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New Atlanticist

May 16, 2018

Can Muqtada Al-Sadr And The United States Be Friends?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Amid the uncertainty that has followed the Iraqi parliamentary elections on May 12 one thing is clear: formerly anti-US Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s list is the top vote-getter. Sadr is trailed by Iran-backed Shia militia leader Hadi al-Amiri in second place and current Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in third according to the unofficial results […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 16, 2018

Basque Terrorist Group ETA Disbands, Ending Decades of Violence

By Alvaro Morales Salto-Weis

One of Europe’s longest terrorist campaigns is finally over. The dissolution of Basque separatist group ETA puts an end to the use of deadly violence for political goals in Spain, namely, establishing an independent nationalist state in the country’s Basque region. Like the Good Friday Agreement that sealed the peace process in Northern Ireland in […]

Southern & Southeastern Europe

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2018

North Korea Threatens to Pull the Plug on Trump-Kim Summit

By Ashish Kumar Sen

North Korea has threatened to cancel the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in light of what it called “provocative military disturbances with South Korea,” North Korea’s state news agency reported early on May 16 local time. The Trump-Kim summit is set to be held in […]

Korea

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2018

On Presidential Leadership

By Frederick Kempe

Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe reflects on President Trump’s Iran decision and the 2018 Distinguished Leadership Awards It was a piquant coincidence that we scheduled the Atlantic Council’s annual Distinguished Leadership Awards dinner, saluting former President George W. Bush for his life-saving work against HIV-AIDS, opposite President Trump’s most consequential leadership decision to […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 14, 2018

Europeans Seek to Preserve Iran Nuclear Deal

By Rachel Ansley

The European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal are seeking ways to soften the bite of US sanctions on companies doing business in the Islamic Republic, David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s ambassador to the United States, said at the Atlantic Council on May 14. Though upset by US President Donald J. Trump’s decision to withdraw […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 14, 2018

What Uzbekistan Seeks From The United States

By Aziz Egamov and Rafael Sattarov

Trump to meet Uzbek president at the White House on May 16 US President Donald J. Trump will meet his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the White House on May 16. This will be the first time since March 2002 that the president of Uzbekistan has made an official visit to the United States. In […]

New Atlanticist

May 14, 2018

All You Need to Know As The United States Opens its Embassy in Jerusalem

By Ashish Kumar Sen

[Editor’s note: This blog post has been updated.] Massive protests have erupted in the Gaza Strip on May 14 as the United States relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the world’s first nation to have an embassy in the holy city. On December 6, US President Donald J. Trump announced his decision […]

Israel

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Iraqi Parliamentary Elections in a Fragmented Political Landscape

By Andrea Taylor

The Iraqi parliamentary elections on May 12 are likely to be critical in their symbolism but far from definitive in their outcomes. Free and fair elections that lead to the peaceful political transition of members of the Council of Representatives—a process consistent with the 2005 Constitution—could help to solidify Iraqi democratic confidence. Nonetheless, how Iraqis […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Iraq Votes: Expect Uncertainty

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Iraqis will vote on May 12 in their first election since the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). With nearly 7,000 candidates vying for 329 seats in parliament, no single political alliance is expected to emerge with an outright majority. As a consequence, the days after the vote will be marked […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Bridging the Gulf in the GCC

By Rachel Brandenburg

Relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have been fractured for much of the past year. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 citing reports that Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had made remarks of the United States while offering support for […]

International Organizations North Africa