Atlantic Council blogs

The Brotherhood and Army Clash Over Property Ownership

By Ahmed Naje

Muhammad Ali Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt, as the textbooks say, took possession of all the land of Egypt for himself and his heirs. Ownership of this land, both agricultural and residential, was thus passed to his descendants and the feudal lords with whom they associated. In this way, large tracts of land in […]

Top News: Public Lynchings Indicate ‘Death of the State’: Egypt Justice Minister

By Egypt Source

Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki on Sunday slammed the public lynching of two men accused of theft in Egypt’s Gharbiya governorate, describing the incident as a sign of "the death of the state." GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION Public lynchings indicate ‘death of the state’: Egypt justice minister Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki on Sunday slammed the public lynching […]

NATO Chief: ‘Europeans will see no difference in their missile defense’

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

German official seeks to ban large exercises by US Army after damage

By Steven Beardsley and Marcus Kloeckner, Stars and Stripes

From Steven Beardsley and Marcus Kloeckner, Stars and Stripes:  One of U.S. Army Europe’s largest maneuver exercises since the end of the Cold War caused extensive damage to fields, fences and bridges, according to local officials who are awaiting compensation and lobbying for a ban on future exercises conducted outside designated training areas.

U.S. cancels part of missile defense that Russia opposed

By David M. Herszenhorn and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times

From David M. Herszenhorn and Michael R. Gordon, New York Times:  The United States has effectively canceled the final phase of a Europe-based missile defense system that was fiercely opposed by Russia and cited repeatedly by the Kremlin as a major obstacle to cooperation on nuclear arms reductions and other issues.

This Week in Egypt – March 15, 2013

By Nancy Messieh

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more. Quote of the Week "People cannot eat Sharia" – Mohamed ElBaradei Egypt in the News Monday Presidential source: Morsi to call for new national dialogue Islamist political parties form electoral alliance Public prosecution highlights citizens arrest law […]

U.S. puts phase IV of NATO missile defense system on hold

By Chuck Hagel, Department of Defense

From Chuck Hagel, Department of Defense:  [W]e are restructuring the SM-3 IIB program.  As many of you know, we had planned to deploy the SM-3 IIB as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach.

Student Union Elections and the Brotherhood’s Electoral Mechanism

By Fady Salah

Throughout its history, student activism played a crucial role in Egypt’s political and social scene. Starting with their struggle against the British occupation of Egypt in the early decades of the 20th century, to the opposition of leftist student bloc to the capitalist policies of former president Anwar al-Sadat in the 1970s, all the way […]

U.S. beefing up West Coast missile defenses in response to threat from North Korea

By Anne Gearan, Washington Post

From Anne Gearan, Washington Post:  The Pentagon is beefing up West Coast missile defenses in response to escalating threats of attack from nuclear-equipped North Korea, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Friday.