Epstein Secrets

In addition, various political figures and commentators have praised or come to the defense of despotic rulers including Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Bashar al-Assad. 6. Modem authoritarians can be expected to dou- ble down on their drive to neuter civil society as an incubator of reformist ideas and political

o defend embattled allies like Syria's 8ashar al-Assad. There is also growing replica- tion of what migh

ia Daily Monitor. No- vember 14, 2014, https://iamestown.ore/program/protectine-the.mothertand-russias-counter-color-revolution.military-doctrinet 2. Leon Aron, 'Drivers of Putin's Foreign Policy; American Enterprise Institute, June 14, 2016, https-f/www asintg/oublication/ drivets•pfrputins-foreinpolicy/2

le, including by the repeated use of chemical weapons, and yet has remarkably culminated in the re- legitimization of the person responsible for it, Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian civil war— particularly the White House's inept and improvisational response to it—has accidentally transformed Putin into a major powe

military aid to moderate groups in the Syrian opposition, enough to raise their hopes but not enough to ensure success on the battlefield. And when Assad used chemical weapons against civilian neighborhoods, Obama threatened military action — only to back off, again dashing the hopes of pro-U.S. fact

President's attention in the region for the next three years. Yet three years is a long time to fill a power vacancy in the Middle East. And while Leon Aron exaggerates slightly in his assessment that, after the Syrian chemical deal, "Russia is on equal footing now as a power in the Middle East," he rig

ns like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Organization of American States, and to defend embattled allies like Syria's Bashar al-Assad. There is also growing replica- tion of what might be called authoritarian best practices, vividly on display in the new Chinese law on nongovernment

Daily Monitor, No- vember 14, 2014, https://jamestown.org/program/protecting-the-motherland-russias-counter-color-revolution-military-doctrine/. 2. Leon Aron, “Drivers of Putin's Foreign Policy,” American Enterprise Institute, June 14, 2016, https://www.aei.org/publication/ drivers-of-putins-foreign-policy