Atlantic Council blogs

Obama and Cameron: An alliance the world can count on

By Barack Obama and David Cameron, the Washington Post

From Barack Obama and David Cameron, the Washington Post:  The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share.

The Unwritten Deals of Egypt’s Presidential Election / الصفقات غير المكتوبة للانتخابات الرئاسية المصرية

By Magdy Samaan

Observers of Egypt’s upcoming presidential election are quickly tuning into rumors of unwritten deals among various players in the political game.  This behind-the-scenes bargaining is driving two key trends: 1) the fact that most presidential candidates are not affiliated with the leading political parties; and 2) consensus among Islamist forces against backing an Islamist candidate. […]

Top News: Parliament Calls for Vote to End Military Aid

By Mara Revkin

America Recalibrates Its Israeli Alliance

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home without receiving an American endorsement for an Israeli attack on Iran. Neither did he find much support for the Israeli government’s assertion that the window to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons is about to slam shut.

Nigeria Hostage Rescue Attempt: Tough But Correct Call

By Julian Lindley-French

The 7 March attempt to free Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamonilara from Nigerian kidnappers by Britain’s Special Boat Service (SBS) and Royal Marine Commandos British ended in failure. Tragically, both men were killed by their captors. The Italian President has attacked London for launching the raid without informing Rome prior to the operation.

NATO: Afghanistan rampage won’t affect timeline

By David Rising, the AP

Europe Must Find the Political Will to Stabilize its Economy

By Timothy Stafford

Europe’s economy needs swift and concerted attention. For months, increasing fears about the possibility of sovereign defaults have engulfed the continent and contaminated its economies. Only by addressing the fundamental design flaws within the Euro can any prospect of sustained prosperity be restored.

Obama asks Pentagon for ‘preliminary military options’ for Syria

By Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times

From Elisabeth Bumiller, the New York Times:  One senior defense official said over the weekend that even creating “safe havens,” or protected areas inside Syria for civilians, would be such a complex operation that military planners were “looking at a serious contingent of U.S. ground troops”

French Presidential frontrunner outlines views on NATO and Europe

By Steven Erlanger, the New York Times

From Steven Erlanger, the New York Times:  Mr. Sarkozy has crept closer to the Socialist Party candidate, François Hollande, in opinion polls for the first round of voting, he remains more than 10 percentage points behind Mr. Hollande in a projected runoff between the two men.

Lugar Introduces NATO Enlargement Bill

By the Office of Senator Richard Lugar

From the Office of Senator Richard Lugar:  U.S. Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN) has introduced the NATO Enhancement Act, a bill to encourage further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to deepen U.S. strategic partnerships with NATO allies.