Content

In the News

Apr 29, 2021

Preble on the Net Assessment podcast: Mission accomplished in Afghanistan?

By Atlantic Council

On April 29, Christopher Preble and co-hosts debated the wisdom of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan on War on the Rock’s Net Assessment podcast. They discussed the counter-argument that the Biden administration should have kept a small force in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, but questioned whether that would have […]

Afghanistan English

TURKEYSource

Apr 29, 2021

Turkey and the new Libyan government: continuity, change, and new opportunities

By Karim Mezran and Dario Cristiani

The new Libyan leadership’s early moves on the international stage demonstrate its openness to engaging with all actors. Interim Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh's government's closest and most important international partner is Turkey, which, driven by strategic interests has continued to support the internationally recognized Libya government.

Conflict Libya

In the News

Apr 29, 2021

Slavin quoted in VOA on Iran’s election to UN Women’s Rights Commission

Human Rights Iran

SouthAsiaSource

Apr 29, 2021

Rebooting neutrality in Afghan foreign policy – A framework for global and regional engagement on Afghanistan post-US and NATO withdrawal

By Tamim Asey

Afghanistan is caught between a rock and a hard place, trapped between a turbulent global and regional environment and uncertain domestic politics resulting from the departure of American troops. In this context, the Afghan foreign policy and national security establishment should declare Afghanistan as a neutral zone through the adoption of a neutral foreign policy.

Afghanistan Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Apr 29, 2021

Adding an Ishmael Track to the Abraham Accords: How to pursue détente between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE

By Kirsten Fontenrose

Most Middle East observers thought that they would never see normalization between Arabs and Israelis in their lifetimes. Now that we have seen this step taken—this chasm jumped—there is no reason not to envision Arab-Iranian normalization if the regimes prioritize long-term national interests like their economies, their self-sufficiency, and the future well-being of their publics. This roadmap is theirs for the taking.

Iran Politics & Diplomacy

In-Depth Research & Reports

Apr 29, 2021

Iranian women in the year 1400: The struggle for equal rights continues

By Mehrangiz Kar and Azadeh Pourzand

A new report outlines an image of women’s struggles for equality to help US policymakers better understand the intricacies of Iranian society and to design policies that support—but do not supplant or undermine—the women’s movement.

Conflict Iran

Fast Thinking

Apr 29, 2021

FAST THINKING: Biden’s challenge to China and Congress

By Atlantic Council

President Joe Biden described an array of challenges at home and abroad during a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday to mark one hundred whirlwind days in office. To a socially distanced hall of masked dignitaries, Biden staked out ambitious domestic plans and placed them in the frame of broader competition with China to “win the 21st century.”

Climate Change & Climate Action Coronavirus

SouthAsiaSource

Apr 29, 2021

The Biden administration must incorporate India’s provincial elections in West Bengal and Assam into its South Asia foreign policy

By Rudabeh Shahid and Kaveri Sarkar

Away from India's awful COVID-19 scenes playing out are elections Washington should not ignore. The ongoing state elections in India’s east, specifically the states of West Bengal and Assam, are characterized by dynamics central to today’s India and their results will have long-lasting implications for national politics. The fanning of toxic identity politics, compromising of democratic institutions, the worrisome rise of COVID-19 cases, and the effect on foreign relations are aspects of these elections that deserve Washington’s serious attention.

Bangladesh Coronavirus

Event Recap

Apr 29, 2021

Charting a course in Chad: Implications and analysis

By Africa Center

On Thursday, April 29, the Africa Center hosted a private roundtable on the evolving situation in Chad, featuring US, French, and Chadian perspectives.

Africa Conflict

IranSource

Apr 29, 2021

COVID-19 depressed women’s employment everywhere, and more so in Iran

By Nadereh Chamlou

In Iran, the closures and the pandemic have depressed women’s already low economic participation rates by about 20 percent. However, even during periods of relatively high economic rates of growth, female labor force participation and unemployment rates have remained unmoved.

Iran Middle East

Experts

Events