Epstein Secrets

U.S., Turkish and Saudi intelligence officers on the ground — and this new front reaching out to moderate Alawites and Christians who supported the Assads out of fear and agreeing to build a new order together that protects majority and minority rights. It would be wonderful to see the tyrannical Assa

mean that we have reached the end by any means, but it does mean that the precondition has been met for the fall of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. We have argued that so long as the military and security apparatus remain intact and effective, the regime could endure. Although they continue to

; by its attack on Syria's nuclear facility in 2007; and by its bid to destroy Hamas in its murderous assault on Gaza in 2008-9. From the start of Bashar al-Asad's presidency, Syria has faced relentless efforts by Israel and its complicit American ally to bring down the so- called `resistance axis' of Tehran-Da

the Fall of Syrian Regime George Friedman Article 3. TIME Five Syria Nightmares Tony Karon Article 4. Agence Global The Destruction of Syria Patrick Seale Article 5. NYT The Candidates Talk Foreign Policy Editorial Article 6. The Atlantic Mitt Romney's Trip to Israel: Is the Jewish Vote up for G

squirm and hope to be delivered from any meaningful burdens. Still, they are meeting Friday in Tunis to discuss their options. But Syrian dictator Bashar al- Assad needn't worry. The Tunisian hosts themselves proclaimed that this convocation held on their soil precluded a decision in favor of foreign

he Syrian Regime. The former, a large group—the United States, the Europeans and the bulk of Arab governments—is casting about for a way to end the Assad regime's assault on its own people. In their ranks there is irresolution and endless talk about the complications and the uniqueness of the Syrian

The absolute priority within no-kill zones would be public safety and humanitarian aid; revenge attacks would not be tolerated. Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, is increasingly depending on government-sponsored gangs and on shelling cities with heavy artillery rather than overrunning them with troops, prec

er possible chemical weapons arsenal Charlotte Mcdonald-Gibson EFTA_R1_00484966 EFTA01991829 Agence Global Russia's Return to the Middle East Patrick Seale Article 7. The Atlantic Monthly AIPAC and the Push Toward War Robert Wright Article I The Economist Bombing Iran Feb 25th 2012 -- FOR years Ira

Sticks to His Guns Patrick Seale 21 Jun 2011 -- All those dreaming of -- and working for -- `regime change' in Syria will be outraged by President Bashar al-Asad's speech last Monday, 20 June. They want him out, together with the hate figures around him who have been conducting the brutal repression of the pr

esent evidence, a bloody stalemate that further destabilizes the region. It's distasteful to contemplate dialogue with leaders such as Gaddafi and Assad who, to put it bluntly, have blood on their hands. But this approach is worth exploring if it can foster a transition to a democratic government —

tion Prince El Hassan bin Talal Article 3. Stratfor Turkey's Inevitable Problems With Neighbors Agence Global A Defiant Asad Sticks to His Guns Patrick Seale Foreign Policy In Focus Egypt's Evolving Foreign Policy Richard Javad Heydarian Foreign Affairs How Fatah-Hamas Unity Threatens U.S. Funding Do

ary 29, 2012 -- A popular Washington illusion once held that the right combination of incentives and punishments might "peel off" Syria's President Bashar al-Assad from Iran's "Axis of Resistance," but nobody would have predicted that the weak link in Iran's alliance of radicals would turn out to be the Pales

, democracy and reform." Iran, Hamas knows, is not amused. But that appears to be a diminishing concern for the movement. Hamas' relationship with Assad, Tehran's key Arab ally, began to sour last year when the Palestinian group resisted pressure to stage pro-regime events in refugee camps in Syria.

Telhami Article 5. Foreign Affairs The Most Controversial Israeli Settlements Oren Kessl Article 6 Agence Global Deciphering the Qatar Enigma Patrick Seale Article 7. Heritage Foundation EFTA_R1_00230126 EFTA01842802 Dealing With Syria's WMD James Phillips & James Jay Carafano Article 8. Wall Stre

e opposition in Syria began as a largely peaceful, grass- roots, pan-Syrian movement for democratic change. But it was deliberately met by President Bashar al-Assad with murder and sectarian venom. He wanted to make the conflict about his Alawite minority versus the country's Sunni Muslim majority as a way of d

m, democracy and reform." Iran, Hamas knows, is not amused. But that appears to be a diminishing concern for the movement. Hamas' relationship with Assad, Tehran's key Arab ally, began to sour last year when the Palestinian group resisted pressure to stage pro- regime events in refugee camps in Syria.

elhami Article 5. Foreign Affairs The Most Controversial Israeli Settlements Oren Kessl Article 6. Agence Global Deciphering the Qatar Enigma Patrick Seale Article 7. Heritage Foundation Dealing With Syria's WMD James Phillips & James Jay Carafano Article 8. Wall Street Journal Harvard's Latest Assa

lims in Syria and throughout the region feel that Assad's Syria has unduly favored the Alawites, a sect o

Shimon Post Presidential Press Bulletin 29 March, 2011 Article 1. Foreign Policy The Syrian Time Bomb Patrick Seale Article 2. Politico Obama failing as commander in chief Robert D. Blackwill Article 3. The Financial Times Libya, a last hurrah for the west Gideon R

A government spokeswoman has hinted that coming reforms will include greater freedom for the press and the right to form political parties. President Bashar al-Assad is due to address the country in the next 48 hours. His speech is eagerly awaited, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to defuse the

llenged the fundamentals of Syria's security state, a harsh system of controls over every aspect of society, put in place by the late Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, who ruled for 30 years from 1970 to his death in 2000. By all accounts, the debate HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_030032 --- PAGE BREAK --- 4 about how

etin 8 May, 2011 Article 1. NYT End of Mideast Wholesale Thomas L. Friedman ance 2. | Le Monde diplomatique Is This the End of the Assad Dynasty? Patrick Seale Article 3. NYT _ Books Mohamed ElBaradei, the Inspector Leslie H. Gelb Article 4.) Vanity Fair Hillary Clinton - Woman of the World Jonathan Alte

cal life and for that of the regime put in place in 1970 by his father, the late President Hafez al-Assad. Forty-one years in power The rule of the Assads, father and son, has now lasted 41 years, a score comparable to that of other long-lasting Arab autocrats, each apparently determined to be a préside

Arab autocrats, each apparently determined to be a président-a-vie. In no other part of the world have so many rulers clung so assiduously to power. Bashar appears genuinely to have believed that the Arab nationalist ideology he inherited, his opposition to Israel and his support for resistance movements

tly financed a London-based network of Bashar’s opponents to the tune of $12m between 2005 and 2010. A continuous whole It is probably fair to view Bashar al-Assad’s term of office and that of his father as a single continuous whole. Not only did Hafez al-Assad decide that Bashar should succeed him, but he also be

n around Latakia. And there’s no sign that either Assad or his Russian patrons are paying any more than l

national Center for Scholars. Article 3. Agence Global Can the United States Strike a Deal with Iran? HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025050 --- PAGE BREAK --- Patrick Seale 12 Feb 2013 -- Negotiations with Iran are once more on the international agenda. After an eight-month break, the five permanent members of the UN Se

making significant gains on the battlefield this week, following an offer by their top political leader for negotiations with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025056 --- PAGE BREAK --- This military and diplomatic news may appear positive. But Syrian sources caution that the battlefield

y, as Alawite supporters of the regime retreat to their ancestral homeland in the northwestern region around Latakia. And there’s no sign that either Assad or his Russian patrons are paying any more than lip service to a political settlement. One potential game-changer is a request for U.S. help in trai

n around Latakia. And there's no sign that either Assad or his Russian patrons are paying any more than l

nternational Center for Scholars. Article 3. Agence Global Can the United States Strike a Deal with Iran? HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028684 --- PAGE BREAK --- Patrick Seale 12 Feb 2013 -- Negotiations with Iran are once more on the international agenda. After an eight-month break, the five permanent members of the UN Sec

making significant gains on the battlefield this week, following an offer by their top political leader for negotiations with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028690 --- PAGE BREAK --- This military and diplomatic news may appear positive. But Syrian sources caution that the battlefield a

y, as Alawite supporters of the regime retreat to their ancestral homeland in the northwestern region around Latakia. And there's no sign that either Assad or his Russian patrons are paying any more than lip service to a political settlement. One potential game-changer is a request for U.S. help in train

emplate dialogue with leaders such as Gaddafi and Assad who, to put it bluntly, have blood on their hands

Prince El Hassan bin Talal Article 3. Stratfor Turkey's Inevitable Problems With Neighbors Article 4. Agence Global A Defiant Asad Sticks to His Guns Patrick Seale Article 5 Foreign Policy In Focus Egypt's Evolving Foreign Policy Richard Javad Heydarian Article 6. Foreign Affairs How Fatah-Hamas Unity Threatens

present evidence, a bloody stalemate that further destabilizes the region. It's distasteful to contemplate dialogue with leaders such as Gaddafi and Assad who, to put it bluntly, have blood on their hands. But this approach is worth exploring if it can foster a transition to a democratic government - wh

cases, the insurgents are seen in the West as the "good guys," battling corrupt, autocratic leaders. Personally, I wish that both Moammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad would give up power tomorrow. But that doesn't seem in the cards: Both leaders have shown they're willing to kill thousands of their citizens to hang