Atlantic Council blogs

Turkey Bombing Kills 97 at Ankara Peace Rally

On Saturday morning, two explosions targeted a Turkish peace rally in Ankara, killing at least 97 people and wounding hundreds more. The rally was organized by workers’ unions and NGOs, and attended by thousands of opposition supporters and Kurdish activists in a call for greater democracy and an end to the violence between the Turkish […]

Top News: Gamal, Alaa Mubarak to be Released From Prison

By EgyptSource

An Egyptian court ordered the release of the sons of deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak on Monday, taking into account time already served on a corruption conviction.

EconSource: UN, World Bank to Launch Refugee and Reconstruction Bonds

By EconSource

International agencies plan to raise billions of dollars to tackle the worsening refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa by issuing new bonds to help displaced people and support reconstruction in the region.

An Iranian’s Advice: Mind Your Own Business

By Frederic C. Hof

President Barack Obama’s take on Syria is that there is the Islamic State (ISIL, ISIS, or Daesh) in the east – an entity that must be degraded and destroyed – and the Assad regime in the west – an entity that should be negotiated out of existence. The United States will bomb ISIL from the […]

Monitoring the Russians in Northern Syria

By Saleem al-Omar

Residents in Latakia and Hama in northern Syria are preparing for Russian air strikes and potential ground attacks. Intensive reconnaissance missions fill the air with the roar of plane engines for hours on end in the rural airspace of Latakia and Hama. Russian forces have already begun bombing opposition positions in Latakia, striking the US-supported […]

ISIS’s Cup is Half Full

By Feras Hanoush

“Ali” is a former Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) fighter. Before joining ISIS, he was a university student known among his friends for his kindness and friendliness. His joining has bewildered his friends, especially since ISIS killed a close relative of his. His uncle said of him, “I was responsible for raising Ali. I know […]

Ukraine’s New Police Are an Expression of a “Civil” State

By Erica Marat

Almost two years after the Euromaidan demonstrations began, most Ukrainians agree that the pace of reforms has been largely disappointing. While many former civil-society activists hold key positions in the government and parliament, corruption continues to plague the country and state institutions cannot provide basic services. Amid the skepticism, one area where there is agreement […]

Snapshots of Ukraine’s Five Hottest Elections

By Brian Mefford

Ukrainians go to the polls on October 25 to elect mayors and city councils. These local elections matter more than one might expect. The likely passage of a constitutional amendment on decentralization by parliament later this year will give the newly elected mayors and councils more autonomy and authority than ever before.

A Bold and Optimistic Strategy for Europe

By Stephen Blank

US President Barack Obama recently derided critics of his foreign policies as offering merely mumbo-jumbo. Yet everyone can plainly see the administration’s shocking degree of across-the-board strategic incomprehension and incompetence in Europe and the Middle East. In fact, European Union diplomats publicly admit that confidence in US policies is plummeting throughout Europe. Therefore, I offer […]

Secretary General: NATO Needs ‘Strong Forces’ to Prevent War

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

NATO’s deterrence is significant and it is real. If Turkey needs NATO’s help, NATO will be there.