Ashish Kumar Sen

Although Trump recognized Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital, he didn’t describe it as the undivided capital of Israel. Why does this matter?

US President Donald J. Trump’s decision to reverse almost seven decades of US policy and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is “potentially, a pretty serious mistake,” said James B. Cunningham, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

John Kerry Sets the Record Straight US Secretary of State John Kerry on January 10 took a thinly veiled swipe at US President-elect Donald Trump while warning of the perils of living in a “factless political environment” and expressing consternation that the process for nominating officials to serve in the next administration is being flouted.

A Two-Pronged US Strategy for the Middle East  The United States must develop a two-pronged strategy for the Middle East that prioritizes ending the civil wars and unlocking untapped human potential, according to a new report from the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Strategy Task Force.

Keep the Faith: Fighting Islamophobia The United States and Europe have entered a “dark period” of Islamophobia, and no easy solutions are at hand, panelists contended in a discussion at the Atlantic Council in Washington on October 20.

Give (Arab) Peace (Initiative) a Chance   In the absence of a credible Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, Gulf Arab states and Israel will find it hard to elevate their security cooperation to deal with the threats posed by Iran and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, according to the Atlantic Council’s Bilal Y. Saab.

Donald Trump: A ‘Dangerous’ Man R. Nicholas Burns, an Atlantic Council board director who served as the State Department’s number three official in the George W. Bush administration, offered a searing critique of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s April 27 foreign policy speech in an interview with the New Atlanticist’s Ashish Kumar Sen. Burns is currently a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and an advisor to Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign.* Here are excerpts from our interview.

With the Middle East in Turmoil, Japan Looks to Diversify its Energy Options  Spurred into action by the instability in the Middle East—its predominant source of crude oil—Japan is actively looking outside the region to diversify its energy options and enhance its own renewable energy production capabilities.

Is the United States a Less Reliable Ally?   The United States’ friends and allies in the Middle East see Washington as a less reliable partner and are “talking fairly openly about alternatives” such as Russia and China, retired Gen. James L. Jones, Jr., a former US National Security Advisor, said on Dec. 8.

‘We Are Not Freaks of Nature’ Few people would be surprised to learn that people in the Middle East—just like Americans—care first and foremost about bread-and-butter issues, their lives, and the lives of their families.

US unhappy over Hamas-Fatah pact   The Obama administration has criticised reconciliation between rival Palestinian groups, describing it as "troubling" and a blow to the currently stalled peace process with Israel.

Smuggled Libyan arms disrupting North Africa The Obama administration and other Western governments ignored early warnings about small arms and explosives being smuggled out of Libya — weapons that now have fallen into the hands of al Qaeda -linked militants waging war across North Africa.

Pounded by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces for nearly 50 days, the largest rebel-held city in western Libya has become a symbol, a coveted prize in a civil war gripped in a bloody stalemate.

Libyan rebels, angry about a lull in NATO airstrikes on dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s forces, are directing their rage at Turkey, the only Muslim member of the alliance.

Thousands of people in Tripoli live in fear of secret police as they struggle with a shortage of food and fuel approaching a humanitarian crisis, several current and former residents of the Libyan capital said Tuesday.

Cracks are emerging in Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s inner circle, raising the possibility that the Libyan dictators grip on power may be weakening after 42 years.

Col. Moammar Gadhafi appeared to be scrambling for a political solution to the civil war in Libya, as his favorite son proposed a peace plan and a key envoy headed to Greece on Sunday with a message to the prime minister from the Libyan dictator.

Libyan dissidents and relatives of those killed in the bombing of an airliner over Scotland in 1988 said Thursday that Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s former foreign minister must be held accountable for his suspected role in acts of terrorism, despite his defection from the regime.

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi sent rebels on a full-scale retreat Wednesday from towns captured earlier this week, as resistance sources blamed a sudden lack of allied air cover and a shortage of arms for the rout.

Libyan rebels say condoms and Viagra found on soldiers loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi are proof of a campaign of rape waged by the Libyan dictator to terrorize male and female opponents.