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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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MENASource

Oct 9, 2015

Top News: UN Proposes National Unity Government for Libya

By MENASource

After months of protracted negotiations, the United Nations proposed a national unity government to Libya on Thursday, but any deal must pass a vote in both the House of Representatives (HOR) and General National Congress (GNC) parliaments to succeed.

New Atlanticist

Oct 9, 2015

For Libya, ‘the First Step in a Long Journey’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The Atlantic Council’s Karim Mezran discusses a UN plan for a national unity government in Libya The announcement by the United Nations’ envoy for Libya of a national unity government after months of talks is just the “first step in a long journey” for the North African nation plagued by chaos since the ouster of […]

Libya

MENASource

Oct 9, 2015

The Libyan Agreement: The First Step in a Long Journey

By Karim Mezran

Habemus Papam. With these words, the Cardinal in charge announces the conclusion of the long voting process that leads to the election of a new Pope, relieving the anxiety and meeting the expectations of the faithful. With the same trepidation and enthusiasm, the UN Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon announced the evening of October […]

Libya

MENASource

Oct 9, 2015

EconSource: World Bank Increases Middle East Program to $3.7 Billion

By EconSource

The World Bank has increased funding for its Middle East program to $3.7 billion in 2016/17 from $3.5 billion in 2015/16 and mobilized extensive resources to support countries neighboring Syria, according to Bank President Jim Yong Kim on Thursday.

MENASource

Oct 9, 2015

Top News: Lawyer Files Appeal for Imprisoned ‘Marriott Cell’ Defendants

By EgyptSource

Shaaban al-Said, one of the defense lawyers in the Al Jazeera trial, filed an appeal in the Court of Cassation for the release of the defendants who have not been pardoned by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

MENASource

Oct 8, 2015

The Incirlik Expansion and the US-Turkish Strategy to Fight ISIS

By Aaron Stein

After nine months of negotiations, the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to open Turkish airbases for strike missions against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in late July 2015. Since then, the United States has stationed six F-16s at Incirlik and search and rescue aircraft at Diyarbakir airbase.

Syria Turkey
Soldier in the French Foreign Legion , Oct. 4, 2010

NATOSource

Oct 8, 2015

Letter from Strasbourg (Part Three): A French Defense Update

By Leo Michel

Insights from the 13th annual “summer defense college,” in Strasbourg.

France NATO
Soldiers Disembarking from a Chinook Helicopter, Feb. 12, 2013

NATOSource

Oct 8, 2015

British Troops to Bolster Baltic Buffer Against Russia

By Financial Times and Guardian

From Sam Jones, Financial Times:  Britain is to join Germany and the US in committing to long-term troop deployments in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression and shore up Nato’s eastern borders.

Germany NATO

New Atlanticist

Oct 8, 2015

A Three-Pronged Strategy to Deal with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s James L. Jones, Jr. recommends a toolkit that includes economic, political, and security components The United States must develop a three-pronged approach that includes economic, political, and security components to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “retrograde ambitions in favor of the peaceful and progressive order the transatlantic community and the world had envisioned […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

MENASource

Oct 8, 2015

Top News: US Senate Democrats Hold Up Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

By MENASource

A US Senate panel voted Wednesday to delay weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over concerns regarding the kingdom’s ongoing air war in Yemen. Congress was notified on August 19 of the Obama administration’s intent to provide Riyadh with thousands of precision-guided munitions.