Middle East

Waiting for Death in Aleppo

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Any hope of reviving a US- and Russian-backed ceasefire agreement in Syria may have been dashed by the air and ground offensives unleashed by the Syrian regime on the rebel-held parts of the western city of Aleppo. Backed by Russia, the Syrian military has launched a “ferocious” attack on Aleppo using bunker-busting bombs and outlawed […]

Saving Syrians: A Discussion with Raed al-Saleh, Head of the White Helmets

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

On September 27, 2016 the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a discussion on the conditions in northern Syria and the work of the Syria Civil Defense, or “White Helmets. Ambassador Frederic C. Hof, director of the Hariri Center, moderated a discussion with the head of the White Helmets Raed al-Saleh, […]

Ties That Bind: US-Iran Engagement and the Peace Corps Legacy

By South Asia Center

On Monday, September 26, 2016, the South Asia Center’s Future of Iran Initiative hosted a panel discussion moderated by the Future of Iran Initiative’s Acting Director Barbara Slavin featuring John Limbert, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, US Naval Academy, Farzaneh Milani, Professor and Chair, Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures, University […]

Refugee Victims’ Families Still Search for Answers and Solutions

By Jiwan Soz

In August of last year, 71 refugees (59 men, 8 women, and 4 children) from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan traveling from Hungary to Austria were found dead in a truck on the side of the road. The incident was covered briefly in the news and quickly forgotten, but for the victims’ families, who are still […]

Yemen Heightens Tension in Saudi’s International Relations

By Tarek Radwan

The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has witnessed considerable strain over the past few years, but increasing reports documenting poor targeting practices and disproportionate collateral damage in the Saudi-led coalition’s conduct of the war in Yemen has sparked an unprecedented outcry in the US Congress.

Taking Stock of Iran’s Missile Program

Iran’s missile program should “rank among the highest priorities of US national security concerns,” said Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador who serves on the Atlantic Council’s board of directors. In a parade on September 21, Iran’s “military displayed long-range missiles, tanks, and the Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air defense system,” according to a Reuters report. “It’s […]

The Presidential Debates: Here’s What We Would Like to Know

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her Republican challenger, Donald Trump, took part in their first presidential debate in New York on September 26. The debate was the first of three. Here are some questions the Atlantic Council’s experts would like to pose to the candidates.