Middle East

Transatlantic Cooperation Towards the Middle East

On December 4, the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Relations program hosted an off-the-record roundtable discussion with Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the Italian Parliament, Lapo Pistelli. Pistelli has been an integral part of Enrico Letta’s government since his appointment in May 2013. The conversation also featured program directors from the Atlantic Council’s […]

Majority of Americans Disapprove of Obama’s Handling of Foreign Policy

By Pew Research Center

Foreign policy, once a relative strength for President Obama, has become a target of substantial criticism. By a 56% to 34% margin more disapprove than approve of his handling of foreign policy.

The Egyptian People Are Not Ready

By Mohammad Tolba

The Egyptian people are not ready. So said Omar Suleiman, when he wanted to strip the Egyptian people of their right to choose who governs them, when they wanted to end the state of humiliation and disgrace they lived in under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

Yemen’s economic agenda: Beyond short-term survival

By Danya Greenfield

A new Atlantic Council report, Yemen’s Economic Agenda: Beyond Short-Term Survival, argues that if the Yemeni government fails to prioritize progress on the economic front, the country’s democratic transition risks derailment and may witness renewed conflict. Prioritizing the economy has been postponed because of political uncertainty and security problems, but the status quo can no […]

The Nuclear Deal with Iran and the Law of Unintended Consequences

By Harlan Ullman

The Thanksgiving holiday and the consumer shopping frenzy over “Black Friday” last week temporarily captured America headlines obscuring for a brief spell, the nuclear deal that, if consummated, will assure Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. But make no mistake. Debate over the agreement signed by the P5+1, the European Union, and Iran will fill […]

American Leadership and the Future of the Transatlantic Alliance

By Marco Rubio, Chatham House

We are witnessing an attack on our shared values.

Tunisia: How the Region’s “Best Hope” Needs Help

By Lara Talverdian

Despite signs of an increasingly divided society, the recent stalemate between Tunisia’s ruling Troika (led by Ennahda and two smaller, secular parties) and the opposition will likely be resolved through the national dialogue currently underway. It still faces many difficult hurdles, however, and support from the international community is essential.

Egypt’s Protest Law: The Interim Government and the Fabrication of Problems

By Nader Bakkar

While the Nour Party represented the second largest bloc in the Shura Council, it was critical of the council’s inability to fulfill its basic role. It was also critical of the manner in which it issued one law after the other, as if in a race against time, the deadline looming set by the next […]