Featured Publications
U.S.-Iran Relations: Policy Compendium
Article 5 and Strategic Reassurance
NATO Reform and Decision-Making
The U.S., NATO and the EU: Partnership in the Balance
Council Highlights
Damon Wilson discusses NATO, Turkey, and Azerbaijan
Damon Wilson, vice president and director of the Atlantic Council Program on International Security, was interviewed by Leyla Tagiyeva of Azerbaijani news site News.Az about U.S.-Turkey relations in the context of NATO and its role in the Caucasus region.
Sven Biscop and Jo Coelmont: Permanent Structured Cooperation and European Armed Forces
Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop, Director of the Security & Global Governance Programme at the Egmont Institute and member of the Atlantic Council Strategic Advisors Group, and Brig-Gen. (Ret.) Jo Coelmont, former Belgian Representative to the European Union Military Committee, co-authored an Egmont Institute Security Issue Brief entitled Permanent Structured Cooperation for Effective European Armed Forces.
Banning Garrett Discusses U.S.-China Relations
Banning Garret, director of the Council's Asia Program, was interviewed by Daniel Ryntjes of Feature Story News about U.S.-China relations after the February 18 meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama.
Shuja Nawaz on Al Jazeera English: India-Pakistan Relations
Shuja Nawaz, director of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, spoke with Al Jazeera English's Riz Khan about the renewed India-Pakistan peace talks.
FEATURED ISSUE
Eurozone Crisis: Threat of Sovereign Debt Default
The Atlantic Council's Global Business and Economics Program hosted a conference call with Professor Leszek Balcerowicz on the Euro debt crisis.
Missile Defense
Russia will not Accept U.S. Threat to its Nuclear Deterrent - Lavrov
Jorge Benitez | March 10, 2010From RIA Novosti: Russia can not allow U.S. plans to deploy elements of its missile shield in Europe to threaten the effectiveness of its nuclear deterrent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. U.S. officials admit that the missile defense system in Europe might be able to hit Russian inter-continental ballistic missiles by 2020. "The U.S. administration says its global missile shield program is not directed against Russia. However, our conclusions on the true potential of the future missile defense system should be based on specific military and technical factors, not on words," Lavrov said. "We will not accept a state of affairs when a missile defense system poses a threat to Russia's nuclear deterrence potential," he went on. (photo: Ilya Pitalev/RIA Novosti)
It's Time to Invite Russia to Join NATO
Jorge Benitez | March 09, 2010From Spiegel: NATO, in its current form, is not up to these tasks. In the future, the alliance should see itself as a strategic framework for the three centers of power: North America, Europe and Russia. This trio has common interests that are threatened by the same challenges, and which require the same responses. If the alliance intends to be the primary forum for addressing all crises -- because it is the only forum where North America, Europe and Russia sit at the same table -- then it must now establish the requisite institutional framework for that to happen. The door to NATO membership should be opened for Russia. Russia, in turn, must be prepared to accept the rights and obligations of a NATO member, of an equal among equals...
Russia Fumes at US Missile Defense Plan
Jorge Benitez | February 25, 2010From the AP: Russia has serious concerns about U.S. plans to deploy missile interceptors in Romania, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
U.S. Patriot Missiles in Poland Early April
Jorge Benitez | February 22, 2010From Reuters: Poland is set to host a battery of U.S. Patriot missiles and the American troops to man it from the start of April, PAP news agency said Sunday. "The Defense Ministry expects the first stage of the stationing of a Patriot air-defense battery and a 100-man service team to get under way in the (northern) town of Morag at the turn of April," the agency said. The Patriots are part of a Polish-U.S. agreement signed last December to upgrade the NATO member's air defenses, following Washington's decision last September to scrap a Bush-era Missile Shield incorporating installations in Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic.
US Missile Defence Plan Stalled as Ankara Resists Radar Base
Jorge Benitez | February 20, 2010From the Financial Times: President Barack Obama's missile defence plan to counter Iran is facing resistance in Turkey because Ankara is reluctant to host a radar base unless other Nato countries also increase support for the system. While the US has identified Turkey as the best land-based site to provide coverage of Iranian short and medium-range missiles, Ankara is worried about appearing to sign up to a bilateral compact with Washington against Tehran... Amid continued survey results that show the US to be deeply unpopular in the country, Turkish diplomats say strong Nato-wide backing, such as a common funded command and control system, would help establish the new missile defence system as an alliance-wide effort rather than a private deal with Washington...
Missile Defence in Europe: The Next Salvo
Jorge Benitez | February 19, 2010From the Economist: If American technology develops as expected, by 2018 the new shield would cover almost all of NATO’s European members against an Iranian attack—only a small part of Turkey would be exposed. That is a big change from the previous scheme, which was intended mainly to protect America from an intercontinental threat, leaving chunks of Europe unprotected. The new system poses even less of a threat to Russia’s nuclear arsenal (the Americans say neither ever did). The SM-3 interceptors now planned have a shorter range and fly less quickly than the rockets proposed by the Bush administration. Moreover, much of the system—the tracking radars and the Romania-based interceptors—will be deployed further south, unable to interfere with Russian missiles heading for America over the Arctic.
Stage Set for New Fight Over Missile Defense
Jorge Benitez | February 17, 2010From the Cable: A new gambit by Russia to link missile defense to a still-pending nuclear arms agreement is threatening to throw another wrench into plans to quickly sign and pass the deal in Congress. Russian officials including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have explicitly linked U.S. missile defense plans to the treaty. Now, two sources who were briefed on the negotiations say the Russians intend to release a statement declaring their right to unilaterally withdraw from the new agreement if they believe U.S. missile defense deployments upset "strategic stability."
FEATURED EVENT
U.S.-Iran Relations: Best-Case Scenario

A panel of Iran experts addressed the "best-case scenario" for U.S.-Iran relations at the Atlantic Council. Dr. Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East scholar at the Congressional Research Service, presented his Atlantic Council-commissioned Compendium of Policies, Laws and Regulations that govern U.S. relations with Iran, and the discussion followed.
General Stephane Abrial: NATO Transformation

General Stéphane Abrial of France, Commander of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT), spoke before the Atlantic Council about ACT’s efforts to improve Alliance capabilites to meet current and future challenges as well as ACT's role in NATO’s next Strategic Concept.
2010 Awards Dinner: Clinton, Bono, Ackermann, Abrial, Mattis

FEATURED INTERVIEW
Euro Debt Crisis: A Discussion with Currency Strategist Marc Chandler

In his latest New Atlanticist Podcast, Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarwar Kashmeri addresses the Euro debt crisis and the recent hedge fund betting of over $8 billion in short positions against the common EU currency. He talks with Marc Chandler, the Chief Currency Strategist for the investment bank Brown Brothers Harriman and author of Making Sense of the Dollar.

















