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Editorial Team: Ambassador Grabar-Kitarović has answered ten questions from atlantic-community.org members and friends. Read her responses on NATO policy on women’s rights, UN resolution 1325, Afghanistan, Arab spring, and the Balkans.
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Editorial Team: In celebration of the 12th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, atlantic-community.org invites you to participate in our next Q&A session with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. She will be answering questions on “Women, Peace and Security”.
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David Murdo Ian Macdonald: The Arab Spring has created a number of significant regional challenges for Turkey, whom was caught off guard by the magnitude and speed of events. Several neighboring regimes quickly became destabilized, threatening the delicate balance of regional relations that Turkey had built up.
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Vikas Kumar: Arab societies need their own local solutions in creating democratic societies. These solutions can take on a variety of forms. However, some reforms are more likely to bear fruit given the cultural context. Here are some ideas for laying the groundwork for democracy in the Arab world.
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Editorial Team: The last two years were packed full of great ideas from our community of over 7,000 members. In surveying opinion articles published by our members during the time, Turkey’s foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government remains a popular topic on Atlantic Community.
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Editorial Team: Our 2012 policy workshop competition featured many fantastic articles from our members, produced great Atlantic Memos and received enthusiastic feedback from decision makers! Editor-in-Chief Joerg Wolf takes a look back at the five months of “Your Ideas, Your NATO” in this new video.
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Jann Boeddeling: Last year, the Egyptian people asserted themselves against an oppressive state. They have stood their ground on Tahrir Square and elsewhere ever since. At the end, they may carve out a more permanent and much different political role for themselves than many currently think: a distinctively Islamic political system that puts a very direct emphasis on people-power - a perpetual Tahrir.
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Vikas Kumar: The Arab Spring brought hope to many, especially minorities in North Africa. The Berbers are one of the largest minority groups in the region. The long struggle for recognition of their language and culture may finally be succeeding. There is still work left to do though.
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Alexander Corbeil: The Arab Spring presents an opportunity for the West to re-engage Arab polities and allow for democratic transition. For this to occur, Arab elites, the “kingmakers” in any transitional process, must be provided assurances that their interests will be respected, a crucial aspect of Memo 39.
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Yasir Kuoti: The Arab Spring is not over yet and is far from the simple narrative of peace and democracy. In these underdeveloped societies, there are many difficulties to overcome and different paths to be chosen. The West should respect any democratic elections or decisions, even if Islamic-inspired.
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Gillian Kennedy: Instead of lifting spirits, the recent elections in Egypt reflected the depressed mood amongst a people demoralized by their current situation. However, the elections were not a complete loss. Egyptian liberals still have an opportunity to bring much needed change to their country.
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Editorial Team: At the culmination of atlantic-community.org’s policy workshop competition, the winners Stephanie Baulig, Geoffrey Levin, and Samuel Erickson discussed their team’s policy recommendations with Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defense Christian Schmidt and US Ambassador Philip D. Murphy.
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Stefanie Babst: NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy appeared at atlantic-community.org’s policy debate in Berlin yesterday via video, offering her reaction to the three Atlantic Memos from the policy workshop competition.
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Andrea Teti: Western governments need to recognize that authoritarian regimes are often fierce but not strong; that privatization is rarely the road to liberalization, much less democratization; and that Islamism was as wrong-footed by the uprisings as they were.
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Editorial Team: The additional articles from the second category of “Your Ideas, Your NATO” have been merged into a single “Your Opinion” piece. A recurring theme was that NATO must build civil-military relations and an intercultural youth dialogue, as well as undertake good governance and rule of law initiatives in order to support the long-term transition process underway in partner countries.
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Volodymyr Navrotskyy: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has rich experience in conducting operations in places such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Nevertheless, NATO is not the institution which has to preserve world peace.
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Editorial Team: You are cordially invited to a discussion in Berlin between Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defense Christian Schmidt, US Ambassador Philip D. Murphy, and the winners of our policy workshop competition. The dialogue will focus on unity in the Alliance, NATO’s partnerships after the Arab Spring, and Smart Defense.
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Editorial Team: Atlantic-community.org is happy to announce the winners of Category 2 of our policy workshop competition. Geoffrey Levin is our first place winner and will present the Atlantic Memo to decision makers at our event in May. Vivien Pertusot is our second place winner.
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Memo 39: New challenges require new partnerships. NATO must reach out to countries in North Africa by restructuring the Mediterranean Dialogue and partnering with other institutional actors to offer comprehensive assistance aimed at building democratic institutions.
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Editorial Team: The second theme week of our “Your Ideas, Your NATO” policy competition focused how NATO should support regional transition after the Arab Spring. Five articles were shortlisted. However, we wanted to highlight the other high quality submissions.
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Editorial Team: March was filled with a number of special segments at atlantic-community.org. From our continuing Q&A series with NATO officials (the most extensive yet) to our policy workshop competition (with a second Atlantic Memo coming next week), here are the top highlights from the month.
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Alexander Corbeil: Given NATO’s linkages to Arab states through the Mediterranean Dialogue, the Alliance should actively support the transition to democracy in post-Arab Spring countries by utilizing its various resources in the realms of institutional creation, democracy promotion, and security sector reform.
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Geoffrey Phillip Levin: To foster both regional stability and a positive working relationship with the young generation that initiated the Arab Spring, NATO should establish a program that trains young Arabs who desire to work in the security and public sectors. Such a program could set the groundwork for greater cooperation.
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Editorial Team: In the second theme week from our current policy workshop, we focus on NATO’s partnerships in North Africa and the Middle East. How can NATO best interact with the new governments forming in the wake of the Arab Spring and what should its role be in furthering security in the region? Read our young writers’ top ideas!
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Arik Segal: The Arab Spring has introduced a new actor to Middle Eastern foreign policies: the people. NATO should recognize this change and design a new public diplomacy approach that will aim to understand the new liberated nations and increase engagement with them.
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Yasmin Jeanice Mattox: NATO should encourage new intercultural youth dialogues that focus on intercultural understanding and encourage transnational unity. By increasing intercultural appreciation, these dialogues could minimize and even disincentivize future military and diplomatic issues.
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Emine Deniz: Turkey is the key component for sustainable relationships between NATO and the Middle East and North Africa. As a NATO member, Turkey represents a military and economic bridge between the West and MENA. NATO must utilize Turkey’s connections to improve the Alliance’s relations with the region.
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Gökhan Tekir: The transition period to democracy for Arab countries that experienced revolutions may beget more turmoil and civil wars. The involvement of NATO highlights the fact that Turkey has a role to help these countries set the course for stable democracies and solid economies.
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Giulia Clericetti: NATO has a chance of enhancing its cooperation in MENA, but it has to confine it to the military/strategic field, without any democratic rhetoric, and change its air of superiority to a cooperation on an equal footing that minds about the difference of cultural languages.
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Karsten M. Jung: Sixty years after its foundation, the aspirations of the Arab Spring show that NATO’s values are as relevant as they have ever been. Events in the Middle East also indicate, however, that the Alliance’s role in their pursuit has to change from merely defending to actively promoting these values.
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Elizabeth Mallia: The Mediterranean Dialogue’s aspect of soft power is one of the greatest strength’s of NATO initiative. NATO should use this soft power in tandem with social media to promote NATO’s values and agenda in the region.
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Lukas Hoder: As the experiences in East and Central European countries show, the transformation from autocratic regime to democratic government is a slow and hard process. We should be patient with the new democratic governments forming in wake of the Arab Spring.
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Nicholas Ryan Balthrop: To maintain its relevance, NATO must approach the dynamic situation across the Mediterranean with a radical expansion and redevelopment of NATO priorities; a two-tiered system involving engagement and “carrots” is essential for the future of NATO relations across the Mediterranean and beyond.
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Philip James Duffy: NATO needs a radical new approach to the Middle East. This approach would involve a recognition of the self-determination for all people in the region and not just a few. The events in the region are but a transitional period, in which NATO must support true democratic nation-states in the region.
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David Vielhaber: The Arab Spring narrative of a democratic transformation in the Middle East and North Africa is wrong. The result of the political upheavals is regression, not progression. NATO needs to come to terms with reality for the alliance to find the right approach in the post ‘Arab Spring’ environment.
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Gautier Uchiyama: About one year after the Arab Spring, North Africa is living its first steps toward democracy and the rule of law. But there is fourth common misinterpretation or misconception about the last spring riots that must be corrected.
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Julian Christopher Fuchs: For its future Middle East strategy, NATO needs to work together with the Arab militaries as the most decisive and responsive actors in the (post-) revolutionary setting and employ a policy of effective conditionality, thus facilitating a lasting democratic transition and stability.
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Sarah Wagner: Although the Arab Spring seems to demand engagement by NATO, this should not occur unless NATO has sufficiently analyzed its involvement in Afghanistan, the demands and realities on the Arab ground, and its opportunities for support. Such an approach could result in more lasting support for NATO.
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Isabelle Natalie Siqu Summerson: NATO should establish an online education and skills training program aimed at young people in order to reduce inequality in regional partner countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The ability to reach young people important if we are to connect with the next generation of leaders.
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Keri Elise Majikes: Arguing that NATO should selflessly help the Arab world transition to democratic governments through political or military programs is not only unrealistic, it’s unsustainable. Instead of trying to encourage altruistic programs to artificially create a democratic environment, NATO should focus
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David Krantz: Wars have been fought over oil, but the path to long-term sustainable peace in new and developing democracies may be through cross-border cooperation on a different natural resource. The next big struggle could be over the most essential of things: water.
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Sarah Schill: Diplomacy is the first line of defense in an interconnected world. NATO should substantially increase its diplomatic presence in Mediterranean Dialogue partner countries. The situation calls for a diplomatic presence that goes beyond what is normally required.
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Editorial Team: The NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy has responded to your questions and policy recommendations! In this first of two installments, he answers questions about cooperation with countries touched by the Arab Spring, discusses an Atlantic Memo proposal for a Global Partnership Council, and many more.
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Joshua Clapp: In conjunction with the “Your Ideas Your NATO” competition, we are providing an overview of the three categories of the contest: Values and Community, Partnerships after the Arab Spring, and Smart Defense. The readings below can help you get started on understanding the issues and making your own policy recommendations.
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Dave Roddenberry: As Yemen continues its downward trajectory, its strategic position means a multinational intervention must be considered. Though this would be a heavy undertaking, if Western nations learn from previous interventions and peace-keeping operations, they could turn Yemen from a liability into an ally.
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atlantic-community.org: We are excited to announce our newest policy workshop! We want you to tell us your ideas for promoting NATO values, building partnerships, and engaging members in the Smart Defense initiative. Winners receive a cash prize and a trip to Berlin to present their ideas to policymakers!
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Policy Workshop Competition: We are excited to announce our newest policy workshop! We want you to tell us your ideas for promoting NATO values, building partnerships, and engaging members in the Smart Defense initiative. Winners receive a cash prize and a trip to Berlin to present their ideas to policymakers!
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Ali Fathollah-Nejad: With the war drums on Iran sounding and the Arab revolts following an arduous path, there still remains no sustainable perspective for a peaceful Middle East. The Conference for Security and Cooperation can bring the important civil society element to bear in a region where state-centric solutions have failed.
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Alexandra Lewis: Yemen was hit hard by the Arab Spring, which has a cross-national appeal that has somewhat obscured its distinctiveness in each country. Demonstrations in Yemen are strongly correlated with long-standing grievances on security and development, yet protests have become entwined with existing power struggles and difficult to disentangle from local conflicts.
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NATO: Controlling what people heard, watched and read was key for Qadhafi to keep control over the Libyan people. Now, with the regime gone, Libya Al Hurra TV is playing a big part in the new free media.
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Ira Louis Straus: Despite the constant barrage of anti-NATO rhetoric among Western media and politicians, the alliance has once again scored a victory in Libya. It now needs to learn the lessons of victory and consolidate the gains it has made, both among its members and in the Arab world.
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Kishore Mahbubani: It has taken Europe’s leaders some time to adjust to Asia’s rise, and the implications of that for EU policymaking. Unrest in the Middle East points to some lessons the Europe could learn from Asia. Kishore Mahbubani remembers Brussels’ condescensions and counsels a fresh EU approach.
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Marc William Zedler: The Arab Spring has left the Middle East with a power vacuum. Three regional players, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, will be the region’s deciders for the next decade. As a global middle power, Turkey should take a principled stance in a region that needs its leadership now more than ever.
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Stefanie Babst: NATO has embraced the power of social media. The Alliance engages thousands in discussions on defense and security and these open, online debates have already borne fruit. Transatlantic policy is no longer the realm of an isolated elite: all citizens now have a chance to make an impact.
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Felix F. Seidler and Niklas Anzinger: The Arab uprisings have opened new avenues for change in Iran. To slow Tehran’s military and nuclear ambitions, Western leaders must find a resolution to the Syrian conflict, while activists should harness the social power of the internet to force the Iranian regime to reform.
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Stephanie Mazzola: Amid calls for democracy in the Arab world, we cannot help but associate “democracy” with the liberal model of government of the West. But can popular sovereignty be applied to Islamic states? It is possible, but they must first establish social foundations that allow a democratic transition to take place.
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CGA at NYU Ethnic Conflicts Learning Community : Nonviolent movements have toppled autocrats from Serbia to Egypt, and these tactics could also work in Iran. Protestors should exploit internal government divisions and leverage their youth and the strength of women to bring down this oppressive regime.
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Johnny West: The West has bemoaned the lack of democracy in the Arab world for decades. Now, as the slaughter continues in Syria, it is time for the West to back its values with action. The recent US ban on purchasing Syrian oil has a good chance of debilitating the Assad regime. Europe must do the same.
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Reese Alan Neader: To establish a functioning democracy, those shaping the new political system in Egypt will have to engage and empower the working class. If the government does not provide its people with social services and defend their human rights, extremist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could gain traction.
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Gillian Kennedy: The trial of Hosni Mubarak signals the end of an authoritarian era in the Middle East. For too long, the US and Europe acquiesced in fraudaulent elections and brutal political repression in the region. Now, they must engage with a new Arab polity to secure a real democratic transition.
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James Brian Taylor: Turkey’s relations with the United States and Europe have been strained over the past two years, despite a rich history of cooperation. But the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East provides a golden opportunity for Turkey to realign itself with the US and Europe, beginning with a reconciliation with Israel.
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Karl-Heinz Kamp: For decades, NATO favored stability over freedom in the Arab world. Now, the Alliance should support its partner countries with expertise to make their armed forces more effective in a democratic environment, especially in human rights training, international law, defense planning and border security.
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Anders Fogh Rasmussen: The international community has to ensure that the Arab Spring does not turn into a bleak winter. In Libya the question is not if Qadhafi goes, but when. NATO can help North Africa and the Middle East with its democratic transition - complementing support from other international actors, particularly the European Union and the United Nations.
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Editorial Team: “Every day, millions of refugees face murder, rape and terror,” says the UNHCR. Today is World Refugee Day, aimed at increasing awareness about the forcibly displaced worldwide. To commemorate this occasion we are asking you to join the debate on the growing Mediterranean refugee crisis.
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Daniel Novotny: The Maghreb region currently faces a distinctive combination of security threats – sociopolitical transformation sparked by the recent wave of pro-democratic movements that have spread across the entire North Africa and Middle East coupled with the ‘frozen’ border disputes and territorial conflicts which seriously undermine all efforts at regional integration.
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Global Must Read Articles
As the Arab Spring opens up the political process, those who stood side by side in opposition to tyranny are finally taking part in political life. ++ But women are increasingly having less of a say in the decision-making process. ++ This is especially true in Egypt, where conservative forces in the country are pushing for family legislation and are cutting off opportunities for women to take on
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Among all the countries involved in the Syrian “cauldron”, Turkey’s agenda is the hardest to discern. ++ Both committing itself to regime change and sponsoring an armed group for the first time in a neighboring country, Turkey is taking a huge risk. ++ Capitalizing on recent tensions with its neighbor over air space, Turkey is NATO’s wedge in this phase of the Arab Spring. ++ Turkey’s role is
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The Arab Spring has turned into an Arab winter. ++ Although wanting to emulate Turkey’s model of democratic Islamism, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is confronted with a military regime that is in favor of the older practice of “deep state” control over the tattered guise of parliament. ++ To face down democratic issues, Morsi must mobilize his own base along with progressive
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Much of the Arab Spring has been a mess. ++ Violence continues in Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and in Syria, while the victory of the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has led to a power struggle with the military. ++ Although Obama is definitely not the prime cause for the mess, he is at fault for waffling back and forth between the sides instead of choosing one. ++ By not supporting the start of
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The power struggle in Egypt between the generals and Islamists is complex. ++ The generals have not pulled off a counter-revolution. ++ They are trying to control the new democracy and hold on to their special privileges. ++ The West should oppose the generals and support the Islamists. ++ The best way to tame the Islamists is to hand them the day-to-day governing of the country. ++ More
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The Arab revolutions present the EU with a distinct challenge: still embarrassed by their support for the stability offered by the former authoritarian leaders, it now aims at supporting the fledgling democracies and human rights in the region. This is especially complex as the protesters across the southern Mediterranean do not see Europe as a political model and democracy. Whilst they share
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The chapters in this report analyze a number of features of each of the three socio-political actors in North Africa: the civil society, economic actors, and Islamist parties. It looks at their role in the current phase of transition, the extent to which they can be defined as “new” actors, and their relationship with other components of the state and society, including the remnants of the old
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If Turkey is to become a good model for Muslim nations it must synthesize liberal democracy with its traditional religious values. ++ “Post-Islamism” does not imply a detachment from Islamic identity. ++ The AKP has matched its pro-Palestinian position with peaceful support for a two-state solution. ++ Increasing authoritarianism in the AKP emerges from the usual problems of Turkish politics. ++
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Obama and Turkish PM Recep Erdogan have become unlikely partners as the Arab Spring has evolved. ++ After a blunt confrontation at the G-20 in Toronto, they have found common ground on Afghanistan, Iraq, and the fight against terror. ++ The relationship will now be key in pressuring for a peaceful change of power in Syria. ++ The “Turkish model” has become the hope for many Western
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Europe and Japan are following similar paths of decline in global importance. ++ Both were once important US allies, but now internal crises and their increasing dependence on Chinese investment have weakened their positions, and they are now seen increasingly as liabilities. ++ If both Europe and Japan do not assemble coherent foreign policies, they will see themselves caught out of the loop
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Fears over the rise to power of Islamist parties in post-revolutionary Arab countries are unfounded. ++ Islamic parties cannot afford to rule single-handedly and ignore the secular population. ++ Instead of building a religious theocracy, politicians from Islamist parties will be more preoccupied with providing jobs and improving the quality of life. ++ Rather than exclude or alienate the
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Sunday’s elections in Tunisia mark an important step for the Arab Spring. ++ Tunisia can be an important model for other nations; its strong private sector, respect for women’s rights, and lack of sectarian feuds make it a promising young democracy. ++ The US can help Tunisia take this step by helping monitor the elections for fairness, engaging with Tunisia’s moderate Islamic
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Europe and the US must not let cowardly vetoes and abstentions from the BRICs stop them from continuing to press Syria on its brutal crackdown on demonstrators. ++ Even though the UN Security Council resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad failed, calling for a vote was the right decision; it showed clearly who stood with the opposition and who stood with the dictator. ++ Democracies
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The Arab Spring has significantly weakened the influence of militant jihadist groups and delegitimized the use of violence and terrorism to attain political goals. ++ Following the popular uprisings that led to the overthrow of several dictators in the region, many former terrorist organizations are making the transition towards becoming conventional non-violent political parties.++ A decade
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By intervening in Syria, Israel could seize the opportunity offered by “the convergence of moral imperatives and strategic goals”. ++ This would oppose the passive precedent Israel has set in the Arab Spring, but offering a corridor for Syrian refugees via the Golan Heights could prove a “diplomatic coup” for Jerusalem, weakening the Assad regime while isolating Hezbollah
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Libya will have a “tremendous” effect on the Syrian uprising, boosting the morale of protestors and casting doubt on the Assad regime. ++ The EU must intensify pressure by banning oil imports from Syria, while Lebanon should join other Arab states and Turkey in condemning Assad and strive to prevent cross-border trafficking of weapons and money. ++ To seize the momentum, the
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Despite the domestic assault on his Libya policy, President Obama’s strategy to depose Gaddafi has worked, with US support for NATO combat operations proving critical to the rebel forces’ success. ++ The Libyan case shows that US global leadership remains “indispensible” but also that countries with deeper ties to Libya such as France, Italy and Spain must lead in assembling
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With Libya on the verge of ousting Gaddafi, the rebels cannot allow tribal divisions to tear their leadership apart. ++ To support a peaceful transition of power, the outside world should be prepared to send, “at the very least”, military and police advisers and perhaps “several thousand” troops to Libya. ++ This would be “costly and risky”, but far less so
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The conflict in Libya has reached “zero hour”. ++ As rebels infiltrate Tripoli and celebrate Gaddafi’s imminent surrender, the “forward-thinking” Transitional National Council makes plans for post-conflict stabilization. ++ The most important task for the TNC is to ensure that all regions of Libya are adequately represented in the new government, whose seat could be moved
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When new Arab leaders in Egypt and Tunisia take office, they ought to learn from Russia’s corruption-plagued transition from the USSR. ++ They can avoid a similar fate by initiating the transparent privatization of state economic property, the modernization of commercial laws, and the opening of nearly every sector to foreign investment. ++ The economic and political vitality of the Arab
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Even in its attempts to survive at all costs, the Syrian regime appears to be digging its own grave. Popular Protest in North Africa and the Middle East (VII): The Syrian Regime’s Slow-motion Suicide,
the second of a two-part report from the International Crisis Group,
examines the regime’s approach to the crisis. Although the outcome
remains in doubt, as many Syrians still fear the
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The Arab spring has slid into a long, hot summer. After toppling their autocratic regimes, Tunisia and Egypt have yet to show their movement toward democracy is sustainable, while the violent conflicts in Syria and Libya drag on. ++ Some fear Islamists could emerge triumphant from these messy conflicts. But a host of young, dynamic reform groups are also beginning to show a pulse. ++ These
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Atlantic-community.org member Dean Carroll interviewed the President
of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy about the Arab spring, Poland’s emergence as a serious player, nuclear power and
supporting the spread of democracy across the globe.
Are you happy
with the EU’s response to the revolutions and protests we are seeing in North
Africa and the Arab world; there has been a lot of
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The failure of peace negotiations led by the South African president with Colonel Gaddafi coupled with regime’s further international isolation and the success of Libyan opposition give more credits to NATO’s military strategy. ++ The latter includes military assault on Gaddafi, cooperation with and work on behalf of Libyan opposition and “the encouragement of political and
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