Atlantic Council blogs

Closed and Banned: Egypt Independent Remains a Force for Freedom of Expression Till the End

By Miriam Berger

It is no longer surprising news when an Egyptian newspaper suddenly receives that fateful order from above to shutdown. Egypt is, as the saying goes, where newspapers come to die. Such was the unfortunate fate this week of the Egypt Independent – a leading go-to source around the world for credible local Egyptian news and […]

Is part-time national defense good enough for Europe?

By Martin Hurt, International Center for Defense Studies

EU says 500 Europeans fighting in Syria

By BBC

From BBC:  The EU’s anti-terror chief has told the BBC that hundreds of Europeans are now fighting with rebel forces in Syria against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Sharp rise in EU terror attacks and deaths in 2012: Europol

By Alexandria Sage, Reuters

From Alexandria Sage, Reuters:  The terrorism threat in Europe remains elevated, with a quarter more attacks in the European Union in 2012 than in the previous year, pan-European police force Europol said on Thursday.

If Assad used chemical weapons, what will Obama do?

By the Editors of the Chicago Tribune

From the Editors of the Chicago Tribune:  Concluding that Assad has indeed used chemical weapons would put immense pressure on Obama to follow through on his warnings.

New U.S. crisis-response force for Africa to be based in Spain

By Dan Lamothe, Military Times

From Dan Lamothe, Military Times:  The Marine Corps has begun deploying its new crisis-response force for Africa to an air base in Spain, and is now looking to develop a second force for use in the Caribbean Sea and Central and South America, said Commandant Gen. Jim Amos.

U.N. Security Council approves creation of Mali peacekeeping force

By Reuters

From Reuters:  The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved on Thursday the creation of a 12,600-strong peacekeeping force in Mali starting July 1, which will be supported by French troops if needed to combat Islamist extremist threats in the West African country.

Africa’s Global Advantage

By Adrienne Chuck

Last week, finance ministers and central bankers from around the world gathered in Washington for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund semi-annual spring meetings to promote sustainable and equitable growth. Six years after the beginning of the global financial crisis, prospects for a strong recovery are still not optimistic; conversations for the most part […]

Rasmussen desires to ‘strengthen the collective political commitment’ to NATO

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish Institute for International Studies

From Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish Institute for International Studies:  There is no doubt that the economic crisis is challenging for the defense ministers, and all of the alliance.

Top News: Hagel Meets Morsi, Sisi in Egypt, Reaffirms Military Ties With Egypt

By Egypt Source

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel underscored Washington’s military commitment to Egypt on Wednesday and pledged American support as Egyptian forces evolve to address new and shifting security threats, U.S. defense officials said. "I wanted to stop in Egypt to … reaffirm American commitment to Egypt’s emerging democracy, encourage the democratic and economic reforms that are […]