Atlantic Council blogs

Turkey Defends China Anti-Missile System Talks

By AFP

Turkey on Wednesday defended its decision to enter talks with China to acquire its first long-range anti-missile system, in spite of protests from its ally Washington.

Iranian Cyber Warfare Commander Shot Dead in Suspected Assassination

By Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat, Telegraph

Mojtaba Ahmadi, who served as commander of the Cyber War Headquarters, was found dead in a wooded area near the town of Karaj, north-west of the capital, Tehran.

For China, Turkey Missile Deal a Victory even if it Doesn’t Happen

By David Lague, Reuters

Turkey’s $4 billion order for a Chinese missile defense system is a breakthrough for China in its bid to become a supplier of advanced weapons

Lithuania Warns Russia It Might Block Access to Kaliningrad

By Reuters and RT

From Luke Baker and Justyna Pawlak, Reuters:  Lithuania could block Russia’s road and rail access to its enclave of Kaliningrad if Moscow keeps pressuring its neighbors over their ties to the European Union

NATO Envoy: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Deserves More International Attention

By Sara Rajabova, AzerNews

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict deserves much more international attention, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai, said on his Facebook page.

Weighing Russia’s Syria Success

By Rajan Menon

Those who have bemoaned the acrimonious exchanges between the United States and Russia, watched with dismay as President Obama’s “reset” with Moscow (more of a marketing moniker than substantive policy) unraveled, and tried valiantly to insist that Russia remains a great power and ought to be respected and embraced by Washington as a partner have had their […]

An Eye on Egypt’s Amended Constitution: Military Articles

Continuing EgyptSource’s constitutional coverage, in this installment we look at the articles relating to the military, namely the debate over military trials in the constitution, the appointment of the minister of defense, and the armed forces’ budget. Keep up with all of EgyptSource’s constitution roundups  here.

NATO Secretary General Objects to Russia Building Fences ‘Within Georgia’

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

I note with concern the Russian Federation’s continued activity in erecting fences and other obstacles along administrative boundary lines within Georgia.

Rummy’s Reclama – Fixing a Broken Process

By Harlan Ullman

Donald Rumsfeld is on tour touting his newest book: Rumsfeld’s Rules, a compilation of lessons accumulated over fifty years of public service. Rumsfeld has the distinction of being both America’s youngest and oldest secretary of defense, presiding over three wars—winding down Vietnam and during the past decade, overseeing the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. But […]