Category: Blogs

Top News: Iraqi Troops Storm ISIS-held Ramadi

Iraqi security forces advanced Tuesday into the center of Ramadi for a final push aimed at retaking the city they lost to the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in May.

EconSource: Qatar National Bank to Buy Turkey’s Finansbank for $2.95 Billion

By EconSource

The Gulf Arab region’s largest bank Qatar National Bank (QNB) has agreed to buy Turkey’s Finansbank from National Bank of Greece (NBG) for 2.7 billion euros ($2.95 billion).

Libya’s Peace Deal Will Need Western Support to Succeed

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A UN-brokered Libya peace agreement is hamstrung by security challenges, the uncertainty that it may actually end up producing a third power center in a country that already has two rival governments, and questions about whether the envisaged national unity government would even be able to operate from Tripoli. But these challenges are not insurmountable. […]

Civil Service Reform May Revolutionize Ukraine

By Josh Cohen

It took a staggering sixteen months and it wasn’t easy. The old guard resisted it every step of the way. Ukraine’s parliament passed civil service reform, one of the highest priorities of the Euromaidan’s young reformers, on December 10. The Reanimation Package of Reforms (RPR), a civic group, described the development as “a real miracle.” […]

The Five Key Challenges to a Sustainable Peace in Libya

By Mohamed Eljarh

Libya’s political factions met in Skhirat, Morocco on December 17 to sign the UN-facilitated political agreement after more than 15 months of dialogue. This agreement represents the best hope for Libya’s reconstruction after a long political and armed struggle over power and resources.

2016 Can Be a ‘Turning Point’ for Europe

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US investors hope Europe can return to a sustainable growth path, says Atlantic Council’s Andrea Montanino As 2015 draws to a close, our experts take a look back at the year that was and look ahead to 2016. This interview is part of a series. Andrea Montanino is the Director of the Atlantic Council’s Global […]

Why Americans Should Worry About Marine Le Pen

By Leo Michel

It’s time to ask a hard question: What would it mean for US interests if Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Front party, were to capture the French presidency in the spring of 2017? Short answer: this is one “French Connection” that most Americans won’t like, and shouldn’t encourage.

An Alliance Deterred

By Patrick Stephenson

NATO leaders intended the Alliance’s Trident Juncture military exercises, in part, to send a message to Russia that they would not hesitate to defend allied territory. That intention was commendable. But one wonders how exercises in the western Mediterranean will deter Russian ambitions that lie 3,000 km away in Ukraine and on the borders of […]