Antarctica: Joint U.S.-Russian Antarctic Treaty Inspection Team

Posted by Darin Liston / March 09, 2012

In January, I was privileged to be a part of the team for a joint U.S.-Russian Antarctic Treaty inspection in Antarctica. The Russians had four members on the team: two lawyers, a scientist and an environmental expert, while the United States also had four members on the team. I was the only one with military experience. At its inception, the Antarctic Treaty was, in part, an arms control treaty. In fact, it was the first multilateral arms control treaty that allowed unannounced on-site inspections. It has been a resounding success in that regard, so the main focus of the Treaty now relates to science. This was also… more »

Posted under: Europe & Eurasia

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The State of Transatlantic Relations

Posted by Philip H. Gordon / February 14, 2012

Flags of NATO members states seen in front of NATO headquarters, Brussels, June 11, 2009. [AP File]

In early January, I had the opportunity to engage with European policy-makers and analysts in Brussels, Vilnius, and Copenhagen. Given President Obama's announcement of the new defense strategy guidelines on January 5, my visit provided an opportune moment to share U.S. perspectives on the state of the transatlantic alliance as well as policy objectives for the coming year. My central message was clear: three years into the Obama Administration, the strategic alignment between the United States and Europe has never been greater. This theme… more »

Posted under: Europe & Eurasia

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