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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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MENASource

Dec 2, 2011

Amr Hamzawy and the Liberal Minority

By Michele Dunne

Congratulations to Amr Hamzawy, prominent liberal intellectual and a good friend, for winning his seat in Heliopolis as an independent in the first round of parliamentary elections.  And without so much as a runoff!   It is comforting that sound ideas, hard work, and courage count for something with Egyptian voters.  As this hilarious graphic […]

MENASource

Dec 2, 2011

Electoral Commission Confirms Record Turnout

By Mara Revkin

The High Electoral Commission is preparing to announce official results for the first stage of elections. The HEC’s preliminary statement confirms record turnout: 62 percent of eligible voters – 8,614,525 Egyptians – cast ballots in the first round   2,756 ballot boxes were supervised by 10,143 members of the judiciary This post will be updated […]

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2011

Europe on the Verge of a Systemic Breakdown

By Ben Carliner

Are we finally approaching the end game of the Eurozone’s debt crisis? Tuesday’s coordinated central bank action, though welcome, is less a comprehensive solution and more of a reminder of how scared central banks have become.

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2011

Iran’s Growing Isolation a Dubious Win for the West

By Barbara Slavin

Scenes from Tehran Tuesday of bearded Iranian youth swarming over the walls of the British embassy evoked memories of the 1979-81 hostage crisis that created the image of Iran as a pariah state.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2011

€-Day: Just How Broke Are We Europeans?

By Julian Lindley-French

€-Day approacheth and with it the Onion’s day of reckoning. Norway is not in the EU and yet strangely there is no visible sign that civilisation is about to collapse. Quite the reverse! Indeed, it is nice to be in a country that works.

Economy & Business European Union

MENASource

Dec 2, 2011

Egypt’s “New” Cabinet Will Retain Old Faces

By Mara Revkin

Egypt moved a step closer to forming a new government on December 1, as Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri submitted his cabinet nominations to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

MENASource

Dec 2, 2011

News Update: December 2, 2011

By Mara Revkin

Following reports that the Freedom and Justice Party and Salafi Nour Party won around 40 and 20 percent of the vote, respectively, the FJP’s secretary general Saad al-Katatny issued a statement denying an “alleged alliance” with the Salafis to form an Islamist government.  Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri is expected to announce the members of his […]

MENASource

Dec 1, 2011

Embassy Threatens Suspension of Tear Gas Exports

By Mara Revkin

The US embassy in Cairo appeared to sharpen its criticism of the military on December 1, warning that future exports of US-made teargas could be suspended if Egyptian authorities continue to use it to cause death and injury. The Guardian’s live blog reports: "The warning comes after it emerged that the Egyptian ministry of interior […]

NATOSource

Dec 1, 2011

Medvedev: Missile shield remarks forced measure, not electoral rhetoric

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday plans to put offensive weapon systems on Russia’s borders to counter a planned European missile shield were not electoral rhetoric but a forced measure.

United States and Canada

NATOSource

Dec 1, 2011

France starts building first Mistral warship for Russia

By RIA Novosti

From RIA Novosti:  French shipbuilder DCNS has received advance payment from Moscow under a $1.2-billion contract and will start the construction of the first warship for the Russian Navy, the DCNS press service said on Wednesday.