Epstein Secrets

S about eight months ago. "We have participated in battles in [Syria], and in a few days we will go to Iraq and will fight them and will even go to Lebanon and Jordan, wherever our sheik [Baghdadi] wants to send us." "Send us, we are your sharp arrows. Throw us at your enemies, wherever they may be,"

Obama continues to test the water in Egypt, the Saudis made up their mind some time ago, they're all in supporting the predictability provided by Sissi's government. The Obama administration learned a valuable lesson from the George W. Bush administration's ill-conceived plan to topple Iraq's forme

The stakes at the conference are thus exceptionally high, both for Syria and for its neighbors, which are straining against severe destabilization. Lebanon has taken in more than 800,000 Syrian refugees. Jordan and Turkey have more than a half-million each. Irki has received more than 200,000, and Egyp

ce. Who are the allies of the United States in Egypt? The Obama administration's judgment is crystal clear: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has plied Sissi with more than two dozen phone calls since he led a coup against the elected Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi in July, while Kerry has repeated

by Jordan's King Abdullah in 2004, during the Iraq war, to describe an arc of influence from Shiite-dominated Iran to its allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Today, these rival crescents risk turning countries in transition into battlefields over the region's future. The Salafis represent a painful long

he Muslim Brotherhood eminence who was elected president of Egypt a few weeks back. My column was prompted by the Wall Street Journal's coverage of Sissi's appointment, which strained to put a positive spin on an unfolding catastrophe. The Journal has been all in on the "Arab Spring" fairy tale from

cumbency, even if only over half a country that will emerge from the war deeply wounded and polarised. Iran's relations with Syria and Hizbullah in Lebanon are the most tangible and lasting regional successes of the Islamic revolution that overthrew the Shah in 1979. A strong political relationship wi

nstitution stipulates that for the next eight years the Defense Minister will be appointed by the military, not whoever is elected president. Thus, Sissi could remain minister and exercise real power as he does now. As usual, the Obama administration has tried to hedge its bets by supporting the cou