Epstein Secrets

for it, Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian civil war— particularly the White House's inept and improvisational response to it—has accidentally transformed Putin into a major power- broker for the post-Arab Spring Middle East. (This is no small feat considering that Sunni Muslim antipathy toward Russia is at

ing in Cairo as a direct result of EFTA00706389 its government's support for the still-popular military regime: "The positive stance of President Vladimir Putin towards the June revolution was behind the rise in his popularity." Portraits of Putin today hang alongside those of Sisi in Cairo. The Russian-Eg

litary regime: "The positive stance of President Vladimir Putin towards the June revolution was behind the

15 update Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:53:58 +0000 15 December, 2013 Article 1. Los Angeles Times Moonwalking in Syria Doyle McManus Article 2. Agence Global Is John Kerry Serious? Rami G. Khouri Article 3. Project-Syndicate Middle East Frenemies Bernard Haykel & Daniel Kurtzer Article 4. Today's Z

etween the overt ambitions of President Vladimir Putin's government, state-owned energy giant Gazprom, a

basin. Between the overt ambitions of President Vladimir Putin's government, state-owned energy giant Gazp

December 2, 2013 -- There is no question that Russia is making a play for natural gas in the Levant basin. Between the overt ambitions of President Vladimir Putin's government, state-owned energy giant Gazprom, and private companies, a concerted effort to establish a strategic commercial edge in the developing

uld Be Drawn into the Syrian Conflict Patrick Clawson Article 6. The National Interest Gazprom Goes to the Middle East Allison Good Article 7. Agence Global France's Aggressive Foreign Policy Immanuel Wallerstein Anlcic I Politico How Obama Can Win Over Congress on the Iran Deal Ray Takeyh EFTA006

utin Goes to War David Remnick March 1, 2014 -- Vladimir Putin, the Russian President and autocrat, had a

costs, and recent history has shown that when it considers its interests at stake, Russia has been willing to pay the price. Even before President Vladimir V. Putin on Saturday publicly declared his intent to send Russian troops into the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, Mr. Obama and his team were already discuss

ent Russian news site, how the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, in 1979, under the pretext of helping a "fraternal" ally in Kabul; to Parkhomenko, Putin's decision to couch his military action as the "protection" of Russians living in Crimea is an equally transparent pretext. The same goes for the d

eign policy focus on diplomacy over military force Scott Wilson Article 4. NYT From the Pyramid to the Square Thomas L. Friedman _ Article 5. Agence Global Saudi Arabia: Besieged and Fearful Immanuel Wallerstein Article 6. Commentary Magazine Will Israel Be the Next Energy Superpower? Arthur Herman

co The Ambivalent Superpower Robert Kagan Anecle I. NYT What Is Russia's Aim in Ukraine? Ed t o r a 1 EFTA00684250 Feb. 28, 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin of Russia played the genial host at the Olympic Games in Sochi, but his dangerous approach to geopolitics could be his true legacy. On Friday, Ukr

e promising to defend the interests of Russian citizens in Ukraine, Moscow has said it will not intervene by force. EFTA00684251 But whether Mr. Putin will abide by that promise is unclear. In 2008, he sent Russian forces into neighboring Georgia, ostensibly to protect the secessionist Georgian en

r a 1 EFTA00684250 Feb. 28, 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin of Russia played the genial host at the Ol

Obama's March Summit with Prime Minister Netanyahu Robert M. Danin Article 5. NYT Why Israel No Longer Trusts Europe Clemens Wergin Article 6. Agence Global What Are the Motives and Meanings of a Jewish State? Rami G. Khouri Article 7. Al Monitor US, Saudi still far apart on regional issues Abdulmaj

of this, McFaul issued a strong statement against NTV — the channel controlled by Gazprom, a state-owned company with close ties to President-elect Vladimir Putin — and famous for its aggressive "exposés" about the Russian opposition and the supposed U.S. subversive activities aimed at destabilizing Russia.

security conference in Seoul. During a conversation that was caught on a hot mic, Medvedev promised to deliver Obama's kind words and intentions to Putin, the man who effectively pulls the strings at Gazprom and its media subsidiaries. But in reality, many of McFaul's problems in Moscow are rooted i

es Kremlin Sees Obama as Weak EFTA00686705 I Vladimir Ryzhkov I Anicic I. NYT A Middle East Twofer

r Israel is not the threat, Mr. Obama. Iran is. John Bolton Article 4. Stratfor Israel's New Strategic Environment George Friedman Article 5. Agence Global The Irrational US-Iran-Israel Dynamic Rami G. Khouri Article 6. The Diplomat Is Africa the Next Asia? Richard Aidoo Article 7. The Moscow Tim

d relations with the new forces in the Arab world. Events in the Middle East may even impinge on Russia's presidential elections, giving a boost to Vladimir Putin's ambitions. Ever since his historic visit to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf in 2007 -- the first ever by a Russian leader -- Putin has claimed to know

a boost to Vladimir Putin's ambitions. Ever since his historic visit to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf in 2007 -- the first ever by a Russian leader -- Putin has claimed to know how to handle Middle East affairs. The situation in Syria is a subject of great preoccupation in Moscow. Deputy Foreign Minist

ussia's presidential elections, giving a boost to Vladimir Putin's ambitions. Ever since his historic visit

le 5. The Independent (London) US raises alert over 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 Ec