Atlantic Council Events

After twenty months of negotiations, a deal has been reached over Iran's nuclear program. While the details of the deal have finally been made public, many questions remain. Atlantic Council Senior Fellows Matthew Kroenig and Barbara Slavin have a discussion on what comes next after the agreement, moderated by Director of the Rafik Hariri Center and former US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone. The call took place on July 15, one day after the agreement took place.

In the following program, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Bilal Saab launches his report, "The New Containment: Changing America's Approach to Middle East Security." Following his presentation, CNN Correspondent Barbara Starr moderates a discussion with Bilal Saab, Dr. Barry Posen, Director of Security Studies at MIT, and Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations about US interests, regional cooperation, state sustainability, and relations with Iran.

What role would the United States' play in the international community if Senator Lindsey Graham was president? Senator Graham speaks about his foreign policy strategy with CNN's Jake Tapper as part of the Brent Scowcroft Center's "America's Role in the World" series.

What new threats does the United States face with missile defense? General James Cartwright, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Barry Pavel, Vice President and Director of the Brent Scowcroft Center at the Atlantic Council, address this question and discuss the role of regional cooperation and potential future technologies in missile defense.

On June 24, the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted a panel discussion on the Pew Research Center’s "2015 US Image and Global Balance of Power" survey. Dr. Richard Wike, Director of Global Attitudes Research for the Pew Research Center, presented the major findings from the survey. Barry Pavel moderated the discussion with James B. Cunningham, Nora Bensahel, and Claire Yorke on next generation perspectives, as well as the opinions of US soft and hard power around the world.

Will the struggles over power and resources on Earth extend off-world? If so, how might they play out? The Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security's Art of Future Warfare project travels into the final decade of the 21st Century to consider conflict in space. Panelists include best-selling science fiction writer David Brin; Jason Batt, editorial director at the 100 Year Starship; Jaym Gates, editor and communications director at the Science Fiction Writers Association; and author of the war-art challenge winning story From A Remove, Alec Medénto.

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? On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, the Atlantic Council and the United States Institute of Peace welcomed H.E. Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, for a public address to answer these questions at the Atlantic Council headquarters in Washington, DC.

Jamie Metzl, Nonresident Senior Fellow for Technology and National Security at the Atlantic Council, speaks about the flaws in the Chinese reform process at the China-US Business Alliance in New York.

Among the issues that are shaping the international agenda of the twenty-first century, the role of trade in securing the future of US leadership in the world is more important than ever. US Secretary of State John F. Kerry delivers a strong pitch for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on April 23, 2015, at the Atlantic Council headquarters.

New regional initiatives support by China, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the New Development Bank ("BRICS Bank") and the Silk Road initiative are showing strong momentum. At the same time, China is facing many economic challenges. Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Zhu Guangyao provides his perspective on China's role in shaping the global economic order and its vision for a more prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

Despite the recent boost from cheaper oil and sustained US growth, global economic recovery is still impeded by high public debt, high unemployment, and insufficient public investment. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, will discuss the state of the global economy and policy actions needed to ensure sustained economic recovery and growth.

How should we assess the global terrorist threats posed by ISIS and al-Qaeda? Should al-Qaeda continue to be a counterterrorism priority for the United States? Are al-Qaeda and ISIS equally dangerous, but in different ways? Listen to this week's episode for a discussion of the potential differences between ISIS and al-Qaeda and how the US government should deal with the threats from both.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, Russia continues to supply weapons, equipment and troops to support separatists in Ukraine’s east. As Ukraine prepares for another assault from Russian-backed separatists, what steps should the United States and NATO take to help Ukraine withstand Russian aggression? General Clark, former NATO Allied Commander, joins us at the Atlantic Council for an exclusive briefing from Ukraine's front lines.

The Atlantic Council and the U.S. Institute of Peace welcomed the President of Afghanistan, His Excellency Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, on the occasion of his first official visit to Washington, DC since being sworn in as President. The public address, with questions and answers from the audience and via Twitter, took place on March 25, 2015, at USIP headquarters in Washington, DC.

Just over 100 years since the outbreak of World War I, where and when might a 21st Century's 'Great Power' war begin? Who will fight, and why? What will be the decisive technologies of a great power war? What will be the role of narrative both before and during such a conflict? In this episode, James Stavridis, Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, Ryan Evans, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of War on the Rocks, Siobhan Gorman, Director of the Brunswick Group, and Nikolas Katsimpras, Adjunct Lecturer at Columbia University, answer these questions.