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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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MENASource

Feb 5, 2014

Top News: Regime Hits Mosque With Barrel Bomb; Refugees, Fleeing Bombs, Stuck At Turkish Border

By MENASource

Men pull a girl from the rubble and haul her onto a dirty sheet of plastic, while another child, coated in white dust save for a red streak of blood from his nose, lies with his crushed leg dangling off a gurney—the grisly aftermath from the dropping of a crude “barrel bomb” by Syrian forces […]

EUFOR mission in Chad

NATOSource

Feb 5, 2014

The EU at War: CAR Mission Highlights Internal Tensions

By Maxime H.A. Larivé, National Interest

Four elements need to be reflected upon concerning the CSDP and CAR. First, despite the rapid European reactions to create a military mission, approved by the UN Security Council on January 29 of this year, the EU failed to use the EU Battlegroup concept

European Union France

Trade in Action

Feb 5, 2014

Toward a Transatlantic Energy Alliance?

By David Koranyi and Jesper Packert Pedersen

Liberalization of Energy Trade in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations over a transatlantic free trade agreement have kicked into gear as US and EU negotiators met for the third time in December and began in earnest to flesh out the details of what has recently been referred to as “an economic NATO”: a reinforced partnership […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

MENASource

Feb 5, 2014

Top News: Morsi ‘Presidential Palace’ Trial Adjourned to March 1

By EgyptSource

During its fifth hearing, the trial of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and fourteen co-defendants has been adjourned until March 1. Morsi, his presidential aides and senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders are accused of inciting the murder and torture of opposition protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012. Civil rights lawyers also requested that Defense Minister Abdel […]

MENASource

Feb 5, 2014

Dispatch: Deepening Polarization in Libya, No Agreement in Sight

By Karim Mezran

More than two years since Libyans and international forces overthrew longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, Libya suffers from fragmentation as competing forces vie to fill the power vacuum. An emerging and worrying trend of political blocs within the General National Congress (GNC) forming alliances with certain militia groups—creating new and divisive power centers—threatens to derail the […]

Libya

MENASource

Feb 5, 2014

Syria: Barrel Bombs On Aleppo

By Frederic C. Hof

Each and every day that the barrel-bombing of Aleppo continues, the Asad regime reminds the world of its true colors. It is the latest barbaric act of a regime that has committed organized, wholesale torture, used chemical weapons, and is starving whole communities by blocking delivery of food to Syrian civilians in urgent need.

Syria

Trade in Action

Feb 4, 2014

What We’re Reading: February 4

By Global Business & Economics Program

TTIP Action aggregates the latest news and best analysis from across the United States and European Union on the ongoing negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs
Victory Day Parade in Moscow, May 9, 2005

NATOSource

Feb 4, 2014

Russia Named World’s Third-Largest Military Spender

By RIA Novosti

Russia is now the world’s third-largest military spender after the United States and China, pushing the United Kingdom into fourth place

China France
Flag of the Russian Ministry of Defense

NATOSource

Feb 4, 2014

Russia to Create Cyberwarfare Units by 2017

By RIA Novosti

Russia plans to create special cyber-defense units to protect the country against online warfare in the coming years

Cybersecurity Russia
French Rafales jets refuel on the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman

NATOSource

Feb 4, 2014

French Fighter Jets Operate from the USS Truman in Joint Operation

By Navy News Service and Stars and Stripes

From Navy News Service:  Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG) and French Navy Task Force 473 concluded five weeks of combined carrier strike group operations

France United States and Canada