Azerbaijan: Did Prisoner Releases Help Secure Washington’s Welcome?

by Giorgi Lomsadze Azerbaijan was welcomed at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC on March 30 as an international energy security and counterterrorism asset, while the country’s repressive ways gained only a faint mention.  

Opaque Strategy and U.S. Troops in Eastern Europe

by Paul R. Pillar  U.S. military deployments to Eastern Europe are being ramped up. The latest word as reported by the Wall Street Journal is that regular rotation of brigade-size forces, with the most modern equipment, will bring a de facto… Continue Reading

President Obama and the Saudi Allies: It’s Complicated

by Cinzia Bianco and Giorgio Cafiero Throughout Barack Obama’s presidency, the U.S. has faced unprecedented challenges across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Obama administration’s response to these crises has created substantial friction between Washington and some of… Continue Reading

Mr. Erdogan Goes to Washington

by Derek Davison As Jim Lobe has already noted, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Washington this week to attend the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit. His visit produced a fair amount of fireworks on Thursday, as his security detail… Continue Reading

Renewing of Israel-Turkey Diplomatic Relations

by Robert Olson The reestablishment of Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations has been bruited about for the past several months. Expectations increased when Dore Gold, the director of Israel’s foreign ministry, arrived in Istanbul on March 20 to retrieve the bodies of three Israelis who… Continue Reading