Epstein Secrets

s not a Cold War phenomenon. Ironically, interventionism was for the Soviet Union something they did in their part of the world [East Berlin, 1953, Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia, 1968] and they had no compunction at interventionism as long as they were doing it. And then the Soviet forces began to inte

e of a possible Israeli or American attack on its nuclear facilities. How the crisis in Hamas develops depends on several factors. A close ally of Meshaal, Ahmed Youssef, has implied that Qatar promised strong financial backing in return for the agreement. If that is delivered, especially if it is aug

Hamas has exploded into a bitter public feud. It was prompted an agreement reached last week in Qatar between the head of Hamas' political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. According to the deal, Abbas would take on the additional role of prime minister until el

prisings, the divergence of interests between Hamas' leadership in Gaza and its leadership abroad has been steadily intensifying. External leaders, Meshaal in particular, have come under increasing pressure to adapt to regional transformations, particularly the growing sectarian split in the Middle Ea

be crucial. Its leaders, Ahmed Jabari and Marwan Issa, have traditionally deferred to the leadership of the political bureau, and reportedly urged Meshaal not to step down as its chief. But they have also expressed dismay at some of Meshaal's recent comments regarding the tactical value of nonviolent

he Berlin Wall and the Central European revolutions of 1989. Although originally the panel - which consisted of prominent intellectuals from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic - intended to take stock of the lofty lessons of the democratic "velvet" revolutions, the agenda quickly devolved into an angs

nces. Al-Monitor: What is the latest news concerning the protracted reconciliation between Hamas and Iran? What is causing the continued delay for Meshaal's upcoming visit? Abu Marzouk: The region is undergoing a reshuffling of relations and alliances that includes Hamas. As a result, Hamas is endeavo

old Hamas leader who played a pivotal role in achieving the reconciliation deal with Fatah on April 23. Abu Marzouk's remarks come as Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Qatar. The Hamas leader added that the Quartet's requirement that Hamas recognize Israel

od of high tension brought about by the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi last July. There has also been recent talk of a possible visit by Meshaal to Tehran to restore the ties that have been damaged by the Syria crisis. That visit remains indefinitely delayed. Abu Marzouk conceded that resto

g military prison. Then, too, exactly a century ago, it could not happen. The world had finessed other moments of tension. Yet very quickly Austria-Hungary had declared war on Serbia, prompting Russia to mobilize in defense of Belgrade, prompting the Kaiser's Germany to attack France pre-emptively and

res that lead his movements to be well-tracked and detailed. Hence, he went only after receiving his Iranian allies' blessings. In Doha, Shalah and Meshaal discussed the latter's forthcoming trip to Tehran, a long-anticipated visit delayed by the wait for Tehran to extend an invitation. The hurdle in p

, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, a close ally of Tehran, visited the Qatari capital of Doha to meet his ally and comrade Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, according to sources close to Shalah. It is rare that someone like Shalah visits Doha, given the tight security measures tha

s new book is not at all about Putin and only indirectly about Russia. "Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1945-56" focuses on Poland, Hungary and East Germany. It details the Soviet recipe used to stifle three wildly unalike countries. The book is richly human, sometimes funny, often hear

resh elections, neither event has materialized, while the rivalry has resumed. Those in Hamas who favored making peace with Abbas, led by chairman Khaled Meshaal, lost out to those in Hamas who argued to remain on their own, not least because the Arab Spring is delivering governments into the hands of politi