Middle East

Syria & Sectarianism: Implications (Part II)

By Jonathan Paris

The Arab Spring accentuated two long-standing developments in the region: political Islam and Sunni-Shia sectarianism. While the path of political Islam is less certain following Egypt’s hot summer, the rise of sectarianism, especially in Syria, continues unabated.

NATO Agrees to Help Libya’s Security Forces

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO

Allies have agreed to respond positively to the request made by the Libyan Prime Minister for NATO to provide advice on defence institution building in Libya, as part of the overall efforts of the international community.

Syria & Sectarianism: Drivers (Part I)

By Jonathan Paris

The Arab Spring accentuated two long-standing developments in the region: political Islam and Sunni-Shia sectarianism. While the path of political Islam is less certain following Egypt’s hot summer, the rise of sectarianism, especially in Syria, continues unabated.

Saudi Arabia Rejects Security Council Seat: Pique is Not a Policy

By Richard LeBaron

As the Hajj holiday wound down in Riyadh, the Saudi foreign ministry released a surprise statement Friday rejecting the Kingdom’s election to a two-year non-permanent position on the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Who Represents Egypt?

By Tarek Radwan

The Muslim Brotherhood recently suffered its most decisive blow yet. Egypt’s State Litigation Authority decided on October 8 to forego any challenge to the September court ruling that bans “the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood organization and its non-governmental organization and all the activities that it participates in and any organization derived from it.” This […]

Why Russia Keeps Moving The Football On European Missile Defense: Politics

By Joan Johnson-Freese and Ralph Savelsberg, Breaking Defense

The Russian Foreign Ministry has continually insisted on legally binding guarantees that US missile defenses are not aimed at it and that would allow Russia access to sensitive aspects of the system.

US Offers Mobile Unit to Destroy Syria’s Chemical Weapons

By Anthony Deutsch and David Alexander, Reuters

The Pentagon is suggesting the world’s chemical weapons watchdog use a U.S.-made mobile destruction unit in Syria to neutralize the country’s toxic stockpile, officials told Reuters.

Geneva Talks on Iran: A New Beginning?

On October 18, 2013 the Atlantic Council held a members’ conference call entitled “Geneva Talks on Iran: A New Beginning?” with R. Nicholas Burns, professor of the practice of diplomacy and international politics at the Kennedy School. The call was moderated by Atlantic Council President and CEO Fred Kempe. Download the Transcript

The Rationale Behind European Union Efforts in Egypt

By Fady Salah

The European Union (EU) has been heavily engaged in ongoing events in Egypt over the past few months. As political unrest has prevailed, several EU officials visited Egypt to meet with government representatives, both of the current and former regimes, as well as party officials from across the political spectrum. The most notable EU official […]