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MENASource

May 25, 2012

Egypt’s Second Republic: A Challenging Prize for the Next President

By Merit Al-Sayed

The year 2011 has been extraordinary not just for the tectonic shift in the region’s political structures, but also the extraordinary pressures and opportunities faced by many regional economies. With four dictators ousted – including one dead and many others were shaken to the core – the aftershocks will no doubt continue to reverberate in […]

New Atlanticist

May 25, 2012

GCC Balks at Move Towards a Union

By Richard LeBaron and Noora AlSindi

In mid-May, leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met in Riyadh to discuss a vaguely-defined Saudi proposal for a “union” of GCC states. The Saudi proposal seems to have been prompted by heightened concerns over Arab Spring aftershocks (particularly in Bahrain) and perceived Iranian ambitions in the region.

Iran Saudi Arabia

NATOSource

May 25, 2012

NATO’s missile defence shield considered ‘up and running’

By Jonathan Marcus, the BBC

From Jonathan Marcus, the BBC:  Nato leaders and planners look at Iran’s continuing nuclear programme – and the steady improvement it has made to the range and capabilities of its missile forces

United States and Canada

NATOSource

May 25, 2012

NATO’s risky Afghan endgame

By the Economist

From the Economist:  NATO’s meeting in Chicago this week was dominated by the need to unite behind plans for an orderly retreat from Afghanistan

MENASource

May 25, 2012

Top News: Early Results Show Morsi in the Lead, Followed by Shafik

By Tarek Radwan

Al-Masry Al-Youm reports the results of counting in 24 governorates, in which Morsy is in first place, followed by Shafiq. 

New Atlanticist

May 25, 2012

The Joy of Democracy

By Julian Lindley-French

Tahar Ben Jelloun wrote that Egypt has suffered more ordeals than other countries to get where it is. That may or may not be true but to see the enthusiasm of Egyptians as they queue in their millions to vote is joyous. For the first time in five thousand years and some fifteen months after […]

North Africa Politics & Diplomacy

NATOSource

May 24, 2012

Anchoring the Alliance: An Atlanticist France

By R. Nicholas Burns, Damon Wilson & Jeff Lightfoot, the New Atlanticist

From R. Nicholas Burns, Damon Wilson & Jeff Lightfoot, the New Atlanticist:  [French President Francois] Hollande’s commitment to keep France within NATO’s integrated military command will be an important early commitment.

United States and Canada

MENASource

May 24, 2012

Egypt’s Fragmented Electorate Sheds Light on Runoff Scenarios

By Haitham Tabei

Fifty million Egyptians voters went to the polls on May 23 and 24 to elect the first president since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. This will be the first presidential election in Egypt’s recent history in which voters cast their ballots without knowing the result in advance, but experts predict that one outcome is inevitable: Voting will […]

NATOSource

May 24, 2012

When Will You Face Strategic Reality, Mr. NATO Secretary General?

By Julian Lindley-French, the New Atlanticist

From Julian Lindley-French, the New Atlanticist: Dear Mr. Secretary General Rasmussen,

United Kingdom United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

May 24, 2012

Anchoring the Alliance: An Atlanticist France

By R. Nicholas Burns Damon Wilson and Jeffrey Lightfoot

For over sixty years, an ambivalent France sat at the center of the Alliance. For NATO to thrive in the decades ahead, it needs an energetic France to sustain its Atlanticist instincts. That is particularly important now that François Hollande has been elected as France’s new President. One of Nicolas Sarkozy’s most notable accomplishments as […]

France NATO