Epstein Secrets

s." Yet political scientist Juan Cole, who recently visited Libya, where he expected a fair degree of chaos, reports that in Benghazi, Misrata and Tripoli, "there were no militiamen to be seen, that most things were functioning normally, that there were police at traffic intersections, that there were

. This is only the latest proof of the failure of the peace plan promoted by Kofi Annan, the special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League. All it has done is give Russia, China and some other members of the United Nations Security Council six more weeks to excuse their inaction. On T

day, Prime Minister Najib Mikati cannot be considered completely under Hezbollah's control. Mikati's under-the-table support for Syrian refugees in Tripoli and his recent stances in support of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon gave him a EFTA00660563 rather autonomous image, whether or not it is accur

ough, to think through the available military options. (Though I do not favor any just yet, and we should only consider them in the event of strong Arab League and NATO support and participation.) These are three possible types: A punitive naval or air operation to encourage a coup against Assad. These me

esidential election against Morsi. Lebanon: Spillover violence from the neighboring civil war in Syria reached a flashpoint in the northern city of Tripoli where 26 people—mostly civilians—were killed in clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus elements. The warring districts of Bab al-Tebbaneh (predomin

n, it remains unclear if Kerry will be able to push for a continuation of the peace talks beyond the previously established deadline of April 29th. Arab League and the GCC: On March 26th, the Arab League held its 25th regular summit, with an agenda including Israel- Palestine peace talks, the war in Syria, a

itted to creating a secular post-Qaddafi polity and are therefore wary of the Islamists' long-term program. The discord that has already arisen in Tripoli's Municipal Governing Council over the proper role of Islam in public policy illustrates this division. The secularists will doubtless pay particul

l. Five of the leading six candidates for president are responsible secular centrists; the runaway favorite, so far, is former foreign minister and Arab League general secretary Amr Moussa. Moussa may be a recent convert to liberal democracy, and he is known for striking populist poses against Israel. But