Atlantic Council blogs

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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AfricaSource

Aug 27, 2018

China provides Africa opportunity—and risk

By J. Peter Pham

Next week in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping will open the seventh Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the triennial summit gathering of the People’s Republic of China’s top leadership and their counterparts from all the African states except eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), Taiwan’s sole remaining diplomatic partner on the continent. Numerous African leaders, the chairperson of the […]

Africa China

New Atlanticist

Aug 27, 2018

NAFTA: The End?

By David A. Wemer

Now that the United States and Mexico have reached a bilateral trade agreement, the focus shifts to Canada—the third partner in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Reaching a US-Mexico trade deal is critical for the US and Mexican economies and for the millions of US workers who depend on trade with our southern […]

Economy & Business Mexico

SyriaSource

Aug 27, 2018

President Carter’s plan for Syria is unrealistic

By Frederic C. Hof

In an op-ed (“In Syria, An Ugly Peace is Better than More War”) published in The New York Times on August 24, 2018, former President Jimmy Carter lays out a prescriptive course for Syria sure to be welcomed by an Assad regime preparing now to inflict state terror on civilians in Syria’s northwest.

Syria

New Atlanticist

Aug 26, 2018

Remembering John McCain

By Atlantic Council experts

US Sen. John McCain—a Vietnam veteran, six-term senator, and recipient of the Atlantic Council’s Freedom Award—passed away on August 25. He was 81. Atlantic Council leadership and fellows share their tributes to McCain.

New Atlanticist

Aug 26, 2018

Sen. John McCain: Saluting a Champion of Freedom

By the Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council remembers US Sen. John McCain who received the Council’s Freedom Award in 2011. Here is a transcript of his remarks at the award ceremony.

NATOSource

Aug 25, 2018

US Navy Re-Establishes Atlantic Fleet to Check Russia

By Wesley Morgan, POLITICO

The U.S Navy on Friday formally reactivated the Cold War-era naval command it relied on for decades to confront adversaries in the waters off North America — the latest in a series of efforts to check Moscow’s military expansion.

International Organizations NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 24, 2018

Will international uncertainty thwart the fed’s plans?

By Alvaro Morales Salto-Weis

Mr. Powell struck a cautiously optimistic tone, defending the current path of gradual rate increases. Market reaction was muted, with the dollar declining slightly following the dovish remarks.

Financial Regulation International Financial Institutions

MENASource

Aug 23, 2018

Factbox: Turkey and the future of the F-35

By Rachel Rossi

The F-35 is the next generation fighter jet designed to ensure NATO’s air superiority for the next twenty to thirty years. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development program is a nine-country international consortium, which includes a tiered system of states that collectively contributed to the aircraft’s development and manufacture. Turkey is a Level III partner, […]

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

SyriaSource

Aug 23, 2018

Chemical warnings and unintended consequences

By Frederic C. Hof

On August 21, 2018 the United States, France, and the United Kingdom issued a statement to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Assad regime’s deadly chemical attack on civilians in the rebel-held Ghouta suburb of Damascus. According to the three powers, “we will respond appropriately to any further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, which has had such devastating humanitarian consequences for the Syria people.”

Syria

IranSource

Aug 23, 2018

Hackers Are Infecting Android Devices and Iranians Don’t Even Know It

By Amin Sabeti

Iran is no stranger to the global digital security community. This week, cybersecurity firm FireEye released a report about a network of Iranian accounts and groups on social media platforms attempting to manipulate users and also hack their accounts. Though big stories like this tend to focus on Iranian cyber attacks against Western government interests […]

Iran