Atlantic Council blogs

Flournoy on Afghanistan Strategy and Military Capabilities Gap in NATO

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

From Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service:  I think we’ve turned around the strategy in Afghanistan,” she [Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michelle Flournoy] continued. “I think there has been a lot of progress there. For the first time in five years, violence is down in Afghanistan.”

Why are so many upset about al-Azhar?

By Nathan Brown

In the past few days, Egyptians of various religious and political perspectives have expressed outrage about a decree-law on al-Azhar, Cairo’s millennium-old mosque and educational institution, that just appeared in the country’s Official Gazette.

NATO allies grapple with shrinking defense budgets

By Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post

From Craig Whitlock, the Washington Post:  NATO allies are confronting a sustained weakening of the military alliance as ailing economies are forcing nearly all members, including the United States, to accelerate cuts to their defense budgets at the same time. The Pentagon’s recent decision to eliminate two of the Army’s four brigades in Europe is […]

Top News: January 30, 2012

By Mara Revkin

The SCAF is considering ways to speed up the transition to civilian rule, including moving up the date for presidential elections.

Sandmonkey and the Salafis Go to Court: One Egyptian Activist Challenges Ultraconservative Islamists with the Law

By Kurt Werthmuller

Egyptian blogger and political activist Mahmoud Salem, more commonly known by his online persona Sandmonkey, filed a civil lawsuit on Thursday, January 26th against the well-known and influential Salafi preacher Yasser al-Bourhami for the latter’s incitement of violence against Coptic Christians.

France may be the first in a stampede for the exits in Afghanistan

By the Editors of the Wall Street Journal

German Angst as U.S. troops bid “Auf Wiedersehen”

By Alexandra Hudson, Reuters

From Alexandra Hudson, Reuters:  Walter Brunner, a lively 82-year old whose blue baseball cap matches the color of his eyes, leans across a red leather booth at the American-style diner in this southern German town and tries to make light of the looming pullout of U.S. troops.

Video: True or Not, Rumors of a Brotherhood-SCAF Bargain Spark Outrage Across Egypt’s Political Spectrum

By Mara Revkin

Whether or not an explicit “deal” has been negotiated between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), what matters is that a significant number of Egyptians are convinced of its existence.

Militia chaos in Bani Walid raises danger of civil war in Libya

By Nick Meo, and Hassan Morajea, the Telegraph

From Nick Meo, and Hassan Morajea, the Telegraph:  Bani Walid, about 100 miles south-east of the capital Tripoli, was a Gaddafi stronghold, fighting defiantly to the bitter end under the direction of his son Saif al-Islam.

Russia Must Be Ready for Space, Cyber Wars

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russia must be ready for wars in space and in networks, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov said on Saturday.