J Peter Pham joins BBC Newsday to Discuss Coup in Guinea 7/09

On June 1, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative hosted "Cyber 9/12 Project: The Role of the Media During a Cyber Crisis.”

The event launched an issue brief containing key recommendations stemming from the Cyber 9/12 Project, and continued the discussion with Robert J. Giesler and Tom Gjelten on the role the media plays during a cyber crisis. Jason Healey, director of the Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative, moderated the discussion.

This event is a follow-up to “The Cyber 9/12 Project” held in December 2011. Sponsored by SAIC, the conference was an all-day, scenario-driven, interactive exercise to discuss the day-after response to a transatlantic cyber incident. The conference involved representatives from the US and foreign governments, and information and communication technology companies, and discussed the impact of the incident, the potential response, and the greater national security implications.

Cyber 9/12 Project: The Role of the Media During a Cyber Crisis

On February 1st, the South Asia Center launched its new report, Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army's Experience with Counterinsurgency, by Director Shuja Nawaz.

More at http://www.atlanticcouncil.org

Learning by Doing: The Pakistan Army's Experience with Counterinsurgency

On December 3, 2013, the Atlantic Council hosted a press call featuring: 

Adrian Karatnycky, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council and Founder and Managing Partner, Myrmidon Group LLC 
- Former Freedom House CEO and respected expert on Ukraine and Eastern Europe, frequently published in key media including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and more. He advises investment banks, funds, and companies on politics and economic policy in Ukraine.

Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council  
- Former senior director for Europe and handled Ukraine on the NSC staff from 2004 to 2009, recently testified on the Eastern Partnership to Congress and co-authored a Freedom House report on Ukraine. 

Moderated by Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
 
The decision by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to back out of a high profile deal with the European Union immediately prior to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, has prompted wide-scale pro-European Union protests in Kiev, as well as calls for Yanukovych’s resignation. The strong public reaction to Ukraine’s shift away from Europe has elicited comparisons to the 2004 Orange Revolution, and indicates the extent of political unrest in the former Soviet country. Protests and a violent Saturday night crackdown have highlighted the power struggle between the current political leadership and powerful opposing interest groups. These protests run the risk of leading to an ungovernable Ukraine, prolonged instability, and potential conflict.
 
To discuss the implications of the protests on Ukraine’s economy and political stability, and to consider the role of the transatlantic community in pressing for true democratic reform and possible further European Union association, the Atlantic Council hosted a press call with Adrian Karatnycky, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and managing partner of Myrmidon Group LLC, and Atlantic Council executive vice president, Damon Wilson. Karatnycky and Wilson draw on their extensive knowledge of the region to provide insight on the likely scenarios for Ukraine as the protests evolve. 
 
Atlantic Council experts frequently travel to Ukraine to monitor events, and enjoy significant access to Ukraine government leaders and opposition figures.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org

Conference Call with Council Experts on Unrest in Ukraine

Anu Fredriksson, Executive Director for Arctic Frontiers, gives a local perspective on living in the Arctic. Anu is originally from Oulu in Northern Finland and has worked with Arctic issues for over a decade. She has previously served as Director at the Arctic Economic Council and as an Arctic Policy Advisory at the Finnish Embassy in Norway.

Voices From The North Ep 1 Anu Fredrikson

Mathieu Boulègue, Senior Research Fellow for the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, takes a closer look at Russia’s deep ties to the Arctic and its posturing in the region. Mathieu specializes in Russian security and defence issues and leads Arctic work at Chatham House.

Voices From The North Ep 2 Mathieu Boulègue

Dr. Camilla Tenna Nørup Sørensen, Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, discusses the changing geopolitical dynamics of the Arctic.

“If China starts pushing for a more open, international alternative to the Arctic Council and governance led by Arctic states,” Dr. Sørensen argues, a vacuum could be opened for “China and other non-Arctic states to argue that other governance mechanisms are needed in the Arctic.”

As the Arctic gains greater global attention, the Nordic states have a strong interest in maintaining the norms and international governance that have contributed to the region’s low-tensions and spirit of cooperation.

Voices From The North Ep 3 Camilla Soerensen

Dr. David P. Auerswald, Professor of Security Studies at the U.S. National War College, takes a closer look at military activity in the Arctic and the associated risks of the region’s increased militarization. 

“From a security perspective,” Dr. Auerswald argues, “the Arctic is the shortest path between Russia and the US.” The European Arctic, “is a possible conflict zone should Russia decide to escalate the current Ukrainian conflict…in an effort to flank NATO militarily.”

His recently published report, “All security is local,” assesses the Arctic defense policies of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in greater detail.

Voices From The North Ep 4 David Auerswald

Husain Haqqani
Author of Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding; and Senior Fellow and Director, South and Central Asia
Hudson Institute 
 
Haroon K. Ullah
Author of Vying for Allah's Vote: Understanding Islamic Parties, Political Violence, and Extremism in Pakistan; and Member, Policy Planning Staff
US Department of State


Rising Political Islam in Pakistan: Causes and Consequences

Discussion with Afghan Presidential Candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

Moderated by 
Mr. Shuja Nawaz
Director, South Asia Center 
Atlantic Council

Mr. Vikram J. Singh
Vice President, National Security and International Policy
Center for American Progress


A Conversation with Afghan Presidential Candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah

Gaza: Breaking the Vicious Cycle 
A Conversation with Dr. Salam Fayyad, Former Prime Minister of the
Palestinian Authority

A discussion with
Dr. Salam Fayyad
Distinguished Statesman
Atlantic Council

Welcome remarks by
Gen. James L. Jones, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
President
Jones Group International
Chairman, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council

Moderated by
Frederick Kempe
President and CEO
Atlantic Council

Renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in the past two weeks has resulted in over 700 casualties, more than 4,500 wounded, and the displacement of tens of thousands. Secretary of State John Kerry continues rounds of meetings in the region in an attempt to forge another ceasefire agreement to end the crisis and to lay the foundation for longer-term negotiations on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. Amid fierce fighting, Hamas political leader Khaled Mashal continues to reject a ceasefire until all of Hamas’s conditions are met in full. Acknowledging that there has been some progress toward cementing a deal, Secretary Kerry remarked on Wednesday that there is still work to be done.

Gaza: Breaking the Vicious Cycle, A Conversation with Dr. Salam Fayyad

The Modern Mercenary: 
Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

Remarks by:
Dr. Sean McFate
Senior Fellow, Africa Center 
Atlantic Council

A discussion with:
GEN Carter Ham, USA (Ret.)
Former Commander
US Africa Command

Mark Mazzetti
National Security Correspondent
The New York Times
Author
The Way of the Knife

Moderated by:
J. Peter Pham
Director, Africa Center
Atlantic Council

Contractors are indispensable to modern war, and yet, little is known about the industry’s structure, operations, and future. Typically led by ex-military men, contractor firms are by their very nature secretive; even the US government—the entity that usually pays them—knows relatively little.

In The Modern Mercenary, Africa Center Senior Fellow Sean McFate lays bare this opaque world, explaining the economic structure of the industry and showing in detail how firms operate on the ground. A former US Army paratrooper and private military contractor, McFate provides perspective into the nuts and bolts of the industry.

McFate’s book looks back to the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were common and contract warfare the norm. He concludes that international relations in the twenty-first century may have more in common with the twelfth century than the twentieth. This “back to the future” situation, which he calls “neomedievalism,” is not necessarily a negative condition, but it will produce a global system that contains rather than solves problems.

In its review of the book, the Economist called The Modern Mercenary“fascinating and disturbing… The worrying trends [McFate] describes makes this book a powerful call to arms to those who do not want a world awash with mercenaries.” ADM James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, added that “McFate helps us understand this complex world beyond the cartoon criticisms and film-inspired lore to see both the obvious dangers and the potential benefits provided by a shadowy industry.” 

Please join the Atlantic Council on Tuesday, March 3 for a discussion of this new security landscape, its historical origins, and what it means for the future of war. 

Sean McFate discusses the growing role of private security contractors in an interview with the New Atlanticist. Read here:‘Boom Time’ for Private Security Contractors.
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/publications/books/boom-time-for-private-security-contractors

The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

Artful Balance: Future US Defense Strategy and Force Posture in the Gulf

A discussion with:
Barry Pavel
Vice President and Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council

Bilal Y. Saab
Senior Fellow for Middle East Security, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council

Moderated by:
Vago Muradian
Editor
Defense News

For more than four decades, the United States has had a robust web of partnerships with the states comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council. This system has helped to achieve common strategic goals, including securing the free and constant flow of oil from the region to the world at large; preventing the rise of a hostile regional power that could threaten Middle East security; and countering Islamist extremists that seek to violently transform politics and society. The relevance and importance of these goals in today's strategic and regional environment have only increased. However, such pillars face increasing pressures due to historic winds of change in the region, including a likely nuclear deal with Iran; new global trends in disruptive technology, demographics, and energy; and important shifts in Gulf politics. To continue to protect collective interests and strengthen security in the Gulf, the United States needs to revise its defense strategy, reshape its military presence, and recalibrate its level of political engagement in the Gulf.

Please join the Atlantic Council on Monday, March 23 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to launch a report by Bilal Y. Saab and Barry Pavel entitled Artful Balance: Future US Defense Strategy and Force Posture in the Gulf. In it, Saab and Pavel provide an in-depth, strategic review of existing US defense strategy and force posture in the Gulf and propose a set of recommendations for a more geographically distributed, operationally resilient, politically sustainable, and tactically robust force posture. The report draws on recent conversations held by the authors over a seven-month period with senior Arab Gulf and US officials in Washington, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, and Muscat.

Artful Balance: Future US Defense Strategy and Force Posture in the Gulf

Setting the Stage for Peace in Syria:
The Case for a Syrian National Stabilization Force

A presentation by:
Ambassador Frederic C. Hof
Senior Fellow, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Atlantic Council

Bassma Kodmani
Executive Director
The Arab Reform Initiative

Jeffrey White
Defense Fellow
The Washington Institute

After four years of conflict, the prospect of a stable Syria continues to be bleak, with a diplomatic solution nowhere in sight and military steps lacking in international support. In their report titled, Setting the Stage for Peace in Syria: The Case for a Syrian National Stabilization Force, authors Hof, Kodmani, and White present a new way forward – one that takes President Obama’s train and equip program to the next level forging a Syrian ground force which could constitute the core of the future Syrian Army. The force would have the military mission of defeating any combination of enemies obstructing the stabilization of the country and the establishment of legitimate, inclusive governance in all of Syria. How can this force change the dynamics of the conflict on the ground and how can the international community help build it? What other elements need to be in place to make this force an effective part of a broader resolution of the conflict? Please join us for a discussion of these and other questions focusing on this new report. 

At the Hariri Center, Ambassador Frederic Hof specializes in the conflict in Syria. Bassma Kodmani is Cofounder and Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative, a consortium of policy analysis institutes that mobilize research capacity to advance democratic change in Arab countries.  Jeffrey White is a Defense Fellow at the Washington Institute specializing in the military and security affairs of the Levant. 

Setting the Stage for Peace in Syria: The Case for a Syrian National Stabilization Force

The Atlantic Council and the United States Institute of Peace welcome H.E. Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, for a public address to an invite-only audience on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Atlantic Council headquarters in Washington, D.C. Following President Barzani's keynote address, Ambassador William Taylor, Acting Executive Vice President of USIP will moderate a discussion with the President.

The President will address the questions at the crux of these issues: What is the future of Iraqi Kurdistan and the region viewed from Erbil? What are the challenges and priorities of Iraqi Kurdistan in the war against ISIS? What are the key issues in US-KRG relations?

A Conversation with H.E. Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Implications of Energy on Geopolitical, Economic, and Environmental Issues in the Asia-Pacific

Experts Reflect on Turkey's Elections, Results, and Implications

President Rousseff's Visit: Photo-Op or a New Era for the US and Brazil?

Interpreter's "An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlin's Dirty War In Ukrain

Bernard - Henri Lévy: Vladimir Putin's Challenge To Europe And The United States

Reflections Of A Former Secretary Of Defense With Chuck Hagel

Event With Russian Writers

Understanding The Iran Petroleum Contract

Libya- What’s Next?

"The Smartest Places On Earth" Book With Antoine Van Agtmael

Welcome and Introduction

The Hon. Paula Dobriansky, Board Director, Atlantic Council; Senior Fellow, The Future of Diplomacy Project, Harvard University 
H.E. Juozas Olekas, Minister of National Defense, Republic of Lithuania 

Legislative Perspectives: Sustaining US Engagement and Leadership with Allies

The United States is incrementally re-engaging in European security in the wake of the Ukraine crisis and continued turbulence around the Mediterranean rim. At the same time, US leadership in Europe is increasingly questioned both at home and abroad. From a legislative perspective, what should the US do to shore up its presence in Europe, contribute to defense and deterrence, and bolster NATO in a new era of transatlantic security?

The Hon. Jeanne Shaheen, Senator (D-NH), US Senate 

H.E. Andrius Kubilius, Former Prime Minister of Lithuania; Party Leader, Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats 
 
Introductions by: The Hon. Paula Dobriansky 

Readiness and Deterrence on Europe’s Frontlines

The transatlantic community faces difficult defense challenges in Europe’s east, and must now prepare broadly to provide defense and deterrence in a new era of Russian assertiveness. What must NATO and its members do in terms of readiness, capabilities, counter-anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD), and planning in order to be ready for a contested security environment? And what is the role of the United States in this context?

James J. Townsend, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy, US Department of Defense

Dr. Kori Schake, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Former Deputy Director for Policy Planning, US Department of State; Former Director for Defense Strategy and Requirements, National Security Council 

The Hon. Franklin D. Kramer, Distinguished Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, US Department of Defense

Timo S. Koster, Director, Defense Policy and Capabilities, NATO 

Moderator: Dr. Nora Bensahel, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council; Distinguished Scholar in Residence, School of International Service, American University 


The Road to Warsaw: All Eyes on the Eastern Flank 

The upcoming NATO Summit in Warsaw is a key milestone in NATO’s adaptation to the new contested and turbulent security environment in Europe. What are the priorities for the summit from a regional perspective? What should the US bring to the Summit table? And how can the Alliance balance between the challenges to NATO’s east and south?

H.E. Jonatan Vseviov, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defense, Republic of Estonia 

H.E. Juozas Olekas, Minister of National Defense, Republic of Lithuania 

The Hon. Ellen Tauscher, Vice Chair, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Atlantic Council; Former US Representative (D-CA10) 

Moderator: Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, Future Europe Initiative, and Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council 

Closing Remarks
			Dr. Evelyn Farkas


Defending Europe's Eastern Flank

Welcome, and The Russia Factor in the US Presidential Elections

A New Saudi Arabian Regional Policy,

In a surprise move this weekend, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrested dozens of high profile Saudis, including princes, top businessmen, and former ministers. Framed as a crackdown on corruption, the move represents an impressive display of power by an already powerful leader, and has led some to compare the Saudi Crown Prince to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
 
Nearly simultaneously, the Saudi military intercepted a ballistic missile over Riyadh, which Yemen's Houthi forces claim was aimed at the international airport in Saudi's capital city. These events and the subsequent reactions from key players across the region seem to indicate that the Saudi-Iran rivalry is heating up.
 
Mohammed bin Salman has established himself through a series of bold initiatives – the widely-heralded Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s blueprint for economic and social reform, the controversial Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, and the blockade against Qatar. Whether this latest set of events will be enough to help Saudi Arabia weather the challenges it is facing remains to be seen.

MEMBERS AND PRESS CALL: A Saudi Game of Thrones – Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrests Princes

The Death of ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

As the global community ramps up efforts to counter the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the United States and its allies and partners are taking extraordinary steps to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. As these measures are put into effect, widescale quarantines are disrupting life for millions, the economy is facing its greatest challenge in over a decade, and longstanding geopolitical relationships are in the spotlight. How can the United States and its closest allies work together most effectively to combat this growing crisis? What lessons can we learn from countries at the leading edge of this fight in order to reduce the toll among our citizens and those of our closest friends?
 
Ambassador Armando Varricchio, Ambassador Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, and Barry Pavel unpack these questions and discuss the latest on the ground in Europe and Singapore.

Ambassadors Call: Unity Among Allies in the Fight Against the Coronavirus

When comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power, Ukraine’s potential for much-needed reform suddenly seemed possible—that’s why observers were whiplashed by his decision to fire the country’s government last month. Is Kyiv suddenly stacked with obedient loyalists, or is there still a chance to put Ukraine on the right path?

This podcast episode was hosted and produced by Melinda Haring and Doug Klain. Guests: Anders Åslund, senior fellow, Atlantic Council Eurasia Center; Orysia Lutsevych, research fellow and manager of the Ukraine Forum, Chatham House, London; Ivan Vertsyuk, journalist, Novoe Vremya.

Ukraine's Slippery Slope to Progress

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, autocratic governments are finding the crisis to be a useful pretext for strengthening their rule and tightening their grips.

In Hungary, Prime Minister Victor Orban has received broad new emergency powers with no set end and has used the virus to advance his long-running anti-migrant policies. In Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev has openly threatened to use the crisis to crack down on the political opposition he calls “traitors” and is requiring citizens to text authorities if they plan to leave their homes. In Egypt, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government is severely restricting the flow of open information about the pandemic and detains Egyptians who challenge the government’s line. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has been forced to put a hold on his plans to stay in power until 2036 while trying to get a handle on the increasingly dire spread of coronavirus, in addition to the government’s harassment of doctors speaking out about the seriousness of the pandemic in Russia.

Melinda Haring and Doug Klain call up former US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Dan Baer, National Endowment for Democracy Senior Program Officer for the South Caucasus Elspeth Suthers, Hudson Institute Fellow Sam Tadros, and Moscow Correspondent for The Daily Beast Anna Nemtsova.

Why Strongmen Love the Coronavirus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swept into office on the promise that he would do three things: Make Ukraine rich, slay corruption, and finally bring peace to Ukraine's east by getting Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his forces from the Donbas. A year after his administration began—and an eventful year, at that—how has Zelenskyy done?

This is the beginning of a two-part series looking at Zelenskyy's first year. This episode, John Herbst, former US Ambassador to Ukraine and the director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, and Dr. Hanna Shelest, the director of security studies at the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism give insight into Zelenskyy's foreign policy, diving into questions of Zelenskyy's efforts at peace, allegations of his top advisor's business ties to the Kremlin, and what lies ahead for Kyiv on the world stage.

Zelenskyy's foreign policy: One year in

Clementine Starling BBC Radio interview 01/07/2021

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic Community in meeting global challenges.

Founded in 1961, the Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic shifts in economic and political influence that are shaping the twenty-first century by educating and galvanizing its uniquely influential, nonpartisan network of international political, business, and intellectual leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we promote, and the communities we build, the Council's ten regional centers and functional programs shape today's policy choices and foster transatlantic strategies to advance international security and global economic prosperity.

The Council is home to ten regional centers and functional programs that advance the organization's mission. 

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