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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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New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2014

North Korea: Expect the Unexpected

By Robert A. Manning

Where is North Korea headed? When we last heard from the Boy General, Kim Jong-un, he was rationalizing the sudden and brutal execution of Pyongyang’s No.2,  Jang Sang Thaek, followed by threats to “strike mercilessly without notice” in response to anti-Kim protests in Seoul.

Korea National Security
Robert Simmons was the US policy coordinator for the NATO summit in Chicago

NATOSource

Jan 7, 2014

US and NATO Diplomat Bob Simmons Passed Away

By US Department of State

The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs regrets to announce the death of our dear colleague and friend, Robert F. “Bob” Simmons, Jr.

NATO Security & Defense

Trade in Action

Jan 7, 2014

What We’re Reading: January 7

By Global Business and 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

New Atlanticist

Jan 7, 2014

Still Time to Attack Iran

By Matthew Kroenig

The Illusion of a Comprehensive Nuclear Deal Much has changed in the two years since I wrote “Time to Attack Iran,” but one basic fact hasn’t: diplomacy remains unlikely to neutralize the threat from Iran’s nuclear program. A truly comprehensive diplomatic settlement between Iran and the West is still the best possible outcome, but there […]

Iran

MENASource

Jan 7, 2014

The Culture of Rebellion in Syria

By Faysal Itani

The latest rebel infighting in Syria illustrates how profoundly the uprising has changed Syrian political culture. In the last week, rebel groups across a broad ideological spectrum mounted coordinated attacks on transnational jihadist militants in the country’s central and northern provinces.

Syria

MENASource

Jan 7, 2014

Top News: United Nations sending invitations to Geneva 2 peace talks; Iran unlikely to attend

By MENASource

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending out invitations on Monday to potential participants in Syrian peace talks scheduled to take place in Switzerland this month, the UN press office said.

FutureSource

Jan 7, 2014

US Intelligence Failure is Its Focus, Not Its Leaks

By Josh Kerbel

The US intelligence community largely has failed to adapt to the world’s growing complexity and interconnectedness, writes Josh Kerbel, the chief analytic methodologist at the US Defense Intelligence Agency. The intelligence community must leave behind its habit of analyzing complex issues with a narrow focus and instead ‘think big’, taking greater advantage of open-source, unclassified information and interdisciplinary perspectives.

MENASource

Jan 7, 2014

Top News: Egypt’s Army Chief Sisi Seen Edging Closer to Presidential Bid

By EgyptSource

In Egypt, it no longer appears to be a question of if, but when army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will declare his candidacy for president. For the second time in three days, local media reported on Monday that Sisi had finally made up his mind. 

MENASource

Jan 7, 2014

EconSource Headlines- January 7, 2014

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries. 

MENASource

Jan 7, 2014

North African Transitions in 2014

By Karim Mezran

The events of 2013 have had a variable impact on the countries of North Africa—Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco—resulting in variations along the spectrum of political openness.

Libya North Africa