Epstein Secrets

me, the focus was economic. Bread took priority over freedom, the conservatives argued. But, surprisingly, when revolution did break out, it was in Tunisia and Egypt, which were better off than many other countries, according to all known economic growth indexes. It is not true that, in Egypt at least,

ures by pro-Assad hit squads, U.S. officials said. Anti-government activists reported renewed shelling by government tanks on Friday in the city of Douma, near Damascus, as well as snipers firing at protesters from rooftops. Intelligence assessments, meanwhile, show scant progress by Assad toward im

omination. It is worth noting that all former Secretaries-General of the Arab League have been Egyptians, with the exception of Mr. Chedli Klibi of Tunisia, who assumed the post after the League's headquarters were moved to Tunis upon President Sadat's signing of the Camp David Agreements with Israel.

Middle East Update March 28-April 12, 2011 Syria Last Friday, Syria witnessed widespread demonstrations. Protests took place in Dara'a, Qamishli, Douma, Hasaka, Banias, Homs, Harasta, and Hama. The security forces reacted with brutal force. Estimates of fatalities range from 37 to 42, most of them

in Bahrain, where Shiites are a distinct majority and Iran had claimed sovereignty as recently as 1970. The protests that began this past January in Tunisia had nothing to do with any of this. They started when a struggling street vendor in that country's desolate heartland publicly set himself on fire af

the opposition didn't succeed in organizing a major march in the capital. But a crowd of no more than 600 marched from Damascus to the nearby town of Douma, where security forces have killed at least 30 demonstrators in the past two weeks. Yesterday was a success for the opposition. It managed to defy t