Atlantic Council blogs

Britain’s Losing the Global Race

By Julian Lindley-French

British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) George Osborne said that Britain must win “the global race,” which is probably a political metaphor for reducing deficit spending and increasing productivity. At the crux of his efforts to claw back a further £11.5bn of savings have been further cuts to the British armed forces. This coming […]

An ICC Intervention for Syria?

By J. Trevor Ulbrick and Kip Hale

 Syria’s relentless civil war has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The White House recently declared that Syrian government forces had used chemical weapons multiple times against rebel forces, a war crime in and of itself. Militias loyal to Bashar al-Assad have stepped up massacres of civilians and prisoners of war perceived as allied […]

Russia as a Balancing Power

By Sergei Karaganov, Russia in Global Affairs

From Sergei Karaganov, Russia in Global Affairs:  The growing outright rivalry between the United States and China gives Russia more foreign policy weight, enabling it to assume the role of a balancer.

Germany Foils Miniature Drone Terrorist Attacks

By Spiegel

From Spiegel:  German officials on Tuesday targeted two men suspected of planning to carry out terrorist attacks using remote-controlled model airplanes.

The Age of Gloom? Implications for Key NATO Armies

By Ben Barry, RUSI

From Ben Barry, RUSI:  [W]hilst the other two services can attack enemy land forces, only armies can defeat them.

Top News: Egyptian Government Faces Blame in Mob Sectarian Killing

Egypt’s government promised "exemplary punishment" on Monday after the mob killing of five Shiite Muslims near Cairo raised fears of wider sectarian bloodshed at a time of grave national crisis. But Shiite minority leaders and the liberal opposition accused the government itself, dominated by the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, of whipping up sectarian anger over […]

A “No Drama” Leadership Transition in Qatar

By Richard LeBaron

It’s rare good news in the Middle East when a 61-year old leader hands over power to a 33-year old successor. Regardless of the specific timing and motives behind the abdication by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, this peaceful and voluntary departure from the throne […]

Top News: Tunisia’s Army Chief Retires Amid Criticism

Setting the Stage for Violence and Madness

By Amr Hamzawy

 Would-be heroes and villains–and they are legion in Egypt these days–continue to set the social and political stage for violence and senseless civil strife as they marginalize the democratic demand for early presidential elections. The would-be heroes and villains on the religious right–from the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis to organizations with a history of violence–are […]

Deputy Secretary General: NATO’s Burden Sharing Problem can no Longer be ‘Swept Under the Carpet’

By Alexander Vershbow, NATO

From Alexander Vershbow, NATO:  Our world today is very different from the one in which NATO was founded, well over six decades ago.