Atlantic Review

Many organizations give awards to prominent people, who have already received dozens in the past. Sometimes it seems the purpose is not to honor the recipient of the award, but to use his or her fame to shine a light on the organization that is bestowing the award. Many also combine the awards ceremony with a fundraising dinner.

Not so the German Fulbright Alumni Association, which awarded the Mulert Award on Mutual Understanding 2015 to this blog. I will keep you post regarding the project that I will implement. 

Continue reading "Atlantic Review Receives the Fulbright Association's Mulert Award"

This blog has not been prolific in recent months, but I am glad that my past articles stand the test of time:

1. When Russia's green men seized Crimea in February 2014, US and German politicians and pundits suggested different responses. I explained the reasons for these transatlantic differences: Misreading Ostpolitik and the Cuban Missile Crisis Screwed up German and US Foreign Policy

This article from March 2014 is still relevant and will most likely explain gut reactions to future crises as well. The current German and US governments cannot ignore their pundits and public opinions, but so far Merkel's and Obama's Russia policy has not been too much negatively influenced by the popular, but shallow and wrong reading of past US or German policy successes. The EU and the US have been balancing sanctions and diplomacy quite well. They have successfully maintained transatlantic unity, which is more important than higher sanctions or more diplomacy.

Continue reading "Standing the Test of Time"

Ahead of Chancellor Merkel's US trip I had the pleasure to be on the TV talkshow "Agenda" at Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster.
I answered questions on Merkel's agenda, the NSA scandal, TTIP, and whether Germany is firmly in the West (at 34:55 min). I also participated in the discussion on Ukraine (3:37, 13:45 min) with Roman Goncharenko, DW Eastern Europe Correspondent, and moderated by Brent Goff. I conceded to panelist Fraya Frehse from Sao Paulo University that Brazil will win the World Cup.

Continue reading "Discussing Transatlantic Relations on Deutsche Welle TV"

The Atlantic Review stands for analysis and commentary on transatlantic issues from security and economics to pop culture and Fulbright.

To achieve this, the website is designed to be used by everybody with an interest in transatlantic relations, and acts as a source for timely news updates, commentary, and the opportunity for people around the world to discuss pressing transatlantic issues. We select, summarize and comment on articles, analyses and reports from a large number of credible sources (newspapers, magazines, and internet media) from across the political spectrum, trying to lay the ground for deeper understanding on both sides of the Atlantic.

We believe that our critical, but fair and multifaceted news coverage can advance a meaningful transatlantic partnership and mutual understanding in the spirit of the Fulbright Program. We strive to confront anti-American sentiments in Europe and Anti-European sentiments in the US as well as ignorance on both sides.

We are convinced that there is value in a strong transatlantic relationship, but we recognize there are real problems that need to be addressed if the relationship is to succeed.  We do not gloss over these problems, but instead provide critical, candid, and balanced perspectives on the status of transatlantic relations.

Popular topics of our blog posts include: Afghanistan, Anti-Americanism, NATO, Iran, Iraq, Terrorism, European Union. Click here for a full list of the issues we cover.

Jörg Wolf founded Atlantic Review in July 2003. Joerg Wolf works as project manager and Editor-in-Chief of the Atlantic Community, the open think tank on global issues, published by the Atlantic Initiative e.V. in Berlin. Joerg studied political science at the Free University of Berlin and worked as a research associate for the International Risk Policy project at the Free University's Center for Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy. He has been a Fulbright Fellow at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Washington DC and has worked for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Cairo and in Berlin.

Christian E. Rieck joined Atlantic Review in April 2015. He is presently an Analyst at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin, with an emphasis on German foreign and development policy. More generally, his research interests lie in the international relations of Regional Powers, regional power dynamics and their role in regional integration mechanisms. Prior work experience at the Global Governance Institute in Brussels, at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, and as a Carlo Schmid Fellow at the United Nations’ CEPAL in Mexico City. A Latin Americanist with studies in Bayreuth, Seville, Berlin and Oxford, Christian now also teaches contemporary history and international relations at Humboldt-University Berlin and Free University Brussels.

Opinions we express in this blog are our own and do not reflect those of our employers and partners.

Jörg Wolf and Christian Rieck appreciate feedback, suggestions for topics to write about, and reading recommendations from our readers. You may also submit a guest post on transatlantic politics or economics.

We also respond to requests for interviews, republication of our articles, and request to write for you, and other collaboration enquiries.

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Impressum, Haftungsausschluss, Datenschutzerklärung, Disclaimer

Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster, interviewed me about John Brennan and his nomination for CIA Director. The article is available in various languages, including Arabic, Turkish, German, Albanian and Chinese, because my opinion about the CIA is so super important that folks need to read it in their mother tongue. ;-) Not In English though.

My argument was in a nutshell that Brennan is a good choice for CIA Director because he worked for the agency in the operative and analytical divisions, has Middle East expertise, and is close to Obama. Better than a politician or a general.

Continue reading "Interview about Obama's Nomination of John Brennan"

I was part of a group of 59 politicians, scholars, and other observers invited to take part in the Atlantic Council and Foreign Policy Magazine's survey on the future of NATO. It was an honor to participate in this survey and a good opportunity for reflection as well as to think about some big questions.

In addition to 28 multiple choice questions, we were asked to complete four sentences and I believe there is a common theme in my answers:

NATO today is... the best "insurance policy" we have to remain free and secure, when (not if) we are once again surprised by a new threat.

NATO's biggest mistake in the past 10 years has been... giving up the light footprint policy in Afghanistan in 2003. We have since expended huge investment in the country out of proportion to our achieved objectives or the level of threat that Afghanistan poses.

NATO's mission in Afghanistan is... an important reminder of our limited capabilities for state and nation-building as well as for big expeditionary out-of-area missions.

The biggest problem with NATO today is... the constant pressure from many politicians and pundits to prove its relevance beyond the Article 5 guarantee.

Continue reading "Accepting Our Limits Makes for a Stronger Alliance"

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Thank you for reading Atlantic Review

Happy New Year!

Dear readers, here's your chance to influence this blog's focus in 2010: What international security and economic issues do you consider most important for North America and Europe this year? What should we focus on? Please brainstorm and discuss in the comments section.

And also please let us know what topics you are tired of. What should we write less about.

Thank you! All the best for the new decade!