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SyriaSource

May 14, 2018

The Black Prison of Afrin

By Khalifa al-Khuder

Sixty-eight prisoners are crammed into an overcrowded communal cell somewhere in the Afrin valley. Where they sit depends on how many days they have been imprisoned. As prisoners spend more time in the cell, they gradually move further from the door. New detainees sit and sleep closest to the dormitory’s entrance, standing up as the […]

Syria

EnergySource

May 14, 2018

Getting to the finish line of the global energy transition

By Debora Frodl

While it might be difficult to tell, as the lights are still on, the global electricity system is in the midst of a profound transformation—one that will impact every facet of people’s daily lives. The transformation underway will ultimately lead to an energy system that delivers more usable energy to more people across the globe […]

Energy Transitions

New Atlanticist

May 14, 2018

All You Need to Know As The United States Opens its Embassy in Jerusalem

By Ashish Kumar Sen

[Editor’s note: This blog post has been updated.] Massive protests have erupted in the Gaza Strip on May 14 as the United States relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, becoming the world’s first nation to have an embassy in the holy city. On December 6, US President Donald J. Trump announced his decision […]

Israel

IranSource

May 11, 2018

The President’s Speech and the Prospects of an Iranian-Israeli War

By Ehud Eiran

The evening US President Donald J. Trump took the United States out of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it smelled in Israel as if war was coming. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a trip to Cyprus. His Chief of Staff canceled  his speech in the prestigious Herzliya conference. A few minutes before President […]

Iran Israel

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Iraqi Parliamentary Elections in a Fragmented Political Landscape

By Andrea Taylor

The Iraqi parliamentary elections on May 12 are likely to be critical in their symbolism but far from definitive in their outcomes. Free and fair elections that lead to the peaceful political transition of members of the Council of Representatives—a process consistent with the 2005 Constitution—could help to solidify Iraqi democratic confidence. Nonetheless, how Iraqis […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Iraq Votes: Expect Uncertainty

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Iraqis will vote on May 12 in their first election since the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). With nearly 7,000 candidates vying for 329 seats in parliament, no single political alliance is expected to emerge with an outright majority. As a consequence, the days after the vote will be marked […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Bridging the Gulf in the GCC

By Rachel Brandenburg

Relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have been fractured for much of the past year. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 citing reports that Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had made remarks of the United States while offering support for […]

International Organizations North Africa

MENASource

May 11, 2018

Killing the JCPOA: Opportunity missed?

By Frederic C. Hof

As reported previously by this writer, senior Iranian former officials repeatedly told him and other Americans in unofficial, track II discussions preceding the nuclear deal, that Iran had no intention of weaponizing nuclear energy. The reason offered had nothing to do with Koranic proscriptions. To paraphrase one of the Iranian ex-officials, “Look at all we […]

Crisis Management Iran

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Howard Schultz’s Venti Call to Action

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Amid questions about the “moral leadership of America,” Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks Corporation, said in Washington on May 10 that business leaders must realize that the onus is on them to step up to the plate. “Businesses and business leaders must understand that we are living at a time where the rules of […]

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2018

Scaparrotti: Preserve the Alliance

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The United States and NATO must take steps to preserve the unity of the transatlantic alliance in the face of a “complex and dynamic security environment,” said Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, supreme allied commander Europe and commander, US European Command.Noting skepticism about the strength of the rules-based international order, Scaparrotti said: “This is why now, more than ever, […]

NATO Security & Defense
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