Epstein Secrets

e - April 26-May 3, 2011 Date: Tue, 03 May 2011 20:23:06 +0000 Importance Normal Middle East Update April 26-May 3, 2011 Syria Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is gambling that he can stem the tide of the reformist movement in the country by using force. Reports suggest that the regime is relying exclusivel

therwise splinter. Aside from evoking resentment against the Alawite sect, this tactic may push Syria to the brink of sectarian conflict. President Assad continues to side with the hard-liners in his inner circle, including his brother Maher—who commands the Fourth Armored Division—and his brother-in

ian counterpart; during the conversation the two presidents complained about a "conspiracy to undermine the stability" of Yemen and Syria. Bahrain Manama has complained in a letter to the UN Secretary-General that the Lebanese party Hizbullah is conniving to overthrow the ruling Khalifah family. The g

onale for taking military action now — "a shot across the bow" to halt future chemical attacks, he told PBS — pose risks of their own. If President Bashar al-Assad emerges from a few days of Tomahawk missile barrages relatively unscathed, he will be able to claim that he faced down not only his domestic oppone

arged is the secret hand behind the uprising. In the words of one recently departed senior adviser to Mr. Obama, "the worst outcome would be making Assad look stronger." How did Mr. Obama find himself in this trap? Partly, it was an accident of history: in the early, heady days of the Arab uprisings,

cts of terrorism, the harshest of which is stripping instigators of their EFTA00678459 citizenship, and banning sit-ins and rallies in the capital Manama. "Democracy," a highly symbolic demand, was what pushed people to take to the streets on the day of the anniversary, Tamarod Bahrain spokesperson

esponse has not grown grimmer or louder. As recently as May 6, Secretary of State Clinton was still talking about a "reform agenda" in Syria, as if Bashar al-Assad were a slightly misguided bureaucrat rather than the murderer of roughly 1,000 unarmed demonstrators. As for the president, though the White House

d giving the demonstrators moral support would immediately circulate over the Internet. American sanctions against Syria, meanwhile, have not named Assad, and there has been no call for him to step down. Why is the administration appearing to stick with Assad and refusing to call for his ouster? A k

the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Despite significant pressure from the Obama administration to remain on the sidelines, Saudi leaders sent troops into Manama in March to defend Bahrain's monarchy and quell the unrest that has shaken that country since February. For more than 60 years, Saudi Arabia has be

development reinforces the view that the Syrian government is aiming to regionalize the conflict, to divert attention from itself and from calls for Bashar al-Assad to step down. Fragmentation is increasing in Syria. Kurdish areas in the northeast are beyond the control of the government and the opposition. Dar

ttention from itself and from calls for Bashar al-Assad to step down. Fragmentation is increasing in Syr

Bahrain: On Tuesday, November 6", the Bahraini government arrested four suspects in connection with a bombing that killed two people in the capital Manama. Bahrain accused Hezbollah of being behind the attacks. On November Th the Bahraini government also revoked the citizenship of 31 people for damagi

s," he insinuated. This is why Tehran reaches for the bomb? Syria, too, will remain a threat "as long as there is no regional peace agreement." The Assad regime is slaughtering its own people for the sake of Palestine? And unless Riyadh "saw the U.S. as moving in a serious manner" on Palestine, Mr.

ncluding cluster bombs, on the city of Misrata with no regard whatsoever for the safety and well being of women, children or the elderly. In Syria, Bashar al-Assad's snipers and soldiers have killed unarmed demonstrators, as well as those attending the funerals of those murdered, in various cities around the co

is might really sour on their great protector from across the sea. So when they sent troops into Bahrain, were they heading for Jerusalem by way of Manama? EFTA_R1_01351099 EFTA02360433 3 Shoddy political theories—ideologies, really—never die because they are immune to the facts. The most glaring

ddam Hussein and Muammar el-Qaddafi and Hafez al-Assad in Syria and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia.

eet vendor who out of frustration set himself on fire, pushed the old order over the brink. And so, in those big, public spaces in Tunis, Cairo and Manama, Bahrain, in the Libyan cities of Benghazi and Tobruk, millions of Arabs came together to bid farewell to an age of quiescence. They were done with

clipse the regional and international focus on Syria, where hundreds of people have been slaughtered on a daily basis for the past year and a half. Assad will likely exploit this by ratcheting up his brutality against Syrian rebels and civilians while eyes are gazed elsewhere. While the course of Ope

to be a commander in this neighborhood in the midsection of this coastal Palestinian territory. On Friday, at the funeral of a fellow fighter, Mr. Manama leaned over the body and said, "I'll join you soon, God willing," recalled a cousin who spoke on the condition that he be identified only by his f

ddam Hussein and Muammar el-Qaddafi and Hafez al-Assad in Syria and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia.

eet vendor who out of frustration set himself on fire, pushed the old order over the brink. And so, in those big, public spaces in Tunis, Cairo and Manama, Bahrain, in the Libyan cities of Benghazi and Tobruk, millions of Arabs came together to bid farewell to an age of quiescence. They were done with

cent of the Golan Heights, it still fell short of Assad’s demand for a return to the 4 June 1967 lines, a

nstitute (IPI) in 2005. IPI is an independent, international not-for-profit think tank headquartered in New York, with regional offices in Vienna and Manama. IPI is dedicated to the prevention and settlement of conflict. The UN Secretary-General is the honorary chair of the board of the International Peac

Resolu- tions 425 and 426. 18 June 2000 The UN Security Council confirms Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in a Presidential Statement. 10 July 2000 Bashar al-Assad is elected President of Syria in a nationwide referendum. 11-25 July 2000 Camp David II negotiations between Ehud Barak and Yasir Arafat. 25 July 2

narrow expanse of water on Saudi Arabia's northeast border, protesters in Bahrain rallied in the hundreds of thousands around a central roundabout in Manama. Most Bahraini demonstrators were Shiites with a long list of grievances over widespread economic and political discrimination. But some Sunnis also

-- Article 2. The New York Post The storm in Syria Amir Taheri April 16, 2011 -- Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of what Syrian despot Ba shar al-Assad had dubbed "social calm"; he hoped his mixture of promises and repressive measures would silence the pro-democracy uprising that has shaken the Ba'at

t regime. Instead, the opposition mounted a "Friday of Resolution," with fresh nationwide marches against tyranny. In addition to other empty moves, Assad had ordered the release of protesters arrested in the past four weeks provided they had not done "anything that might undermine the interests of the