New Atlanticist

Making Sense of Saudi Arabia’s Leadership Transition

Saudi King Salman’s recent shakeup of key leadership positions in his kingdom will not affect oil production in the short term, though it may offer some clues about how Saudi Arabia will confront urgent issues such as rising youth unemployment and instability in the Gulf. That’s the consensus of three scholars who spoke May 29 […]

The Cost of Kenyan Corruption

In Swahili, a language spoken throughout East and Central Africa, “kitu kidogo” means “a little something.” In Kenya, the phrase is shorthand for the small bribes necessary to navigate virtually any encounter with Kenyan officialdom. In Nairobi, the country’s capital, it is wise to factor in extra time, and a lot of extra patience, for […]

Mr. Putin’s Lies Hiding in Plain Sight

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Reports by Atlantic Council and Boris Nemtsov’s allies reveal extent of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin is violating a February 2015 ceasefire agreement by continuing to send troops and weapons into Ukraine in a blatant attempt to destabilize the country, according to an Atlantic Council report issued May 28. The report, […]

Western Failure on Iran Deal May Cause Sanctions to Unravel

By Ashish Kumar Sen

European Ambassadors see “erosion” of sanctions regime if US Congress is viewed as cause of deal’s failure Failure to secure a deal that limits Iran’s nuclear program in return for phased sanctions relief could unravel a crippling sanctions regime on the Islamic Republic if that outcome is perceived to be the West’s fault, two European […]

Achieving a Strategic Transatlantic Wiedervereinigung

By Alton V. Buland

Instability arcs along Europe’s periphery from the Middle East and North Africa up the Black Sea and into the Arctic, while transnational security challenges (climate change, cyber threats, etc.) challenge our future. At the same time, the bonds of Cold War transatlantic solidarity have weakened as new generations arise and isolationist/nativist movements reemerge on both […]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Libya?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Analysts discuss the humanitarian, security, and political crises emanating from a country in chaos  The chaos in Libya that has prevailed since the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 has placed both a humanitarian as well as a security crisis on Europe’s doorstep. Libya today has two governments—one in Tripoli and the other in Tobruk. […]

US Drug Habit Deadly for Latin America

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Head of US Southern Command says terrorists could one day use criminal networks A demand in the United States for drugs—specifically cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines—is devastating communities across Latin America, says Marine Corps Gen John F. Kelly, Commander of US Southern Command. Illegal trafficking networks pose not just a security threat, they also have corrosive […]

Will Greece Go Bankrupt this Summer?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Montanino faults creditors for not adopting a forward-looking approach in negotiations with Athens The Greek government and its creditors—the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund—have made mistakes over the course of three months of negotiations aimed at securing a commitment from Greece to undertake economic reforms before the […]

What did Obama’s Summit with Gulf Partners Achieve?

Officials of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), wrapping up a May 14 summit at Camp David, endorsed US President Barack Obama’s proposed nuclear deal with Iran saying a “comprehensive, verifiable” accord is in their security interests. But in reality, the much-publicized gathering turned out to be “much ado about very little”—and Gulf states are […]

As Greek Crisis Looms, Sovereign Debt Restructuring Takes Center Stage

As countries such as Argentina, Greece, and Ukraine struggle to pay down their debt, it is “clear that sovereign debt issues are important today, but they’ll be even more important tomorrow,” says the Atlantic Council’s Andrea Montanino. “The question on the minds of many is whether we will see another Greek default and what [will […]