Epstein Secrets

han all the alternatives. Article 4. Reuters As powers push for talks, Syria balance tilts towards Assad Sarnia Nakhoul November 14, 2013 -- Beirut - More than two and a half years into the civil war devastating Syria, the United States and Russia are pushing the combatants to the negotiating t

econd is that the sanctions haven't forced Iran to abandon its insistence on having a fuel cycle, and there's no evidence that they will. Even were Rouhani inclined to make such a concession in order to gain relief for the sagging Iranian economy—and there's no evidence that that's the case—he would ne

ill keep the process alive. This accounts for Netanyahu's combative mood. He found it easy to muster international support for a hard-line against Rouhani's predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was losing political ground at home and whose inflammatory rhetoric made him a reviled figure in much of th

otors, which may explain Mr. Kerry's specific reference to how Russian weapons are fueling the war. A fighter from the Damascus suburbs who fled to Beirut, Lebanon, said one of the reasons he left was that the Army of Islam, the rebel group led by Zahran Alloush, had surface-to-air missiles, which he

ve perspective. Confronted with the prospect of enforcing these red lines through massive violence, Khamenei grudgingly opted for the presidency of Rouhani. Khamenei may not be a pragmatist, but he can be prudent — and faced with real threats to his power, he will retreat from well-delineated positions

has imposed on the country an inspection regime that is beyond Iran's Safeguards Agreement. However, given the current atmosphere of mistrust, the Rouhani administration had no choice but to halt some of the peaceful nuclear projects. Despite these concessions, the Accord has ultimately recognised Ira

l recently, it is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime ministe=. Iran's appeal has been tainted by the brutal tactics of its allies, in=Damascus and Beirut, who may remain strong materially but have lost out in=terms of image and ideas. The long-term decline of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East p

me to pass, many will argue th=t economic sanctions, imposed by the UN Security Council, the EU and the U=, have achieved their objective. President Hassan Rouhani was elected this=year with a mandate to ease the economic plight of his people. Ali Khamene=, the supreme leader, has at least partly conceded that

e of The Daily Star, and Director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, in Beirut, Lebanon. Al Monitor US, Saudi still far apart on regional issues EFTA00684264 Abdulmajeed al-Buluwi February 28, 2014 -- As US Deputy Secreta

and pledge a vigorous economic and military response to any Iranian violation, regional players will render their own judgments. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's "charm offensive" has had a dramatic effect in the West, but no one in the Middle East buys Iran's projection of pacifism. Indeed, Tehran's direc

cenario pitting forces in an urban theater (e.g., Israeli forces confronting Palestinian guerrillas in Gaza or Lebanese Hezbollah in the suburbs of Beirut). The world's best fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft might be a game-changer in some contexts, but its tremendous speed and inability to lin

tant Islamist group that drove Fatah out of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Rajoub says Abbas sent him to Tehran in order to encourage Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani in his effort toward a more moderate foreign policy (including outreach to Gulf countries that are close to Fatah) and to enlist Iran's efforts in