Middle East

Libya’s NTC Turns over Power: Where Does the Transition Go From Here?

By Karim Mezran

Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), the highest governing since last year’s overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi, will turn over authority to the newly elected General National Congress (GNC) tomorrow. What does the turnover portend for the selection of a new government?  What are the powers of the GNC and what will its role be in the […]

Both Regime and Opposition in Syria Are Mysteries

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Professor Heidi Lane of the Naval War College suggests that prudence not intervention is the best course of action in Syria in a conversation with Sarwar Kashmeri,  senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. (8 minute audio interview)

Syria’s Olympian Tragedy and the New Middle East

By Julian Lindley-French

The struggle for Syria is forging a new Middle East. Summer Olympics are often used by desperate, repressive, time-expired regimes to act repressively. The Russians invaded Georgia in the midst of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Now, the Assad regime is attacking Syria’s largest city Aleppo. Some estimates suggest up to 200,000 people have already been […]

Where are the Kingston Trio when you need them?

By Harlan Ullman

Where is the Kingston Trio when needed? For those who may not recall or weren’t born then, the group was a singing sensation of the late 1950s and early 1960s, so much so that the Trio achieved cult status. Their 1959 hit, “They’re Rioting in Africa (The Merry Minuet)” was eerily prescient of today in […]

Limits of Military Power

By Derek Reveron

In its recent report titled “A Decade at War.” the Pentagon’s Directorate for Joint Force Development (J-7) observed that  the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan “were often marked by numerous missteps and challenges as the US government and military applied a strategy and force suited for a different threat and environment.”

Before taking on Syria, U.S. should heed lesson of the past

By Kiron K. Skinner

On June 6, 1982, Israel, seeking to relieve pressure on its northern borders by dismantling the Palestine Liberation Organization’s base of operation, invaded Lebanon, a country beset by civil war and Syrian occupation. Soon thereafter, France, Italy and the United States formed a multinational force to help stabilize the country — as differing factions of […]

Task Force on Security Cooperation with the Transitioning Arab Democracies Trip to Egypt and Tunisia

On July 6-13, the Atlantic Council’s Task Force on US Security Cooperation with the Transitioning Arab Democracies, co-chaired by Congressman Jim Kolbe and General George Casey, launched a study tour in Cairo and Tunis.

The Changing American Way of War

By Derek Reveron

Since November 2001, the United States has been on a massive war footing, with 2.4 million forces deployed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Compared to previous wars, thankfully, casualties have been minimal. In Iraq, under 4,500 were killed and 30,000 wounded. In Afghanistan, fewer than 2,000 have been killed and 15,000 wounded. While physical […]

US and NATO Options for Dealing with Assad

By Sarwar Kashmeri

“Assad must go” seems to be the only refrain in Washington and Brussels. However, America’s national interests may lie in a different direction. Kurt Volker, former US Ambassador to NATO, joins in conversation with Sarwar Kashmeri, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. (8 minute audio podcast)