Category: Blogs

TRADE IN ACTION December 1

By Global Business & Economics Program

THIS WEEK IN TRADEThis week saw the first potential ‘breakthrough’ in Brexit negotiations, with the UK agreeing to EU demands on an increased Brexit Bill.

How the West Can Finally Get Moscow’s Attention

By Diane Francis

In March 1980, former President Jimmy Carter announced sanctions against the Soviet Union and a boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest against its invasion of Afghanistan. “We call for the moving of the Olympics or the delay of the Olympics for at least a year, until Soviet troops are withdrawn from Afghanistan, or the […]

Balkan Officials Have a Message for the EU and the United States: Stay Engaged

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Balkan officials on November 29 made a pitch for deeper US and European Union (EU) engagement with the region, noting that its stability is critical for a peaceful Europe. “Without a stable Balkans, there is no stable Europe,” said Srdjan Darmanović, Montenegro’s foreign minister. Albania’s foreign minister, Ditmir Bushati, highlighted US Secretary of State Rex […]

Sparking entrepreneurship in the Balkans

Young entrepreneurs “can fix the Balkans,” said Mark Boris Andrijanic, director of public policy for Central and Eastern Europe at Uber, “but only if we are allowed to do so.”

Hezbollah’s Strategy: Capture, Consolidate, and Combat Preparation

By Mona Alami

In the past four years, Hezbollah’s has played  a primary role in Syria alongside forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to gain back control of over 60 percent of Syrian territory and over two thirds of its population. The organization’s success can be attributed to its strategy in the Lebanese and […]

Here’s Why US Commitment to the Western Balkans Matters

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The United States and the European Union (EU) must deepen their engagement with the Western Balkans, a region where Russia, Turkey, and wealthy Arab Gulf states have extended their influence and that is considered integral to realizing the idea of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace, speakers and panelists said at the […]

Yemen: National reconciliation without foreign intervention

By Nabeel Khoury

It has become blatantly obvious that the Yemen tragedy will not end unless Riyadh decides to unilaterally cease fire and call for a peace roundtable, preferably in a neutral location such as Muscat or even Geneva. Washington could be a catalyst by prodding Saudi Arabia to put diplomacy first and becoming fully engaged in the […]

Secretary of State Tillerson on Strengthening Western Alliances

By Rex Tillerson, Department of State

Under President Trump, the United States remains committed to our enduring relationship with Europe. Our security commitments to European allies are ironclad.

The precarious Kurdish-Israeli relationship, post-Kirkuk

By Caroline Rose

With the Iraqi flag now flying above Kirkurk’s oil fields, a major pivot in the Kurdish-Israeli relationship threatens to isolate the KRG from its limited alliance system. In just four days, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) lost nearly all territory gained by Kurdish Peshmerga 2014 forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) […]

Could North Korea Hit the United States with a Missile? Perhaps. Or, Maybe Not?

While it does not confirm any specifics regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities, North Korea’s latest test of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) indicates it may be able to strike the continental United States. According to the Pentagon’s initial assessment, the missile travelled approximately 1,000 kilometers before landing in the Sea of Japan. It flew higher and […]