Epstein Secrets

rfectly normal extension of the US-Philippine security agreement turned into an occasion to bemoan China's claims on what former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the "West Philippine Sea." In this environment, the Chinese perceived a routine decision to send US marines to train in Australia as another

China's claims on what former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the "West Philippine Sea." In th

ons on almost every issue -- getting out of old wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, avoiding new ones (Syria), avoiding interventions in lands visited by the Arab Spring, and resetting his relationship with Israel -- reflect a general attitude of risk aversion in the region. And yet, the president himself doesn't s

worked his way up through the intelligence community as the first career officer to become CIA director. Take, for instance, his decision to court Hillary Clinton when she took over as secretary of state in 2009. One of the few senior Bush holdovers in the new Obama administration, Gates was keenly aware of

work out EFTA_R1_02029850 EFTA02690083 21 differences between their departments, and working with a younger generation, the two have bonded. "Hillary and I call ourselves the Old Folks Caucus," Gates quips. "And I must say, it's the first time in my life I've worked for a president who was 20 yea

acy. 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 just as members of other societies do. But

on him and switched gears — and began working actively for a transition to a democratic regime. The new policy was signaled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's blunt statement on July 11 that Assad had "lost legitimacy" and that "our goal is ... a democratic transformation." Clinton has left the door open

entant. Oops! As of last week, the president and Hillary Clinton no longer think Assad possesses legitima

t Plotting a post-Assad road map for Syria David Ignatius July 21 -- As the Obama administration steps up its support for regime change in Syria, the Arab Spring is moving into what could be its hottest phase. The puzzle is how to help the Syrian opposition gain power without foreign military intervention —

on him and switched gears — and began working actively for a transition to a democratic regime. The new policy was signaled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's blunt statement on July 11 that Assad had "lost legitimacy" and that "our goal is ... a democratic transformation." Clinton has left the door open

entant. Oops! As of last week, the president and Hillary Clinton no longer think Assad possesses legitima

t Plotting a post-Assad road map for Syria David Ignatius July 21 -- As the Obama administration steps up its support for regime change in Syria, the Arab Spring is moving into what could be its hottest phase. The puzzle is how to help the Syrian opposition gain power without foreign military intervention —