Category: Content Series

The Role of Decentralization in Combatting Extremist Influence in Iraq

By Todd Diamond

Many governance experts see decentralization as a potential model to mitigate political and sectarian challenges in Syria, Libya, and Iraq and improve livelihoods in those countries by restoring basic services to local populations. But in countries with a long history of absolute control, central government officials frequently resist any reforms seen as weakening their influence, […]

Atlantic Council Launches the Final Report of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq

By Atlantic Council

WASHINGTON, DC – The Atlantic Council releases today the report of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq chaired by Ambassador Ryan Crocker and convened by Senior Nonresident Fellow Dr. Nussaibah Younis.

Amb. Ryan Crocker on the Future of Iraq Task Force Final Report

By Atlantic Council

Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Chair of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq points to the conclusion of the United States’ offensive in Mosul against the Islamic State (ISIS) saying, “We’ve got to focus on the fact that the Islamic State itself is not the problem, it’s the symptom of the problem.” 

Hearing to Review US Assistance for Central America

Pipeline Diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean

By Firas Maksad and Jean-François Seznec

A creative solution to a quarrel over maritime borders could serve the interests of Lebanon and Israel Recent oil and gas developments in the eastern Mediterranean have brought back into the spotlight the issue of an ongoing maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon that has created uncertainty among prospective foreign investors over the potential […]

Syria Reconstruction and the Illusion of Leverage

By Steven Heydemann

In early April, two days before the United States attacked a Syrian airbase with cruise missiles, high-level representatives from some seventy countries convened in Brussels for a conference on the future of Syria. The issue of Syria’s post-war reconstruction featured prominently on the agenda. Its presence signaled more than a concern with the daunting challenges […]