Category: Blogs

Artful Balance: US Must Consider Defense Pact with Arab Gulf States, Says Atlantic Council Report

By Larry Luxner

The Pentagon must consider a formal defense treaty with its Arab Gulf allies in light of Iran’s ongoing attempts to destabilize the region politically, according to a new Atlantic Council report. “While we have very effective forces and a strategy guiding those forces, it’s our sense that there’s enough going on in the world that […]

Lee Kuan Yew: The Power of Big Thinking

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Gov. Huntsman discusses the legacy of Singapore’s late leader Lee Kuan Yew, who as its first Prime Minister transformed Singapore from a tiny, impoverished port city into an economic giant, died March 23. In a phone interview with the New Atlanticist’s Ashish Kumar Sen, Atlantic Council Chairman Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., remembers a man he […]

Tunisia’s Foreign Policy: A Delicate Balance

By Youssef Cherif

As a small and relatively poor country with limited natural resources and military capabilities, Tunisia will have to manage its relationship with powerful Western countries and volatile regional partners to ensure its future stability.

Top News: Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Sign Declaration of Principles to Resolve Nile Dam Dispute

By EgyptSource

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed an initial agreement on Monday, in a critical step towards resolving a four-year dispute over Nile water sharing arrangements among Basin countries.

Top News: Houthis Seize Taiz, UN Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting

By MENASource

Fighters from the Houthi movement seized Yemen’s third-largest city Taiz late on Saturday.

Egypt’s New Capital: The Promise and the Illusion

By Sonia Farid

The highlight of Egypt’s three-day investment conference held in mid-March was the announcement of a new capital city. The news also proved to be the most controversial of the international gathering, where Egypt concluded deals surpassing all previously announced expectations. The 700-square kilometer new capital, the first phase of which it is estimated will cost […]

Russia’s Return to Africa: An Update

By J. Peter Pham

One year after the disputed referendum to join Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula to Russia, the Kremlin is increasingly finding in Africa a welcome break from what has otherwise been its continued international diplomatic and economic isolation as a result of its aggression against its Eastern European neighbor.

EconSource: Export diversification a must for GCC

By EconSource

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while the share of non-hydrocarbon output in GDP has increased steadily in many Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the export diversification of these countries has been limited. The GCC countries have implemented policies to support economic diversification, including reforms to strengthen the business environment, develop infrastructure, and increase […]

Russia Threatens to Aim Nuclear Missiles at Denmark’s Ships If It Joins NATO Shield

By Reuters, Telegraph, and Copenhagen Post

From Reuters:  Russia threatened to aim nuclear missiles at Danish warships if Denmark joins NATO’s missile defense system,

US-India Relations: ‘Strategic Plus’

US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, addressed a conference hosted by the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center in New Delhi on March 16. The Vivekananda International Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry, and US Embassy in New Delhi co-hosted the event.