On June 9, 2015, the Atlantic Council hosted What's Religion Got to Do with It?, a Middle East Strategy Task Force (MEST) event featuring Co-Chairs Madeleine K. Albright and Stephen J. Hadley, together with a panel of experts on Islam, politics, and Islamist extremist groups’ use of social media as a recruitment tool. The participants examined the extent to which religion is a driver behind the rise of violent extremism and sectarianism in regional politics.

What’s religion got to do with it?

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in the United States this week, following recent visits to Egypt and the United Kingdom.

One year after his first meeting with President Trump, Mohammed bin Salman continues to advance dramatic social and economic change in the Kingdom. Under the Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia has loosened some restrictions on the guardianship code and sidelined the religious police, imposed a 5% VAT and increased prices of fuel and electricity, hosted concerts and reopened cinemas, and announced that women will be permitted to seek drivers’ licenses this summer.

All of these issues are likely to be on the agenda for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meetings in the United States. One day after the Crown Prince meets with President Trump, Atlantic Council experts will assess the immediate results and forecast the expected outcomes for the duration of the US visit. What are the key priorities for the various parties? What are the dynamics at play, particularly amidst a transition of US national security leadership? On Wednesday, Nabeel Khoury, Dov Zakheim, and Rachel Brandenburg will discuss the top issues for the US-Saudi relationship, to include the war in Yemen, regional stability and GCC relations, and Saudi Vision 2030.

Press Call: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US Visit

On January 31st, the Atlantic Council hosted a conversation with female thought leaders about the current state of the transatlantic relationship. In today’s turbulent political and security environment, the transatlantic alliance is at a critical crossroads. Pressing foreign policy and security challenges – from terrorism and Russian aggression to rising nationalism and waning confidence in institutions – have raised new questions about the future of the transatlantic alliance. This discussion features reflects on the past year, and discusses the future of NATO and US engagement in Europe, how the transatlantic partnership must adapt to today’s strategic environment, and the importance of female leadership in foreign policy and international security.

A conversation with:
Amb. Kristen Silverberg
Managing Director
Institute of International Finance;
Former US Ambassador to the European UnionMs. Julianne Smith
Senior Fellow and Director, Transatlantic Security Program
Center for a New American Security

Ms. Christine Wormuth 
Director, Adrienne Arsht Center for Resilience
Atlantic Council;
Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy
US Department of Defense


Moderated by:Ms. Sally Painter
Chief Operating Officer
Blue Star Strategies;
Senior Advisor, Future Europe Initiative
Atlantic Council

Taking Stock of the Transatlantic Relationship: Female Leaders Reflect on 2017

What are the short and long-term issues and potential fixes to election cybersecurity issues? Can paper ballots help restore faith in electronic voting? And how important is federal and state cooperation in cybersecurity policy formation?

In this episode, Jane Holl Lute, Atlantic Council board director and president and CEO of SICPA North America, and Anni Piiparinen, associate director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, discuss critical issues surrounding election cybersecurity in the lead-up to the 2018 mid-term election and beyond.

Cybersecurity and Elections, a conversation with Jane Holl Lute

What does the Trump administration's strategy toward the Asia-Pacific mean for US-ROK relations? The December 12 forum, "Reimagining the US-Republic of Korea Partnership in the Trans-Pacific Century," explored priorities for the US-ROK security alliance and economic partnership.

This podcast features the keynote address "Meeting the Foreign Policy Challenges of 2017 and Beyond" delivered by Secretary of State Tillerson and introduced by H.E. Yoon-je Cho and The Hon. Stephen Hadley.

The forum also featured Ambassador Sihyung Lee, Dr. Young-kwan Yoon, The Hon. Paula Dobriansky, The Hon. Wilbur Ross, General James L. Jones, Jr., and Mr. Frederick Kempe.

2017 Atlantic Council-Korea Foundation Forum

What are the best practices for countering hybrid warfare? Where does responsibility lie in mitigating these threats?

On this episode of Channeling Brussels, Teri Schultz speaks with Hanna Smith about Finland's use of its history with Russia to help its partners address hybrid warfare concerns.

Hanna Smith is Director of Strategic Planning and Responses for the NATO-EU Center of Excellence in Helsinki.

What’s religion got to do with it?

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