Epstein Secrets

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 law Assef Shawkat—the military intelligence chief—who believe that giving in to protest

s indicate that Hamas' political leadership might move to Doha and the Ezzedine al-Qassam military wing could, in the absence of a host, relocate to the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Youth Movement, which played an instrumental role in dismantling President Mubarak's regime, is splintering. The movement was an amal

still said to be on Assad's agenda. EFTA00708200 The Assad clan also has military power that could obstruct Bashar's reformist moves. His brother Maher, for example, commands a tough unit of Syrian special forces, and his brother-in-law Assaf Shaukat has been a senior intelligence official. It's an

Syria could change the orientation of a regime that has been Iran's closest Arab ally, and a weapons supplier to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As recently as last November, Kerry said after meeting Assad: "I remain absolutely convinced that there is an opportunity to have a different relat

l-Assad's brother, Rifat, killed 10,000 (some say 20,000). As a showdown intensifies a generation later, it is another pair of brothers, Bashar and Maher, poised to do the same, against demonstrators lightly armed or weaponless but willing to look EFTA_R1_02032813 EFTA02691196 35 death in the eye

wice following Israel's bloody May 31, 2010, interception of the Gaza freedom flotilla and the subsequent easing of Israel's and Egypt's boycott on the Gaza Strip, which cut into already fraying hopes that Hamas could otherwise be pressured into submission. In EFTA_R1_02032783 EFTA02691166 5 both instance

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

endent Palestine. The Palestinian Arab fighters were not fighting for an Arab Palestine. In the end, what they won was the West Bank for Jordan and the Gaza Strip for Egypt. This is a national history of which to be proud, is it not? "Nearly as appalling as Netanyahu's intransigence was the mindlessness of t

me of Martyr Samir [Kuntar], as the shriek of newborn Samir crosses horiz=ns, indicating that Palestine and Lebanon are a single heart... Allah gave=Maher a child, and behold, Samir Kuntar was reborn on the day of his death=" The newborn's father Maher Hathat: "The least we =ould do is to name him aft

Anal, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Video headline: "Samir Kuntar was born i= Gaza" "Palestinian ci=izen Maher Hathat from Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip,named h=s newborn son after Martyr (Shahid) Sam=r Kuntar, today, Sunday [Dec. 20, 2015]" AI-Mayadeen TV reporter: "Israel failed to eliminate the =

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

endent Palestine. The Palestinian Arab fighters were not fighting for an Arab Palestine. In the end, what they won was the West Bank for Jordan and the Gaza Strip for Egypt. This is a national history of which to be proud, is it not? "Nearly as appalling as Netanyahu's intransigence was the mindlessness of t