Epstein Secrets

bureau chief since 2010, covering Israel, the Palestine territories and nearby sovereignties. He worked 16 years at the Washington Post in Nairobi, Istanbul, Baghdad, Los Angeles and Rockville, MD. Anicic 4. The National Interest Syria: The Wages of Inaction Julie Lenarz, Michael Miner February 11,

ittee, said he had a "very direct conversation" with Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the United States, on the sanctions bill early last month. "AIPAC and Israel are in different places on this issue," Corker said of his conversation with Dermer, who he said supported the sanctions bill now and no

to oblige. Not just some of them. All of them. On crucial Capitol Hill votes, measures favored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, often pass unopposed. Last week was different. Very, very different. First, AIPAC was forced, in the wake of Democratic opposition, to retreat for

he Syria-Iraq frontier. The silence of President Obama on the matter of Syria reveals the general retreat of American power in the Middle East. In Istanbul some days ago, a Turkish intellectual and political writer put the matter starkly to me: We don't think and talk much about America these days, he

solution short of stripping Iran of even a peaceful nuclear capacity." What's more, says Friedman, the non-binding status may be temporary. "Often AIPAC-backed Congressional initiatives start as non-binding language (in a resolution or a letter) and then show up in binding legislation. Once members

clude producing weapons. Even Dennis Ross--who has rarely, in his long career as a Mideast diplomat, left much daylight between his positions and AIPAC's, and who once categorically opposed Iranian enrichment--now realizes that a diplomatic solution may have to include enrichment. Last week in a Ne

egedly telling his son to hide large sums of money has created a crisis for the once-unassailable leader just weeks before key elections. 2.27.14 ISTANBUL-It was Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 60th birthday this week, but the Turkish Prime Minister could be forgiven for not being in the mood for celebrations.

now there was a decade of Jewish power!—is quite shocking. (His Abba Hillel Silver is just an early version of Howard Kohr, in consonance with his AIPAC-centric view of the world.) The truth is that no amount of sympathy for Palestinians requires this amount of antipathy to Israelis. Remember Rosa L

tration acquiesced this week to yet another round of talks with the mullahs. This, 14 months after the last group-of-six negotiations collapsed in Istanbul because of blatant Iranian stalling and unseriousness. Nonetheless, the new negotiations will be both without precondition and preceded by yet more

uclear clock is ticking? This re-engagement comes immediately after Obama's campaign-year posturing about Iran's nukes. Speaking Sunday in front of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), he warned that "Iran's leaders should have no doubt about the resolve of the United States." This j

with the support of the Gulenists. Erdogan will get lower numbers, but beyond that it is hard to predict, particularly the all-important cities of Istanbul and Ankara, the bastions of his power. The wild card is the declining economy. Deepening political instability, high-reaching corruption, Erdogan's

crease the chance that America would have to resort to military means to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. EFTA00684598 In the past, AIPAC generally got what it wanted from Congress, and that appeared to be the case this time around, as well. Fully fifty senators signed on before Presi

Gen. Amos Yadlin weighed in. In an interview with the Times of Israel, he described the situation: "The diplomatic negotiations that took place in Istanbul, Baghdad, and Moscow produced nothing....And therefore if you're not prepared to live with an Iran with a nuclear bomb, you are left with only one

e problem, he goes on, is that there is too little trust that the United States will act. He advises that "even statements" could help, but "not to AIPAC;" instead, "a declaration to the Congress, that if the steps the administration is relying upon today ... do not achieve success by the summer of 2

Gen. Amos Yadlin weighed in. In an interview with the Times of Israel, he described the situation: "The diplomatic negotiations that took place in Istanbul, Baghdad, and Moscow produced nothing....And therefore if you're not prepared to live with an Iran with a nuclear bomb, you are left with only one

e problem, he goes on, is that there is too little trust that the United States will act. He advises that "even statements" could help, but "not to AIPAC;" instead, "a declaration to the Congress, that if the steps the administration is relying upon today ... do not achieve success by the summer of 2