Epstein Secrets

n between our troubles with Syria and Iran is pretty straightforward. The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad is Iran's closest ally, and its link to the Arab Middle East. Syria has provided the land bridge for the transport of Iranian weapons and militants to Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Without Syria, Iran's pretens

kely see Israeli- Palestinian negotiations as a bottomless pit for diplomatic energy rather than as a priority. If Obama is reelected, he will have no Middle East hands to whom he can turn. Mideast advisor Dennis Ross has left; Jeffrey Feltman, assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, departed for

ill in all likelihood leave when a new secretary of state is appointed or a few months later. In January 2009, Obama appointed Mitchell as special Middle East envoy on his second day in office. That kind of priority will not be assigned to the "peace process" in January 2013 -- no matter who wins. The ne

htmare hellscape as he moves further to the left." This argument is often bolstered by noting that Obama recently told the Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, that he would have "more flexibility" to pursue negotiations on missile defense "after my EFTA_R1_02204168 EFTA02720639 election." Ed Morrissey

es that Israel and the US first bring greater clarity to their own relationship. Is the US willing to shed its longtime attempt to be a mediator in Middle East problems by formally supporting Israel in a military attack? And is Israel ready to abandon its post-Holocaust desire for military self-reliance by

, double-digit income growth soothed the sting for quite a while. And after the economic crisis of 2009 removed that anaesthetic, the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev provided something of a placebo. With his tweets and iPad, he appealed to the most modern part of the middle class, promising liberalisation and in

ot preoccupied with fighting for their interests in the maelstrom of regional disputes. Gerald Butt, a former BBC Middle East correspondent, covers the Middle East for the Church Times. Asharq Al Awsat Diverting the Blue Nile's course could take Africa to war Huda Al Husseini 24 Mar, 2014 -- Water wars, ma

vance is somewhat the same. But another leader may not have fanned either one. A non-Putin, in fact, may not have felt either emotion so intensely. Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and now the prime minister, probably would not have seized Crimea. Nothing about him suggests otherwise. He is no Put

history. The continued retreat of the United States from world affairs, its refusal to continue its role as the world's super power, especially in the Middle East, is having all sorts of side effects. The Russian invasion of Crimea is one of them, the Egyptian government's antagonism is another, and more are

e: The United States has left Iraq, the war in Afghanistan is ending and Osama bin Laden is dead. President Barack Obama and Russian then- President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new nuclear treaty, and the U.S. economy is on the mend. But nobody's feeling like patting themselves on the back, as this year's NSS draf

ther when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Moscow on May 6, 2011. They announced their grave concern over Middle Eastern events. Furthermore, they would now coordinate actions to bring about a "speedy stabilization" of the situation and prevent negative unpredictable

e to promote the image of Russia as a besieged fortress surrounded by linked enemies, foreign governments and democratic reformers. Thus, President Dmitry Medvedev said, in March 2011: Look at the current situation in the Middle East and the Arab world. It is extremely difficult and great problems still lie a

d the second-largest percentage of young people in the world, after sub-Saharan Africa -- has been a "huge factor" in this year's revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa, says Larry Diamond, an expert on democratization at Stanford University. About two-thirds of Arabs are 30 or younger -- a percent

le the others are rising in power resources. Russia today lacks diversified exports, faces severe demographic and health problems, and in President Dmitry Medvedev's own words, greatly needs "modernization." When one looks closely at the numbers, China's growing economy and vast resources are the heart of the

y of their sworn Shiite enemy, Iran, which destabilizes the region with terrorism and nuclear threats. For the Saudis, depriving the Russians of a Middle Eastern toehold is an added bonus. The two countries share a long-standing animus. In the 1970s, the Saudis used their enormous oil wealth to inflict pain

EFTA_R1_00230053 EFTA01842748 Syrian Opposition Jonathan Schanzer February 27, 2012 -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah scolded Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week for failing to coordinate with Arab states before vetoing a United Nations resolution demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad st

Union Minister for Energy of Myanmar Chief Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer Editor and Senior Columnist Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa Founder and Chief Executive Officer First Deputy Chairman. Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation State Councillo

McNamer President and Chief Executive Officer TechnoServe Inc. USA Georg Meck Business Editor Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany Sonntagszeitung Dmitry Medvedev Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Paul Meehan Regional Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Bain & Company Inc. Hong Kong SAR Rene Mehrmann D

d the second-largest percentage of young people in the world, after sub-Saharan Africa -- has been a "huge factor" in this year's revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa, says Larry Diamond, an expert on democratization at Stanford University. About two-thirds of Arabs are 30 or younger -- a percent

le the others are rising in power resources. Russia today lacks diversified exports, faces severe demographic and health problems, and in President Dmitry Medvedev's own words, greatly needs "modernization." When one looks closely at the numbers, China's growing economy and vast resources are the heart of the