Category: Blogs

Top News: Egypt Court Rejects Suit Demanding Entry Ban for Hamas Members

By EgyptSource

An Egyptian court rejected Wednesday a lawsuit calling for an entry ban into Egypt for members of Hamas. The Commissioner Authority of the State Council rejected the lawsuit filed by lawyer Samir Sabry saying the lawyer did not elaborate on his grounds for demanding the ban.

Court Ruling Threatens Egypt’s Labor Movement

By Khaled Dawoud

A recent ruling issued by the Supreme Administrative Court, outlawing labor strikes, has called into question the ability of Egyptian workers to defend their interests peacefully. The ruling, which forcibly retires striking employees, was criticized by labor and human rights activists for several reasons. First, it ignores article 15 in the Constitution, which states that […]

EconSource: Iraq’s Baiji Refinery Still Under Threat From ISIS Militants

By EconSource

Pentagon officials said they are worried that Iraq’s Baiji oil refinery could fall to the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in the coming days. For weeks, US military officials have said that control of the refinery has been bitterly contested between Iraqi forces and ISIS militants.

Wanted: A Real Peace in Pakistan’s Northwest

By Nazia Khan

“Peace has been restored,” Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, declared on a visit to North Waziristan earlier in May. He commended the Pakistani army for reestablishing order in the tribal agency that abuts Afghanistan and has been used as a safe haven by a variety militant groups. He also called on those displaced by the […]

When the Kremlin Makes An Offer You Can’t Refuse

By Stephen Blank

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has multiple dimensions, and the energy dimension is one that has been underestimated. Russia has sought to make Ukraine dependent on its abundant energy since 2006. The reason is simple: Russia wants economic and political control over Ukraine and it wants to enmesh Ukraine’s government and elites in a web of […]

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.