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UkraineAlert

May 31, 2016

Exposing Russia’s False NATO Narrative

By Stephen Blank

A staple of Russian, pro-Russian, and so-called realist narratives is that NATO not only reneged on its promises to not enlarge after German reunification, it also rebuffed all Russian efforts to integrate with the organization. To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway, it is pretty to think so—but that is not the truth. As Mikhail Gorbachev himself said, […]

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

May 31, 2016

The Politics of Israel: Hold on for a Bumpy Ride

By Richard LeBaron

While Americans observed the Memorial Day holiday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conceded to demands by his education minister (and former chief of staff) Naftali Bennett that cleared the way for the approval of Avigdor Lieberman as defense minister. Bennett has long wanted better access to information reserved for Israel’s security cabinet, but his willingness […]

Israel

SyriaSource

May 31, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: Syrian Hospitality

By Ayman Jalwan

We were warned about Hungary: my friends had warned me that it was very dangerous there, and that the authorities in Hungary are really bad to refugees. I had heard this from my friends who traveled through before us: they were arrested in Hungary and put in jail for one month. The authorities beat them, […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2016

Europe Still in Denial as Russia Ushers in the Age of Hybrid Hostilities

By Peter Dickinson

European leaders will gather in June to discuss whether to extend sanctions against Russia over the Kremlin’s hybrid war in Ukraine. The current sanctions regime will likely remain in place, but the mere fact the subject is up for debate is evidence of Europe’s alarming refusal to acknowledge the new security reality facing the continent. […]

European Union International Organizations
British frigate HMS Cornwall, July 8, 2009

NATOSource

May 27, 2016

NATO Official Says ‘Lack of Ships’ is a Growing Problem for Allies

By Martin Banks, Defense News

Jamie Shea, deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges, also says a “lack of ships” is a growing problem for NATO members.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

May 27, 2016

Lessons from the Price of Oil

By Brenda Shaffer

The global oil price this week rose to the $50-a-barrel mark and, for the first time since it began a downward spiral two years ago, seems to have ended the lowest stretch of this current price cycle. The behavior of the price of oil over the past two years has important lessons, particularly as we […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

MENASource

May 27, 2016

What an Islamic State Offensive in Aleppo means for US Policy

By Faysal Itani

On May 26 the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) launched a successful westward offensive in Syria’s northern Aleppo countryside. ISIS effectively encircled thousands of insurgent fighters in the town of Marea and is now less than 2 miles from the critical opposition-held city of Azaz. Although ISIS only seized six villages and may yet lose […]

Syria Turkey

SyriaSource

May 27, 2016

Nusra Front Accuses US of Betraying Syrian Revolution, Calls for Continuing Jihad

By SyriaSource

In a video recording released by the Nusra Front yesterday, titled Advancing in Your Victory, Sheikh Abdallah Atwan, nicknamed Abu Abdallah al-Shami and member of the Nusra Front’s Shura Council, accuses the United States of betraying the Syrian revolution and changing its attitudes toward the Assad regime and its allies. This article reviews the most […]

Syria
NATO recognizes a cyber-attack as a potential Article 5 trigger

NATOSource

May 26, 2016

Cyber, extended deterrence, and NATO

By Franklin D. Kramer, Robert J. Butler, and Catherine Lotrionte

Over the last decade, there has been a continuing advancement of the cyber threat in both depth and breadth with the expansion of exploitation, disruption, and destruction activities. In an Internet-connected, net-centric world, military networks and key supporting critical infrastructures are now at significant risk from cyber intrusion. As Admiral Michael Rogers, head of Cyber […]

Cybersecurity NATO

UkraineAlert

May 26, 2016

Europe’s Humanitarian Fatigue Threatens to Engulf Ukraine

By Andrew Kornbluth

Earlier this month, Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz, presidents of the European Commission and Parliament, respectively, published an appeal for continental solidarity in which they criticized “anyone who believes that the time of the nation-state has come” as “out of touch with reality.” The inaccuracy of Juncker and Schulz’s statement is reflected in the comparative […]

Europe & Eurasia European Union