Atlantic Council blogs

Secretary general: NATO ready to begin new support mission in Afghanistan

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

NATO and our partners have stood with Afghanistan for more than a decade. The ISAF mission brought together 50 nations – the largest coalition in recent history.

Ukraine’s Need for Fast Reform Means Government Has No Time for Infighting

By Sabine Freizer

Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk Must Cut Short Their Recent Signs of Rivalry As Ukraine’s new leading political parties renew their talks today, they can waste no time in forming the government that now must grapple with a financial emergency, economic crisis, and war in the east. They must avoid acrimony or drawn-out negotiations, yet some signs […]

Portugal Escorts Russian Ship From Its Waters

By AFP and BBC

From AFP:  The Portugese Navy escorted a Russian oceanographic ship out of its waters Wednesday in response to the latest in a series of territorial incursions by a Russian vessel or plane.

ISIS and Egypt’s Militants

News sources recently announced that Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM), Egypt’s most active and seemingly best organized terrorist organization that has conducted several successful attacks on state security assets, had formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Top News: Egypt Considers Media Gag on Military News; Four Killed in Nile Delta Blast

By EgyptSource

The State Council’s legislative department received Wednesday a draft law submitted by the Cabinet that would ban news relating to Egypt’s armed forces. 

EconSource: Libya Infighting Shuts Down Major Oil Field

By EconSource

Libyan oil production is expected to fall to 200,000 barrels/day from 800,000 barrels/day following an attack on an oil field. The country’s major oilfield, El Sharara, had to be shut down after militants attacked and seized the field.

Mr. Putin Resumes His Chipping Away at Ukraine

By Editorial Board, Washington Post

It’s not hard to guess what Mr. Putin has in mind. As it stands, the Donetsk-Luhansk ministates are not easily sustained; they lack a port, power supplies and access to the region’s principal airport.

Poland To Buy Armed Drones Amid Ukraine Crisis

By AFP

NATO member Poland said Tuesday it will acquire combat drones as part of a multi-billion-euro revamp of its armed forces amid heightened tensions with Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.

The Islamic State and the Internationalization of the Sinai Conflict

By Zack Gold

The Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) is one of the most active “unaffiliated” jihadi groups, having yet to pledge fealty to either the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) or al-Qaeda (AQ). Given its strategic position between Egypt’s Nile Valley and Israel, and its attacks against both, the group’s activities receive major international coverage—even […]

Top News: UN Reviews Egypt’s Human Rights Record

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s human rights record came under fire on Wednesday during a United Nations meeting reviewing the country’s record for the first time since the 2011 ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.