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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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Portuguese F-16s of Squadron 201

NATOSource

Oct 22, 2014

Russian Spy Plane Violates NATO Air Space

By Sam Jones and Richard Milne, Financial Times

A Russian maritime spy plane flew into Estonian territory on Tuesday in the most serious violation of Nato airspace by Moscow since the end of the cold war.

NATO Northern Europe

MENASource

Oct 22, 2014

Syria’s Role in the Battle Against ISIS

By Frederic C. Hof

For over three years the Obama administration viewed the struggle for Syria as something well worth avoiding. Even as Assad-regime atrocities piled the bodies high and drove millions from their homes—enabling an aggressively murderous caliphate to arise in the east while Iran, Hezbollah, and their Syrian client solidified a grip on the west—the administration focused […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Oct 22, 2014

Turkey Moves Toward Helping Syria’s Kurds—and Calming Its Own

By Sabine Freizer

Ankara’s Handling of Syrian War Has Revived Its Own Kurdish Conflict Turkey’s promise Monday to let Iraqi Kurdish guerrillas cross its border to defend the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani against the Islamist army of ISIS provides a rare sign of hope for saving Turkey’s moribund peace process with its own Kurds. Turkey’s refusal until […]

Syria Turkey

MENASource

Oct 22, 2014

Top News: US Officials Float Plans for Active Troop Activity in Iraq, as Conflict in Anbar Escalates

By MENASource

US officials on Tuesday announced that any requests for additional military advisors in Iraq would considered. The move signals a dramatic departure from President Obama’s stance on keeping ground troops out of Iraq and paves way for an increase to the 1,400 military advisers and diplomatic security personnel currently deployed inside the country.

Trade in Action

Oct 22, 2014

News on TTIP | October 14

By Global Business & Economics Program

This Trade Deal with America would have Churchill BeamingThis blunt opinion piece by London Mayor Boris Johnson in the Telegraph is excellently written and incredibly entertaining. Johnson describes TTIP as a “Churchillian project,” in that it fosters not only British- American but also transatlantic links. To him, objections to TTIP, as illustrated by recent demonstrations, […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

MENASource

Oct 22, 2014

EconSource: Egypt Will Fix the Economy but do not Expect Miracles

By EconSource

Egypt’s Prime Minister urged the Egyptians not to expect instant results from the large-scale infrastructure projects the government has started in order to create jobs and strengthen the economy. The Minister has been facing the arduous task to repair the country’s finances, which had suffered from political upheaval, street protests and militant violence.

Canadian CF-18, August 20, 2012

NATOSource

Oct 22, 2014

NATO Jets Intercept Russian Fighters Twice in Two Days Over Baltic

By Matti Huuhtanen, AP

NATO scrambled fighter jets – including two Canadian F-18s – twice in two days to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, it said Tuesday amid reports that Russian military activity in the region is increasing.

NATO Northern Europe

MENASource

Oct 22, 2014

Libya: The Lesser of Two Evils

By Mohamed Eljarh

Benghazi has seen scores dead and many more injured during the third week of October in armed confrontations. Since October 15, the city has witnessed air strikes by air force jets loyal to retired General Khalifa Haftar, suicide bombings by Ansar al-Sharia against youth neighborhood night watch teams, and street fights between armed residents and […]

Libya

MENASource

Oct 21, 2014

Prospects for Judicial Reform in Egypt

By Yussef Auf

Of Egypt’s many state institutions, the judiciary has had a significant effect on—and was most affected by—the Egyptian revolution. Over the last three years, the Egyptian judiciary’s rulings and decisions has played an influential role in Egypt’s trajectory, prompting some to say that it was driving the transition. At the same time, the judiciary has […]

North Africa
Official handover ceremony at Kandahar Airfield

NATOSource

Oct 21, 2014

NATO hands-over Kandahar airfield

By Royal Air Force

After eight years of running Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, NATO has formally handed over control to the United States at an end of mission ceremony.

Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force