Category: Blogs

Civilians die, but the straw man lives

By Frederic C. Hof

No political progress toward ending Syria's agony and the horrific hemorrhage of its people is possible without first passing through the portal of civilian protection.

Putting TTIP on Hold Would be a ‘Mistake’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Andrea Montanino and Earl Anthony Wayne on the prospects of a US-EU trade agreement A transatlantic trade deal, currently being negotiated by the United States and the European Union, is critical to improving existing standards on issues such as public health, environmental regulations, and labor and safety issues, according to a new Atlantic […]

Joint US-UK-French Air Force Exercise Simulates Russian Air Defenses in Kaliningrad

By Julian E. Barnes, Wall Street Journal

The U.S. is seeking to step up military exercises with the air forces of critical European allies to strengthen deterrence against increasingly provocative behavior by Russian military aircraft, U.S. officials said.

TTIP & Trade in Action – April 20, 2016

By Global Business & Economics Program

On April 25, US President Barack Obama will visit the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial trade fair, where he will give a keynote speech with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  The two are expected to promote transatlantic trade relations, particularly between Germany and the United States.

To B or Not to B? Obama Steps into Brexit Debate

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Barack Obama’s forceful, and unusual, call for the United Kingdom not to leave the European Union reflects a combination of Washington’s unease over the possibility of a Brexit and its big stake in the outcome of the vote, according to the Atlantic Council’s Fran Burwell. It is “natural for friends to want to […]

Iraq’s Economic Rescue Threatened by Popular Anger

By Nussaibah Younis

Iraq is facing a severe economic crisis, but political elites and their popular constituencies stand ready to block desperately needed economic reforms.

US-GCC Ties Need to Expand Beyond Oil

By Jean-François Seznec

As the perceived notion of oil-for-security diminishes with the United States’ declining demand for oil from the Middle East, the Gulf Cooperation Council states must develop their militaries, fight threatening ideologies, and decrease their economies’ dependence on oil without waiting for the United States to lead the way. However, even as the United States and […]

Civil Society in Egypt Still Matters

By Brian R. Braun

In late March, Egypt’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Magdi al-Agati, indicated that the government would soon submit to parliament a new law regulating the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country. According to Agati, the proposed law will make it easier for Egyptian civil society organizations (CSOs) to operate and defend the rights of […]

Gambella Attack Exposes Ethnic Tensions between Ethiopia, South Sudan

On Friday, April 15, South Sudanese raiders crossed the border into Ethiopia to attack thirteen villages in the country’s Gambella region. Violence and carnage ensued, and the assailants escaped with 108 women and children and nearly 2,000 stolen cattle, according to Ethiopian government estimates. On Monday, the government announced that the death toll rose to […]

Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Offers a Prescription for Success

By Mitch Hulse

The “integration of civil-military forces” and “sustainable economic development” are critical to the success of state-building efforts, Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations, said at the Atlantic Council on April 20. “There was a clear road map for political transition [in Afghanistan], but we never knew what the […]