Category: Blogs

New NATO Young Professionals Report

By Atlantic Council

ACT Young Professionals Day is an annual, solutions-oriented exercise hosted by Allied Command Transformation (ACT) alongside the NATO Transformation Seminar (NTS).

The Dog That Finally Barked? Separatism and Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine

By Emmet C. Tuohy

Kremlin Targets Sleepy Corner of Europe with Hybrid Tactics No part of Europe is too obscure for the Kremlin’s machinations. On April 6 in Odessa, a group claiming to represent ethnic minorities in southwestern Ukraine founded the National Council of Bessarabia (NRB). Released on a Russian-registered website, the NRB’s manifesto decrying “discrimination” and calling for […]

EU’s Planned ‘Digital Single Market’ Sparks Internet Debate on Both Sides of Atlantic

The European Union has rolled out its long-awaited plan to forge a digital single market (DSM) among the EU’s 28 member nations—an ambitious but controversial proposal that aims to tear down regulatory walls and boost Europe’s share of the online economy. On May 6, the same day European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker unveiled the plan […]

Guns, Butter, and the Future of the Gulf States

By Mathew Burrows

Recent news reports of the Saudis burning through their foreign currency reserves at record pace over the past couple months. Combined with the growing conflict in Yemen and an already heavy engagement in Syria begs questions about the future of Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) neighbors.

The Cult of ISIS and Foreign Recruits

By Mona Alami

Analysts have described the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) as the most powerful terrorist organization of this decade. However, few have discussed the shared characteristics between the extremist nebula and modern cults, particularly regarding the recruitments of westerners and fresh converts.

Top News: Houthis Fire Across Border into Saudi Arabia

By MENASource

Yemen’s rebels fired rockets and mortars into Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, killing at least three people and purportedly capturing five soldiers in an attack showing the insurgents’ ability to launch assaults despite weeks of Saudi-led airstrikes targeting them.

Top News: Ministry of Social Solidarity to Investigate Alleged Shia NGOs

By EgyptSource

The ministry of social solidarity announced the formation of a committee tasked with investigating NGOs that allegedly practice or promote Shia rituals. The head of the central administration of the NGOs within the ministry, Khaled Sultan said the committee was formed upon a decree from Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Waly.

EconSource: World Bank Approves $500 Million Loan for Egypt Public Housing Project

By EconSource

The World Bank has approved a $500 million loan to Egypt to support a government affordable housing project, Minister of Housing Moustafa Madbouly said Wednesday.

Can Egyptian-American Mohamed Soltan be Deported?

By Sonia Farid

With Mohamed Soltan’s hunger strike exceeding 450 days, speculation is rife as to how long he can survive in an Egyptian prison. In early April, Soltan, who is an American-Egyptian dual citizen, was sentenced to life in prison—technically a twenty-five year sentence in Egypt. A new law introduced last November by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi allowing […]