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SyriaSource

Sep 14, 2016

The Fears of Syrians Living in Turkey

By Hasan Arfeh

During the hours of the failed coup against the Turkish government last month, Syrians living Turkey—including refugees, employees, politicians, and journalists—were just as anxious as the Turks. The same anxiety was present when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Russia on Tuesday, August 10, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Syria

New Atlanticist

Sep 14, 2016

Georgia’s European Choice ‘Irreversible,’ says Georgian Prime Minister

By Ashish Kumar Sen

In an election season in which Georgia’s NATO aspirations have been hotly debated, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili insists that his country’s European choice is “irreversible.” “An overwhelming majority of the people of Georgia consider the goal of joining EU and NATO to be a necessity that will lead to a higher standard of democracy, […]

European Union International Organizations

MENASource

Sep 14, 2016

The Future of Secularism in Iraq

By Safwan Al-Amin

In today’s Iraq, political movements and politicians shy away from promoting secularism or proclaiming to be secularists. The reasons for this—and the reasons for the rise of religious (and religious identity) politics in Iraq after the 1958 coup in which the Hashemite monarchy was overthrown—are numerous and complex. Some of the main factors that may […]

Iraq

SyriaSource

Sep 14, 2016

The Growth of the Syrian Media and Responsible Voices

By Caroline Ayoub

For the forty years under the Assad regime, Syrians had limited access to information and no freedom of expression. The initial media rush was part of a larger movement in which Syrians were able to express themselves in protests through signs, songs, art, and other creative expressions. However, a few qualities set media work apart. […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Sep 14, 2016

Culture Under Threat: Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra as Case Study

By Vladislav Davidzon

In the last two years, it has become routine to acknowledge that the Maidan revolution unleashed torrents of creative energy in Ukraine. Myriad articles have been written about the ferment of cultural activity taking place across every discipline. Yet classic cultural institutions and performing arts groups continue to face many of the same problems they […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Sep 14, 2016

Why the West Ignores Russia’s Wars

By Andrew Kornbluth

This month will mark one year since the beginning of Russia’s intervention in Syria and two and a half years since its invasion of Ukraine’s Donbas region. In Syria, Russia has indiscriminately bombed inhabited areas using virtually every type of conventional munition in its arsenal—thermobaric, cluster, and incendiary—killing around 3,000 civilians so far. These deaths […]

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Sep 13, 2016

White House Hopeful India Will Ratify Paris Climate Deal This Year

By Rachel Ansley

The White House is optimistic that India, a major polluter, will this year ratify the Paris climate agreement, increasing the likelihood that the deal that is intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions will come into effect before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January of 2017. “We are very, very committed to seeing this […]

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment
Military parade in Moscow, May 9, 2016

NATOSource

Sep 13, 2016

If Attacked, Sweden Needs Outside Support to Maintain Its Sovereignty

By Inquiry Appointed by the Swedish Foreign Ministry

At the core of Sweden’s security policy is military non-alignment, the essence of which is that Sweden does not extend mutual defence obligations to other countries….

European Union International Organizations

EconoGraphics

Sep 13, 2016

TTIP = So (Ger)Many Benefits

By Filippos Letsas

As the most export-driven major economy in the European Union (EU), Germany stands to benefit greatly from a robust Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement.

Economy & Business European Union

UkraineAlert

Sep 13, 2016

An Important Reform Milestone: An Independent Energy Regulator in Ukraine

By Olena Halushka

It is hard to find anything that unites the Ukrainian parliament as efficiently as the body’s regular and purposeful failure to adopt the bill on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities. Neither the demands of the expert community, nor the bill’s connection with Ukraine’s international commitments, nor even the threat […]

Russia Ukraine