Category: Blogs

Factbox: Egypt Completes First Round of Second Phase of Elections

By Elissa Miller and Brandan Martini

Egypt held the second phase of its parliamentary elections in November 22 and 23. Candidates competed for 282 seats in the second phase of the parliamentary elections, including 222 individual seats and sixty party-based seats. Voting took place at 12,946 polling stations in thirteen governorates: Cairo, Qalyubia, Daqahlia, Menoufia, Gharbia, Kafr al-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port […]

EconSource: Fuel Prices to Triple as Tripoli Removes Subsidies

Libya’s Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) has approved plans to remove subsidies for fuel and related products. According to the GNC decision, petrol prices will jump from LD 0.15 per liter to LD 0.45. The changes will not be implemented immediately, as direct payments designed to replace subsidies have yet to be made due to […]

Transforming the German Armed Forces for a European Future

By Claudia Major and Christian Mölling

Military power is back as a currency in world politics. A more European Bundeswehr is not a choice but a necessity.

The Debate over Egypt’s Constitution

By Khaled Dawoud

On September 13, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated that while Egypt’s 2014 Constitution “was written with good intentions,” nations “cannot be built with good intentions alone.” This statement appears to have sparked a heated debate in Egypt over amendments to the 2014 constitution.

Turkey Shot Down a Russian Jet. Here’s Why it Matters.

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The downing of a Russian SU-24 fighter jet by Turkey after it violated Turkish airspace and ignored ten warnings exemplifies the danger of Russian military support for Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad. But it will also complicate French President François Hollande’s quest to include Moscow in a unified coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq […]

US Indecision over War Powers to Fight ISIS

By Daniel R. DePetris

In yet another attempt to reinforce his administration’s counter-Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) strategy, President Barack Obama has determined that the United States needs a small contingent of US ground personnel to enable the offensive capability of moderate Syrian opposition forces in northern Syria.

Secretary General: NATO Stands With Turkey, but Diplomacy and De-Escalation also Important

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

The North Atlantic Council has just held a meeting, an extraordinary meeting. And we have been updated by the Turkish Ambassador on the recent events. I have also spoken to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Paris, Sinai, and the State of the ‘Caliphate’

By Faysal Itani

The terrorist attacks that killed scores in Paris and brought down a passenger plane over the Sinai demonstrate a new ISIS tactic and a surprising degree of capability. The operations have been described as an ISIS reaction to the setbacks it is incurring under international and local military pressure in Syria and Iraq. However, there […]

Russia Not a Reliable Partner in Fighting Terrorism

By Stephen Blank

In the wake of recent terror attacks in Paris, President François Hollande has called for Russian and American cooperation against ISIS, joining many other policymakers who have voiced the need for cooperation between Russian and American intelligence agencies against Islamic terrorism. Indeed, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his generals to treat French forces as “allies.” […]