Category: Blogs

Why Bahrain Prefers Trump over Obama

By Giorgio Cafiero and Jesse Schatz

Since the start of the unrest in Bahrain in 2011, officials in Washington and London have had mainly two attitudes toward the island sheikdom. On one hand, they believe Bahrain’s Western backers must urge the ruling Al Khalifa family to enact reforms in response to concerns such as the marginalization of Shi’ites and violation of […]

What Can Ukraine Learn from the Balkans?

By Gunther Fehlinger

Ukraine wants to join the European Union, but the level of support among many EU member states is low or nonexistent. Many are afraid of Russia’s reaction and lack a clear understanding of both the climate in post-Euromaidan Ukraine and the country’s strong commitment to Western integration. The situation is challenging in all aspects. War […]

Iran’s Diplomatic Corps: Between a Rock and the Quds Force

By Ali Alfoneh

As Iran’s new ambassador to Damascus, Javad Torkabadi, submitted his credentials to Walid al-Moalem, Syria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani scored a small, but notable, and much needed tactical victory over the extraterritorial operations Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC QF).

TRADE in ACTION – April 28, 2017

By Global Business & Economics Program

This week in TradeinAction: The IMF and World Bank Spring meetings came to a close on Sunday, highlighting the importance of inclusive growth and trade. All the while, French voters went to the polls in the first round of the presidential election. The top two candidates, independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right Marine Le Pen, go into a runoff […]

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.