Category: Blogs

Atlantic Council’s Istanbul Summit Affirms Transatlantic Engagement

Speakers at the Atlantic Council’s Istanbul Summit on April 27 emphasized the importance of strengthening transatlantic bonds to the Middle East with the goal of jointly addressing challenges and harnessing opportunities. “We all need each other, and we are strong when we can work together, and pull in the same direction, and address the many […]

Erdoğan Asks US to End Support for Kurdish Militias, Hand Over Cleric

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the Atlantic Council’s Istanbul Summit on April 28, urged the United States to end its support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and to extradite a cleric Turkey says orchestrated a failed coup attempt in July of 2016; he also accused some European countries of harboring terrorists.  Erdoğan’s remarks […]

How Aya Hijazi Ended Up in Sisi’s Seat at the White House

By Dalia Rabie

President Donald Trump did not waste time boasting about his role in the release of Aya Hijazi, Egyptian-American charity worker who had been jailed in Egypt for the past three years. “Did you see Aya?” Trump asked an Associated Press reporter at the beginning of his interview this week. “I asked the government to let […]

Syrians in Lebanon Turned Away

By Hasan Arfeh

At the onset of Syria’s uprisings in 2011, Lebanon was the first stop for Syrians fleeing Bashar al-Assad’s regime and military service in the army. Lebanon and Syria share similarities in customs and traditions which has provided a sense of home to those fleeing nearby Damascus province and other Syrian towns. Yet, shifting conditions are now […]

Brexit Puts European Security Cooperation at Risk

By By Giulia Paravicini, Politico Europe

Brussels is calling Theresa May’s bluff on security.

Ukrainian Officials Tout Banking Sector Reforms

By Jack Gloss

When considering the state of Ukraine’s banking reforms, it is important to consider not only what remains to be done, but how much the country has achieved, according to an economic adviser to the Ukrainian government. “The fact that Ukraine is even alive, and surviving, and growing today, is quite amazing given where it was […]

Giving Diplomacy in Syria a Chance

By Frederic C. Hof

During the first six years of conflict in Syria, American diplomats tried to bring order to chaos but found themselves disabled by a White House determined not to alienate Iran. Consciously or not, the Trump administration has resurrected American diplomacy as a potential player in the Syrian crisis. It did so by using military force […]

The Endless Battle in Taiz

By Maysaa Shuja al Deen

Taiz is the site of the longest-running battle ground in the Yemen war, which began when Houthi forces took over the city on March 25, 2015. Initially, the Houthis were confronted by peaceful demonstrations which they repressed heavily, killing six demonstrators in the process. The situation rapidly developed into armed conflict when the war erupted […]

A Decade After “Web War 1,” Former Estonian President Blasts EU Cyber Inertia

By Teri Schultz

Even as the pervasive and destructive capacity of cyberattacks becomes ever more evident with the alleged Russian meddling in European and American politics, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a former president of Estonia, marvels at the European Union’s under-performance in dealing with the threat—and he’s pointed in his criticism.  “I think the [European] Commission, in particular the […]