Epstein Secrets

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

York Times publishes interview with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on his peace initiative. 12 Marc

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

rian peace deal that was not to come. Despite Barak offering Syrian President Hafez al-Assad 99 per cent of the Golan Heights, it still fell short of Assad’s demand for a return to the 4 June 1967 lines, and the Syria track subsequently crumbled. This put Arafat on the spot: how could he now, in front of

e terrifying scale of Libya's Qaddafi and Syria's Assad nor stifled economic progress with such alacrity.

ng leaders like King Mohammed VI in Morocco, King Abdullah in Jordan and Sultan Qaboos bin Said in Oman to g

other bureaucracies, and thus had no legitimacy. Marcus Aurelius was one thing; Tunisia's Zine el- Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak and Syria's Bashar al- Assad, quite another. Certainly, the Arab Spring has proved much: that there is no otherness to Arab civilization, that Arabs yearn for universal values ju

he state together. To be sure, Egypt's Mubarak and Tunisia's Ben Ali neither ran police states on the terrifying scale of Libya's Qaddafi and Syria's Assad nor stifled economic progress with such alacrity. But while Mubarak and Ben Ali left their countries in conditions suitable for the emergence of stab

happen before too long. TB: What about Syria? DP: Assad's power is steadily diminishing and I cannot see

mprove their rule. Had we begun this process with Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in 1978 or with Mubarak in 1981, t

IGHT_028748 --- PAGE BREAK --- states, such as Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. I think it is likely to happen before too long. TB: What about Syria? DP: Assad's power is steadily diminishing and I cannot see how his regime will remain long in power. TB: Should the United States get involved there? DP: No, A

travel bans and to freeze the assets of President Assad and nine other Syrian senior officials. Within da

people are addressed." Reports indicate that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has also called on President Sale

mposed sanctions on the Syrian leadership earlier in May, the EU foreign ministers agreed to impose travel bans and to freeze the assets of President Assad and nine other Syrian senior officials. Within days of the EU announcement, Canada invoked similar travel and economic sanctions. While Russia blocke

llah Ensur (who submitted his resignation to King Abdullah on January 29"*), although analysts and commentat

initiative spearheaded by Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, a new plan by Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib - comprising a dialogue with President al-Assad based on the principle of the regime's departure-offers a glimmer of hope. Upon meeting with al-Khatib on February 3rd *, the foreign ministers of Ir