Epstein Secrets

ition. Assad still talks of his desire for new reform laws. But U.S. officials say he has supported (or acceded to) hard-liners led by his brother Maher, who is commander of the Republican Guard, and Hafez Makhlouf, a cousin who heads other security forces. The Syrian equation is shaped by two "X-fa

CS framework. At the same time, China has resisted the claims of India and Brazil EFTA_R 1_02034306 EFTA02691792 29 for permanent membership on the U.N. Security Council that would rival its own status. How seriously should we take the role of BRICS? The Beijing Review recently claimed the organization is "represen

eady have lost authority to men like his brother, Maher al-Assad, commander of the regime’s Republican Gu

House chief of staff Bill Daley said dismissively. Hillary decided to push her case on March 12, after the Arab League voted to request action from the U.N. Security Council—an extraordinary decision to break Arab ranks and ask the nations they had for so long denounced as colonialists to help. “Their statement moved her,

She doubtless needed a green light to go ahead with the interview, one that required some measure of approval by Makhlouf and Assad's younger brother Maher, both of whom have taken an eradication approach to the protests. Makhlouf, in turn, needed no authorization whatsoever. What Shaaban said was likely

They realize that the measures taken until now by the United States and Europe have been relatively gentle, therefore wholly ineffective. Add to that the U.N. Security Council's recent failure to condemn Syria and official Arab support for Syrian stability, and you will grasp why the Assad regime saw an opening to reinforce A