Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

The irony of Italy’s election for energy

By John Roberts

The new Italian government’s declaration that it is reviewing the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project threatens to derail a $40 billion set of projects that will bring Caspian gas to Europe and hand Russia a major victory in the process. What is at stake is the final leg of a complex set of projects referred […]

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats: ‘Look at the Actions of the Russian State, Not Putin’s Pronouncements’

Remarks as prepared for delivery by The Honorable Dan Coats Director of National Intelligence Tocqueville Conversation Friday, June 8, 2018 Normandy, France Good evening, and sincere thanks to the Atlantic Council, Le Figaro, and the Tocqueville Foundation for organizing this important conversation about Democracy in the West. I enjoyed catching up with Atlantic council board […]

Lest we forget

By Charles Ebinger

In honor of our nation’s birthday and with the 51st anniversary of the six-day war just behind us, in June 1967, it is imperative that we remember the crew of the USS Liberty, who gave their lives not to a foe, but to an unprovoked attack. A review of this tragic event is hopefully useful […]

Discussion on communal violence, security threats, and elections in Mali

By Africa Center

On Friday, June 8, the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in collaboration with the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), hosted a discussion on USHMM’s new report: Regions at Risk: Preventing Mass Atrocities in Mali. The event featured the report’s authors, Mr. Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, early warning […]

#ElectionWatch: Down Ballot Bots in Mexico

By Donara Barojan

Researchers have observed the use of bots for the purpose of promoting candidates, campaign materials, and opposition research for Mexico's election.

#ElectionWatch: Fraud Claims in Colombia

By Jose Luis Peñarredonda

After the first round in Colombia’s presidential election, citizens shared claims on social media of ballot tampering in favor of candidate Iván Duque.

Sanctions or self-sabotage? The story of Iran’s oil industry

By Ellen Wald

Following the lifting of international sanctions in January 2016, there was a great deal of optimism for Iran’s oil economy. Even though the global oil industry was a year into a price collapse, many companies were eager to explore investment opportunities in Iran’s neglected oil and gas assets. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and […]

Mexico presidential candidate series: A conversation with Carlos Manuel Urzúa Macías, adviser to Andrés Manuel López Obrador

By Domingo Sadurní

As presidential elections in Mexico approach, candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador reached a new high of 48.12% voter support, according to a poll published on June 3rd by El Pais/Oraculus. Without runoff elections in Mexico, it is unlikely that José Antonio Meade’s coalition Todos por Mexico or Ricardo Anaya’s Por Mexico al Frente could effectively […]

The Troubled Partnership–Where Are Transatlantic Relations Heading?

By Elin Schiffer

On June 5, the Atlantic Council Northern Europe Office in Stockholm, in cooperation with Allmänna Försvarsföreningen (AFF), organized a morning seminar with Alexander Vershbow, Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council and former Deputy Secretary General of NATO.