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IranSource

Dec 9, 2019

US policy hinders positive ‘regime change’ in Iran

By Barbara Slavin

With the rare exception of a weekend prisoner swap, the record of US-Iran relations since the Trump administration came to office has been dismal both for the Iranian people and for US national interests.

Iran Middle East

EnergySource

Dec 6, 2019

The Neue Ostpolitik approach to Nord Stream 2: A legal fiction carried a little too far

By Dr. Benjamin L. Schmitt

Some Nord Stream 2 proponents invoke the Ostpolitik of the late Cold War, which involved West German cooperation with Moscow on Russian energy exports to Western Europe. But this time around, Europe does not need additional Russian gas volumes and its position is in opposition to the views of most of Eastern Europe. From this perspective, Nord Stream 2 is flawed Ostpolitik.

Energy Markets & Governance European Union

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2019

Détente in the Gulf?

By Kirsten Fontenrose

The National Security Council’s policy process aimed at designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization may accidentally contribute to a resolution of the Gulf rift.

Politics & Diplomacy Terrorism

SyriaSource

Dec 6, 2019

Reconstruction and security sector reform in Syria must go hand in hand

By Nora-Elise Beck and Lars Döbert

The structure and characteristics of the pre-conflict Syrian security sector contributed heavily to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war; for decades, it stood for corruption, discrimination, violent repression, and large-scale human rights abuses. When the Arab Spring began to unfold in Egypt and Tunisia in early 2011, a group of Syrian school boys got […]

Germany Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2019

Afghanistan at a crossroads

By James B. Cunningham

After decades of conflict, today there is at least a prospect that a path to peace in Afghanistan might be opened. At the same time, it seems that once again the country is at a crossroads, with its future to be determined by decisions that will be taken in the coming weeks by Afghans, their partners, and their adversaries. Those decisions can set the stage for further success in the hard struggle of the Afghan people and their elected leaders for the better future they are striving for.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2019

Prime minister promises “Sudan will never be the same again”

By David A. Wemer

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok became the first Sudanese leader to travel to Washington, DC in more than thirty years, seeking to win more international support for his transitional government as it tries to guide Sudan towards democracy. “There is a success story that is emerging” in Sudan, Hamdok told an audience at the Atlantic Council on December 5. In a “region full of crises and riddled with conflicts, Sudan provides hope,” Hamdok declared.

Democratic Transitions Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

EnergySource

Dec 5, 2019

What does a sunset coal industry tell oil producers about peak demand?

By Henning Gloystein

When it eventually peaks, a look at coal gives a glimpse of what could happen in other sectors. Peak demand does not mean consumption will fall off a cliff—coal demand has so far plateaued at or near records, with pockets of growth still around. What could this mean for oil?

Energy Transitions Oil and Gas

IranSource

Dec 5, 2019

Assessing US policy toward Iran

By Kenneth Katzman

The effectiveness of any US policy needs to be measured against the primary objective it is seeking to accomplish. A policy might be changing some conditions in a target country, but not others. The conditions that are being changed by US policy might be material to US interests, or they might not. The key question […]

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Iran

UkraineAlert

Dec 4, 2019

The shadow of Munich hangs over Russia-Ukraine Paris peace talks

By Bohdan Nahaylo

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin face-to-face for the first time next week at Paris peace talks hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. With France publicly promoting the need for improved ties with the Kremlin, many fear Ukraine could face pressure to make dangerous concessions.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Dec 4, 2019

Profit over principle: Apple appeases the Kremlin

By Diane Francis

Apple has changed the labelling on its apps for Russian users and now shows Ukraine's occupied Crimean peninsula as Russian territory. This follows a similar move by Google earlier in 2019. By bowing to the Kremlin's demands, do global tech giants risk normalizing Russian aggression against Ukraine?

Conflict Disinformation
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