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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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SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

Russia’s Announced Withdrawal from Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Moscow’s announcement that the “main part” of its combat contingent will withdraw from Syria is interesting and potentially positive. Yet it must be treated with caution. What will be withdrawn? When? What will be left behind? What capabilities will reside in that which remains in Syria? Until these basic questions are answered the announcement, in […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

Mar 15, 2016

The World According to Sergei Lavrov (and Putin)

By Alexei Sobchenko

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently blamed Vladimir Lenin for planting ideas that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was a telling statement in view of the upcoming centennial anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which had an enormous impact on world history. We still don’t know how the Kremlin will commemorate this […]

Russia

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Hamdeen Sabbahi’s Political Initiative Finds Little Support

By Khaled Dawoud

Former presidential candidate, Hamdeen Sabbahi, came under significant criticism with the launch of an initiative aimed at a unified political force. He described it as an alternative to the policies of the current regime and to those of the Muslim Brotherhood.

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Mapping “The Kurds”: An Interactive Chart

By Alev Erhan and Aaron Stein

Ethnic Kurds in Iraq and Syria are on the front-lines against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). They receive US training and weapons and work closely with the US-led military coalition. However, the two main groups receiving US assistance—the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD)—are different entities with competing political visions […]

SyriaSource

Mar 15, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: How Our Journey Began

By Ayman Jalwan

This series is from interviews with the lawyer Ayman Jalwan. It highlights the difficult choice that Syrians face—dying in the war zone that Syria had become, or fleeing the land they love. Last year, Ayman Jalwan and his wife said goodbye to their families and joined the wave of citizens leaving the country. First they […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 14, 2016

What to do About Afghanistan?

By James B. Cunningham

Amid concerning reports of security and political struggles that threaten to unravel the progress made thus far in Afghanistan, the question arises: what is to be done?   The answer, at once simple and difficult, is to help the Afghans prevail. We, Americans, our international partners in Afghanistan, and the Afghans themselves have too much […]

Afghanistan

SyriaSource

Mar 14, 2016

Top News: March 14, 2016

By SyriaSource

– UN Syria Envoy says Plan B in talks is a ‘return to war’ – ISIS commander Shishani clinically dead– Nusra Front attacks US-backed Syrian rebels– Syria aid deliveries from Red Cross postponed over violence– SAMS reports 161 chemical weapons attacks in Syria’s war– Russian FM Sergei Lavrov says evidence Turkish troops in Syria– Deadly explosion in the heart of Turkey’s capital

Syria

MENASource

Mar 14, 2016

Top News: Deadly explosion in the heart of Turkey’s capital

By MENASource

A car filled with explosives blew up in a public square in the heart of Ankara, the Turkish capital, on Sunday evening in the latest of a string of terrorist attacks that have destabilized the country. At least 34 people were killed and 125 wounded in the attack, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said, although recent […]

MENASource

Mar 14, 2016

Top News: Egypt’s Parliament Rejects EU Parliament’s ‘Interference’ in Domestic Affairs

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s parliament has rejected all interference in its work and the country’s domestic affairs in response to a resolution from the European Union (EU) parliament on Thursday that criticized Egypt’s human rights record. The House of Representatives issued a statement on Friday after the EU parliament’s resolution, which was overwhelmingly passed on Thursday, over the […]

EconoGraphics

Mar 14, 2016

A Tale of Two QE’s

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

On March 10, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an expansion of its Quantitative Easing Program (QE), increasing the amount of government bonds it buys monthly from €60 billion to €80 billion. It also extended the range of assets it purchases to include investment grade non-bank corporate bonds. On top of that, the ECB lowered already negative deposit interest rates further down, to -0.4%, and its main interest rate to 0%. So, why have Central Banks embraced QE?

Economy & Business European Union