1/ In a striking moment from @AJEnglish's "Business of War" series an @AtlanticCouncil fellow is left momentarily speechless when confronted with a straightforward question about the think tank's funding from arms dealers.
The clip captures the interviewer pressing: "How can you unravel from the interests of weapons companies when there's money coming in from them? So I'm just trying to understand what reasoning is behind that."
The fellow pauses awkwardly for what feels like an eternity—about 10-15 seconds of on-screen silence—before stammering a response: "I think you're right, it's something a lot of people have commented on, the relationship between the interests, and we see this often. But I would say that if you are interested in learning more about The Atlantic Council's Intellectual Independence Policy, I can connect you with people at my organization who can talk to you about that."
As the Al Jazeera series explores, weapons companies aren't just profiting from conventional wars—they're actively pushing policies that escalate global tensions, including a renewed nuclear arms race.
2/ First, context on the Atlantic Council: Founded in 1961, it's a prominent nonpartisan think tank focused on transatlantic relations, NATO, defense policy, and global security. It hosts events, publishes reports, and influences policymakers through its fellows and networks. On paper, it's independent.
According to the Atlantic Council's own annual "Honor Rolls" (public donor lists from 2023 and 2024), it receives contributions from a who's who of defense contractors. These aren't small sums—they range from tens to hundreds of thousands per year per company.
The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft—a restraint-focused think tank detailed in a July 2025 report how the Atlantic Council received at least $10.2 million from Pentagon contractors between 2019 and 2023. That's an average of about $2.04 million annually from defense firms alone.
Northrop Grumman led with $5.6 million, followed by Lockheed Martin at $2.6 million, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at $2.1 million. These figures come from aggregating donor ranges, as the Council reports in brackets (e.g., $100,000–$249,999) rather than exact amounts.
But why focus on this?
The Al Jazeera clip is part of a broader investigation into how arms giants like Lockheed and Northrop are modernizing nuclear arsenals—think Trident missiles, Minuteman III ICBMs, and B-21 bombers—while lobbying for policies that justify endless upgrades.
The Al Jazeera clip is part of a broader investigation into how arms giants like Lockheed and Northrop are modernizing nuclear arsenals—think Trident missiles, Minuteman III ICBMs, and B-21 bombers—while lobbying for policies that justify endless upgrades.
Cumulatively, from 2020 to 2024, the Quincy Institute reports at least $10.2 million from Pentagon contractors alone, averaging about $2.04 million annually, which represents roughly 3-4% of the Council's overall budget.
Indirect ties also exist through Israeli-linked weapons manufacturers, such as Elbit Systems of America (a subsidiary of the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems), which donated $25,000–$49,999 in 2023
Indirect ties also exist through Israeli-linked weapons manufacturers, such as Elbit Systems of America (a subsidiary of the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems), which donated $25,000–$49,999 in 2023
Respect to @HindHassanNews for this moment that reveals so much with such few words.
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