:
- C. Richard Nelson, James E. Goodby, Tomohisha Sakanaka, W. Neal Anderson, Tomohide Murai, and Shinichi Ogawa
- Publication Date:
- 05-1999
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The main challenge for Asia is to build a security community that transforms a legacy of military competition into security cooperation. This transformation will be difficult because of the high level of distrust among the states and considerable uncertainty about future relations. Asia lacks the kinds of developed, institutionalized multilateral security arrangements that contribute to transparency, confidence-building and long-term stability. Furthermore, a “ business as usual ” approach that focuses on managing bilateral relationships is unlikely to result in a security community. More attention needs to be devoted to multilateral security efforts. Without the reassurance of a network of cooperative arrangements, including verifiable arms limitations, potential adversaries may place their hopes in achieving unilateral military advantages. Such efforts could foster fears of regional domination and, in turn, a potential arms race that includes nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
- Topic:
- Security and NATO
- Political Geography:
- United States, Israel, East Asia, and Asia
93. An Appropriate Role for Nuclear Power in Meeting Global Energy Needs
- Author:
- Donald L. Guertin, Richard E. Balzhiser, Christian Gobert, William J. Dirks, Joy C. Dunkerley, and Stephen P. Pettibone
- Publication Date:
- 02-1999
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Despite the recent global economic slowdown, the demand for energy services is bound to increase over the long term in order to provide improved living standards for growing populations, in particular in developing countries. In recognition of its unique characteristics, the demand for electricity will rise even faster than total energy. Several studies present scenarios that show a doubling of global installed capacity over the next twenty years.
- Topic:
- Energy Policy and Nuclear Weapons
- Political Geography:
- United States and Asia
94. Third Party Arms Transfers: Requirements for the 21st Century
- Author:
- John D. Macomber and Charles McC. Mathias
- Publication Date:
- 10-1998
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Can the United States collaborate with foreign nations in armaments development and production without jeopardizing US national security? This question - in light of America's global security obligations - demands a satisfactory answer. The economic and political advantages of greater international cooperation are significant. Benefits from cooperation include improved interoperability of weapons and equipment used by US allies and partners in operations with the United States, reduction in production costs, and preservation of a defense industrial base among US allies. Yet, considerations of national security are equally cogent.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- United States and America