Category: Blogs

Content

MENASource

Sep 11, 2018

Saudi’s Vision 2030 continues to solicit concerns

By Stephen Grand

The Saudi government shelved plans in late August for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Saudi Aramco, the state’s mammoth oil company. King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman had intended the proceeds from the sale of a portion of the company’s stock to underwrite their “Vision 2030” program, an ambitious roadmap […]

Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Sep 11, 2018

Iran’s Political Debate Over Negotiating With the Trump Administration

By Farhad Rezaei

President Donald Trump’s offer to “meet with the Iranian president without preconditions if they wanted to meet” has been roundly rejected by Iran’s hardline establishment but has sparked a lively debate over the wisdom and efficacy of such a move in alleviating pressure on Iran’s economy. During a recent meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Has Trump shut the door to Middle East peace with closure of Palestinian office?

By David Wemer

The decision to close the PLO office is seen by some as a reflection of the Trump administration’s growing frustration to secure a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians—even as the administration is set to unveil its proposed “deal of the century.”

Crisis Management Israel

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2018

Why Independence for Ukraine’s Orthodox Church Is an Earthquake for Putin

By Taras Kuzio

The creation of an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church is Ukraine’s ultimate answer to Putin’s aggression.

Civil Society Russia

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Six years after a US Ambassador was killed in Benghazi, Libya remains mired in Chaos

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Libya today has two power centers—an internationally recognized government based in Tripoli and an internationally recognized parliament based in eastern city of Tobruk.

Conflict Libya

Rebuilding Syria

Sep 10, 2018

Has the US given up on stabilization efforts in Syria?

By Emily Burchfield

The Trump administration announced last month that it would not be releasing the over $200 million in State Department funds destined for stabilization operations in Syria, which were “frozen” by President Trump earlier in March this year pending comprehensive review.

Syria

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2018

New Law Invites Corruption but Ukraine’s Government Is Actually Fixing It

By Paul Thomas

Corruption remains Ukraine’s greatest scourge. But while there are ample examples of it around the country, signs are emerging that government is heeding civil society’s cries for change. A new tax policy implemented in July 2018 is a key example: the fight to change this policy in order to directly reduce corruption is being waged […]

Ukraine

IranSource

Sep 10, 2018

Iran and the US Should Use the UN to Reopen a Channel for Dialogue

By Daniel R. DePetris

To say that the US-Iran relationship is at new low would be an understatement. Whatever slim opening existed as a result of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been closed shut, replaced by a cacophony of mutual threats, personal insults, financial sanctions and the absence of even basic communication between Washington and […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Moscow looks to flex its muscles in the East

By Brooks Tigner

While far from the Alliance’s borders this time, the forthcoming event’s location, huge scale, and unusual partner participation (China) carry strategic implications for NATO and the West, and also raise serious questions open to diverse interpretation.

China NATO

UkraineAlert

Sep 10, 2018

How to Lose a Presidential Election Before It Even Starts: Ukraine’s Top Reform Party Turns on Itself

By Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s Maidan reformers had a real shot at reaching a tipping point and changing the country once and for all. In 2014, the reform-oriented Samopomich party, led by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, performed far better than expected in the parliamentary elections just a few months after street protests ejected pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych. The Lviv-based […]

Ukraine
Load More