Atlantic Council blogs

Dispatch from the Polls: By Sabah Hamamou

By Sabah Hamamou

November 28, 2011 will go down in history as that day that Egyptians went out to vote in the first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Mubarak regime. Watching the elections unfold on screens – whether computer, television or digital camera – you can see some differences from past elections, but at the same […]

Russian aircraft carrier may not reach Syria until 2012

By Andy Young, Siberian Light

From Andy Young, Siberian Light:  The Russian Navy has confirmed that its aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will visit the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has its only Mediterranean naval base.

Russia sending aircraft carrier to its base in Syria

By Thomas Grove, Reuters

New Poll Shows Frustration with Continued Protests

By Mara Revkin

A new Gallup poll reveals that most Egyptians are not enthusiastic about the recent resurgence of anti-government demonstrations, even though they may share protesters’ frustrations with the slow pace of political change. In September, 84 percent of Egyptians said continued protests were a bad thing for the country. However, Egyptians still express strong support for […]

Russia’s NATO envoy to visit China, Iran over missile defense

By RIA Novosti

Election Day One: Vignettes from Port Said

By Michele Dunne

The first day of parliamentary elections dawned cool and rainy, but warmed up by 8 am, bringing out Egyptian voters whose sunny mood matched the mild Mediterranean weather and the cartloads of neon-bright oranges and guava that festooned the streets of Port Said on November 28.

From Revolution to Parliament: A View from the Campaign Trail

By Dalia Ziada

While the protest in Tahrir Square enters its eleventh day with the aim of bringing about an end to military rule, thousands of Egyptians are engaged in a parallel democratic exercise: voting in Egypt’s first post-revolutionary elections. Today, Egypt is writing an important line in its history, as the Egyptian people proudly decide their own […]

2 NATO peacekeepers wounded in Kosovo

By Zvezdan Djukanovic, the AP

From Zvezdan Djukanovic, the AP:  A German NATO officer and a soldier were shot and wounded in a clash with Serb protesters in northern Kosovo on Monday after the military alliance’s troops used heavy machinery to remove trucks and buses blocking a main road in the tense region, an official said.