Epstein Secrets

rdless of the human cost. The atrocities at Houla merely raised the temperature of that dispute. In the days after the massacre, Russia's President Vladimir Putin made it clear to European counterparts that his opposition to foreign military intervention in Syria was as strong as ever. This has put Russia on

tary for an alliance with Russia to stand up to the U.S. pressure. China's political leadership, for the time being, remains skeptical, and so does Putin. But in Moscow, too, there's a pro-China EFTA00702013 lobby, and Western intervention in Syria could provide the catalyst for a strategic rebalan

mes against humanity, indeed near-genocide, that Vladimir Putin ordered in Chechnya at the turn of the cen

Kofi Annan, the special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League. All it has done is give Russia, China and some other members of the United Nations Security Council six more weeks to excuse their inaction. On Thursday, Mr. Annan told the Security Council that the savagery will increase without concerted intern

sia and China, each of which has a veto on the Security Council. Obama administration officials complain about that support, but Russian President Vladimir Putin shrugs them off. Why is Russia able to shield Assad, harm the Syrian people, and frustrate U.S. diplomacy? Because Mr. Obama has made the Security

s in the Middle East is that they seem set to backfire against its regional standing on all three fronts. None of this will be made easier for Mr. Putin by the continuing deterioration of his domestic support. A recent report by a Russian think tank warns that Moscow's foreign policy may become "les

mplain about that support, but Russian President Vladimir Putin shrugs them off. Why is Russia able to shi

President Obama has treated the bloody turmoil, first and foremost, as an opportunity to strengthen the idea that America should subject itself to the United Nations Security Council. In the 16 months since the revolt began, the Obama administration has neither promoted humanitarian "safe zones" on Syria's Turkish border, nor p

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

overnment decided to vent its anger with the Obama Administration's Syria policy by issuing statements in the Western press and by refusing to join the United Nations Security Council as a rotating member (after two years of lobbying vigorously for the post), Riyadh tried an alternative method of advancing its interests in the Le

nd 21 years to develop — comes of age in a much more open, pluralistic society. The current Iraqi leaders are holdovers from the old era, just like Vladimir Putin in Russia. They will always be weighed down by the past. But as Putin is discovering — some 21 years after Russia's democratic awakening began — th

The current Iraqi leaders are holdovers from the old era, just like Vladimir Putin in Russia. They will always be weighed down by the past. But as Putin is discovering — some 21 years after Russia's democratic awakening began — that new generation thinks differently. I don't know if Iraq will make i

eaders are holdovers from the old era, just like Vladimir Putin in Russia. They will always be weighed dow

of the Arab plan on December 19. Expectations by most regional experts and officials are that sooner or later the Syrian file will be referred to the United Nations Security Council, and a Turkish-led international military intervention would be inevitable. However, the resilience of the Syrian regime has surprised many, but so

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

n of a two-track policy of steadily increasing economic pressure on Iran while seeking a diplomatic settlement of the nuclear issue. Rice marshaled the United Nations Security Council to repeatedly censure Iran and demand that it suspend all of its nuclear activities. The Treasury Department, meanwhile, pursued an imaginative pol

Nonsense Michael Cohen Article 5. The National Interest Turkey: Return of the Generals Aliza Marcus, Halil Karaveli Article 6. NYT Go Ahead, Vladimir, Make My Day Thomas L. Friedman Article 7. Al Ahram The Brotherhood and terrorism Ammar Ali Hassan The New Yorker Where Is the Kerry Plan for

ar East and Europe, the Obama administration is pushing ambitious trade initiatives. On Russia, the US has been leading the way in trying to punish Putin for his annexation of Crimea. Drones continue to fly in Yemen and elsewhere. And all of these big examples leave out the many small ways in which t

the editor of the Turkey Analyst NYT Go Ahead, Vladimir, Make My Day Thomas L. Friedman April 12, 2014 -- SO the latest news is that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has threatened to turn off gas supplies to Ukraine if Kiev doesn't pay its overdue bill, and, by the way, Ukraine's pipelines are the tra

own. They are consistent with American policy since 1967. If packaged as an American plan, they'd likely gain the support of the European Union and the United Nations Security Council. All Kerry has to do—not a small thing—is embrace them and call them his own, much as President Obama haltingly did in 2011, when he argued for "th

peration takes place. To make more headway, America, Europe and Russia must interact in new and more realistic ways. The Russia ruled by President Vladimir Putin is carving out a distinct Eurasian, not European, identity. It is not the democratic Russia for which the West hoped after the Soviet collapse two

ut a distinct Eurasian, not European, identity. It is not the democratic Russia for which the West hoped after the Soviet collapse two decades ago. Putin's Russia relies on centralized authority, nationalism, and energy exports. It draws strength from control of a vast landmass and transport linking

re realistic ways. The Russia ruled by President Vladimir Putin is carving out a distinct Eurasian, not Eu

e United States on certain issues. That came just days after Saudi Arabia stunned even some of its own diplomats when it refused a rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council, citing its anger over the world's failure to respond to the crisis in Syria. This spat reflects the Arab world's deepening frustration with Americ

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

of action. If Russia and China were willing to abstain rather than exercise another massacre-enabling veto, then the Arab League could go back to the United Nations Security Council for approval. If not, then Turkey and the Arab League should act, on their own authority and that of the other 13 members of the Security Council a

nalists, it was socialist, anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance—everything the Soviets could desire. The relationship with Syria has thrived under Putin—but at a cost to Russia. Moscow has forgiven almost three-quarters of Damascus's massive debt in order to lure lucrative weapons orders. Not long a

the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem; that track has proved harder than expected. Last September, Mr. Abbas was unable to get enough members of the United Nations Security Council to vote yes for recognizing Palestine as a state. He did gain membership in Unesco, a United Nations agency, but that led the United States to cut