Atlantic Council blogs

The Splintering of Al Shabaab

By Bronwyn Bruton & Peter Pham

For the better part of five years, much of Somalia’s long-suffering population has been caught in a deadly stalemate between al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group, and African Union peacekeepers, known as AMISOM. The peacekeepers are tasked with defending the country’s weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which, despite years of backing from regional powers […]

Why Obama Is Right to Withdraw From Afghanistan Early

By James Joyner, the Atlantic

From James Joyner, the Atlantic:  The Obama administration’s acceleration of its Afghanistan withdrawal deadline to 2013, a year earlier than planned, is a break with America’s commitment to its NATO and Afghan allies

NATO to consolidate air command operations at Ramstein

By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes

From John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes:  As part of a plan to consolidate its air command headquarters, NATO officials have decided to make Ramstein Air Base the hub for alliance missions that range from NATO’s air police operations to a growing missile defense program

U.S., NATO seek to clarify Panetta comments on ending Afghan mission

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  U.S. and NATO officials struggled Thursday to clarify how long their troops would remain engaged in combat in Afghanistan, a day after Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said U.S. forces would shift toward a training and advisory role next year.

2013 ambiguity turns meeting of NATO defense ministers into ‘day of confusion’

By Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times

From Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times:  The top NATO official said Thursday that NATO forces in Afghanistan would move gradually from a combat to support role by 2014, but that combat would continue during that period and that NATO remained committed to the principle of “in together, out together.” The statement by Anders Fogh […]

The Politics of a Deadly Soccer Riot

By Tarek Radwan

Yesterday’s match between Port Said’s Al-Masry soccer team and its Cairene rival Al-Ahly mutated into a brutal scene that claimed the lives of 74 Egyptians and wounded scores more, according to the Ministry of Health. Many questions surround the factors that provoked the worst outbreak of soccer violence in Egypt’s history and across the spectrum […]

NATO missile shield to be based in Germany: diplomat

By Deutsche Welle

‘Panetta may have triggered an unseemly rush for the exit’ from Afghanistan

By Clausewitz, the Economist

From Clausewitz, the Economist:  The secret NATO report on the Taliban leaked to the BBC is full of fascinating stuff, but it mostly confirms what was already known rather than shedding new light on the conflict in Afghanistan. The report, called “The State of the Taliban” and based on interrogations with more than 4,000 Taliban […]

Shura Council Elections See Low Turnout and Voter Apathy

By Salem Mostafa Kamel

The High Electoral Commission (HEC) has announced the final results for the first round of Egypt’s Shura Council (upper house) elections. As expected, Islamist parties swept the elections: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Salafi Nour Party and independent candidates came ahead in all governorates except in Cairo where two female candidates […]

Top News: 74 Killed in Deadly Soccer Riot

By Mara Revkin

Senior officials in Port Said and the Egyptian football association have been sacked in the wake of riots on February 1 at a football match that killed 74 people. The governor of Port Said resigned, while the city’s director of security and head of investigations were suspended and are now in custody.  DEADLY SOCCER RIOT: […]