Atlantic Council blogs

EUCOM commander says withdrawing 11,500 troops from Europe is a ‘manageable’ risk

By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes:  While reducing the U.S. troop presence in Europe will mean assuming some additional risks, new measures such as a decision to deploy V-22s to Europe will help the military maintain its ability to respond quickly to a crisis in the region, the head of U.S. European Command told a […]

A Historical Parallel on the Possible but Unwanted War With Iran

By Ioan Mircea Pascu

In the 1980s, the academic world witnessed the appearance of a relatively sudden interest in the beginnings of the First World War. In essence, the great majority of studies devoted to the subject concentrated themselves on the “mechanics” of its initiation. Indeed, due to those “mechanics” – a combination of mobilizations and war declarations – […]

Putin Has Already Won. What Will He Do Now?

By Dean Jackson

Vladimir Putin has already won next week’s presidential election. He is the only viable candidate in a field of Kremlin approved have-beens and sell-outs; considerable administrative resources have been marshaled to secure his first-round victory; and he retains popularity measurably greater than that of his affiliated party. His actions following this long-expected victory will signal […]

Top News: Parliament Approves Presidential Elections Amendments

By Mara Revkin

On to Chicago: Enter the European Union

By Sven Biscop, the New Atlanticist

From Sven Biscop, the New Atlanticist:  At the NATO Summit in Chicago a first assessment of the Alliance’s Smart Defense initiative is expected.

Islamists Anxious over Constitutional Challenge to Election Results

By Salem Mostafa Kamel

The People’s Assembly or the “Revolutionary Council” as Egypt’s newly elected parliamentarians call themselves may be at risk of being dissolved as quickly as it was formed. In the weeks following the sweeping victory by Islamists – led by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi Nour Party, which together hold around […]

Ending the NGO Crisis: Can a Face-Saving Exit Strategy be Found?

By Denis Sullivan

Egyptian-US relations have been low before, but the current quarrel has taken on the absurdity of a grotesque political soap opera, not only to Americans but to many Egyptians as well.  Although this bilateral blowout is looking increasingly unfathomable, the significance of the current crisis over the trial of American NGO workers cannot be underestimated, […]