Atlantic Council blogs

Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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AfricaSource

Jun 6, 2016

Uganda’s Radical Refugee Approach

By Julian Wyss

Earlier this month, Kenya drew international condemnation by announcing the closure of Dadaab refugee complex and the repatriation of its 330,000 mostly Somali residents by November of this year. It’s not the first time Kenya has threatened to close the camp, but the political leadership is likely emboldened by the European Union’s plans to limit […]

East Africa

SyriaSource

Jun 6, 2016

Freedom Award Presented to Syria Civil Defense

By Frederic C. Hof

Frederic Hof delivered the following speech when presenting the Freedom Award to Mr. Raed al-Saleh and Mr. Farouq al-Habib, who accepted the award on behalf of Syria’s White Helmets.

Syria
Flag at NATO headquarters

NATOSource

Jun 4, 2016

NATO Moving to Create New Intelligence Chief Post

By Julian E. Barnes, Wall Street Journal

The Western alliance is moving toward creating a powerful new intelligence post, according to U.S. and European officials

Intelligence NATO

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2016

Atlantic Council Honors Champions of Freedom

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Recipients of the Atlantic Council’s Freedom Awards on June 3 delivered impassioned pleas to safeguard the freedoms they have dedicated their lives to protect. “By criminalizing forms of expression, unintentionally or otherwise, we risk pushing people into the welcoming arms of extremists,” said Nighat Dad, a Pakistani Internet activist and founder of Digital Rights Foundation. “Covering our […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2016

NATO’s Warsaw Summit: ‘Failure is Not an Option’

By Mitch Hulse

NATO’s Warsaw summit in July is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the alliance’s history, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said on June 3 while noting the growing challenges on Europe’s southern and eastern flanks. “We face one of the most challenging security environments in decades,” Vershbow said. “We have […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 2, 2016

Polish Foreign Minister Seeks ‘Substantial’ NATO Buildup on Europe’s Eastern Flank

By Ashish Kumar Sen

NATO should undertake a “substantial” military buildup in Poland and the Baltic States to address the challenge posed by an “aggressive” and “revisionist” Russia, Poland’s Foreign Minister, Witold Waszczykowski, said on June 2. “NATO’s keyword should be deterrence…not as an offensive measure, but rather as the most effective and, in fact, only instrument of peacebuilding,” […]

Eastern Europe NATO

UkraineAlert

Jun 2, 2016

Don’t Celebrate Ukraine’s New Judicial Changes Yet

By Halya Coynash

Ukraine’s parliament has ignored warnings from human rights organizations and the Reanimation Package of Reforms and passed constitutional amendments and a bill on the judicial system which retain the old ways of exerting influence on judges. There was enormous pressure for judicial reform, and many of the changes are needed. The warnings, however, highlight real […]

Ukraine

SyriaSource

Jun 2, 2016

Between the Jurisprudence of Blood and the Management of Savagery: Islamic State Advances Terror Methods

By Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently

Ever since the Hollywood-style execution of US journalist James Foley, the Islamic State (ISIS) continues to surprise those that analyze the group with its criminal propaganda throughout the world. On close scrutiny, the Hollywood-style executions by the Islamic State are not just a way to humiliate and celebrate the pain of its enemies, but are […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Jun 1, 2016

Holding Territory Taken From ISIS in the Manbij Pocket

By Aaron Stein

The United States and its closest partner in the Syrian conflict, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have begun an offensive to take the northern city of Manbij from the Islamic State (ISIS). On May 31 and June 1, the coalition conducted 27 strikes in the area, according to the Coalition’s daily strike update press release. […]

Syria

EconoGraphics

Jun 1, 2016

Not The Time to Falter: Economic Sanctions Against Russia

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis

As the European Union (EU) prepares to unanimously extend its economic sanctions on Russia when they expire on July, it is a good opportunity to take a closer look. After Russia´s illegal annexation of Crimea and interference in Eastern Ukraine, the U.S. and the EU enacted economic sanctions in a coordinated manner, which were followed by other Allies and partners like Canada and Australia.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia