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New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

Angela Merkel: Time for a Legacy

By Frances G. Burwell

Now that the new German government has been approved by the political parties and can finally begin work, it is time for Angela Merkel to think about her own agenda for the next few years. At the start of her fourth—and presumably last—term as chancellor, she is politically weaker than she has been before, and […]

European Union Germany

SyriaSource

Mar 8, 2018

In Syria, the Messenger Shoots You

By Natasha Hall

A medieval fortress overlooks the small predominantly Sunni Muslim town of Madiq Castle in Hama, Syria, situated on the Orontes River and along the fertile al-Ghab plain, under opposition control today. To the south, there lies Suqaylabiya, a predominantly Christian town under regime control. Alawis live in both locations, though mostly in regime-controlled areas. When […]

Syria

EnergySource

Mar 8, 2018

Responding to Russia: Time to back backhaul

By John Roberts

Did Gazprom’s sudden move to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine in early March give Europe a chance to secure an almost instantaneous improvement to its energy security? Gazprom’s response to what it saw as an adverse February 28 ruling by an arbitration court in Stockholm, effectively ordering the Russian gas giant to pay  $2.64 […]

Geopolitics & Energy Security Oil and Gas

UkraineAlert

Mar 8, 2018

The Right to Protest, Extremism, and the State Order

By Victor Andrusiv

On Sunday, March 3, Ukraine’s police dispersed more than one hundred protesters and disbanded their tent camps outside of the Ukrainian parliament amid significant criticism. Several dozen tents had stood for more than four months, blocking a major thoroughfare in Kyiv, Ukraine. Behind the protests were former opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili and former soldiers who […]

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2018

Here’s How the United States and Europe Should Counter Disinformation

By Rachel Ansley

Any US or European response to the ongoing issue of disinformation must not exploit the openness of a democratic society, but work within its boundaries to ensure transparency of information, according to the Atlantic Council’s Daniel Fried. “We have to fight disinformation within the norms of our government,” said Fried, a distinguished fellow in the […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2018

Italian Election Puts Europe in Uncharted Waters

By Louis Golino

Italy’s March 5 parliamentary election, in which anti-establishment parties won half of the vote, has caused a political earthquake with the potential to reshape Italy, Europe’s future, and even how populism impacts democracy.  Traditional political forces on the left and center are foundering. What will take their place remains to be seen both within Italy […]

European Union International Organizations

SyriaSource

Mar 7, 2018

Syria at Seven: Part Two

By Frederic C. Hof

The bewildering complexity of a conflict in Syria about to mark its seventh anniversary causes eyes to close and heads to shake among political leaders and their constituents throughout the West. The unanswerable question—How does this end?—plunges even the best of brains into darkness and despair. Russia and Iran—for separate but compatible reasons—have cut through […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 7, 2018

Decree 66 and the Impact of its National Expansion

By Joseph Daher

Ongoing discussions regarding the now famous Syrian legislative law, Decree 66, continue and its recent expansion and approval by parliament in January 2018, is waiting to be officially implemented to the rest of the country. Decree 66, which entered into law as of September 2012, allowed the government to “redesign unauthorized or illegal housing areas” […]

Syria

SyriaSource

Mar 7, 2018

The Smoke and Mirrors Effect of Lebanese Banks Exiting Syria

By Rashad al-Kattan

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime appears encouraged by the modest growth that the economy has finally begun to display. Those tasked with resuscitating the decimated economy have had to contend with an annual GDP drop of whopping 16 percent each year since the beginning of conflict in 2011. Compare this figure to the academic literature […]

Economy & Business Middle East

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2018

Shots Fired: EU Takes Aim at Peanut Butter as Trump Targets Steel

By Ashish Kumar Sen

What do bourbon, Levi’s jeans, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, peanut butter, cranberries, and orange juice have in common? The European Union (EU) has threatened to impose retaliatory duties on all of these US products if US President Donald J. Trump goes ahead with his controversial plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Economy & Business European Union
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