Atlantic Council

Spain’s Attorney General today rejected a judge’s decision to open an investigation against six Bush Administration officials. The AG’s recommendation was sought by a group of human rights lawyers and the judge hoping to bring cases against “The Bush Six” for their alleged sanctioning of torture.

Russian is urging NATO to cancel military exercises with Georgia planned for next month. A current round of demonstrations against Mikheil Saakashvili has only further increased tensions in the region, he noted.

The Obama administration's attempt to shepherd a shotgun marriage between Chrysler and Fiat appears to be in serious trouble. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is demanding major concessions from labor unions before agreeing to any deal — and is offering next to nothing in return.

Robert Oakley served as U.S. ambassador to Zaire (1979-82), Somalia (1982-84), and Pakistan (1988-92) and as Special Envoy to Somali (1992-1994) and directed State's Office of Combatting Terrorism (1984-86).  I had the opportunity to get his thoughts on some key issues of interest to the Atlantic Council community.

Last week President Obama told Europe that the U.S. is going to behave differently in the international arena.  Whether you believe this can happen or not, our southern neighbors will be waiting for the same news at the Summit of the Americas and in Mexico this week.  We should deliver that message and follow it up with action.

Mario Monti, a member of the Atlantic Council's Business and Economic Advisors Group is  president of Bocconi University and the former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Tax Policy (1995-1999) and Competiton (1999-2005).  I had the opportunity to get his thoughts on some key issues of interest to the Atlantic Council community.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko traveled together to Brussels last month to ink a 2.5 billion euro ($3.3 billion) deal with the European Union aimed at holding their country's state-owned energy company, Naftohaz, to EU market standards.

On April 9 and successive days, people took to the streets of Tbilisi calling upon Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to resign.  The President remains in office, as a majority of Georgians want.  However, the demonstrations have not been for naught—the peaceful, democratic demeanor of demonstrators and government alike has burnished Georgia’s image abroad. 

Sunday's rescue of Richard Phillips, the skipper of the Maersk Alabama, from Somali pirates brought home an old story.

Efforts to stem progress in the nuclear programs of two members of the erstwhile Axis of Evil are going in decidedly different directions.  North Korea has pulled out of the Six-Party talks while negotiations with Iran appear ready to get underway.