Le Figaro reports diplomatic sources at UN believe Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine imminent
Latest News and Opinion Reports are coming in to the effect that a Russian invasion of the eastern Ukraine appears “imminent” or “inevitable”. See: (1)…
Le Figaro
Egypt’s new draft constitutiom
(Developing) See: Samuel Forey, “Égypte : l’armée sort sa Constitution,” le Figaro, 2/12/2013 Egypt draft constitution alters roadmap; Draft paves way for presidential vote to…
Disillisioned with Obama’s chemical weapons deal with the Russians, 12 Free Syrian Army groups form alliance with al-Nusra Front in Syria
Twelve “moderate” groups previously aligned with the Free Syrian Army, have given up on Obama and the West, forming a new alliance with the al-Qaeda…
Obama, Putin and Syria: Commentary
Roger Cohen, “An Anchorless World,” New York Times, September 12, 2013. Laure Mandevill, “Syrie : Obama sort de la crise affaibli face à Poutine,” Le…
Morsi’s draft constitution will remove top female judge in Egypt from Constitutional Court; the dubious future of female judges under the government of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood
It is important to understand Mohamed Morsi’s background in order to understand how the draft constitution now being submitted to a referendum beginning December 15…
Egypt’s coming showdown: Boycott of December 15 referendum, opposition demonstrations, and the reactions of the armed forces
President Mohamed Morsi has, by his relentless pursuit of an Islamic constitution, an Islamic state, and ultimately an Islamic dictatorship guided by conservative interpretations of…
Petraeus, Allen, Benghazi potpourri
Developing–check back for updates “potpourri” potpourri /pəʊˈpʊəri, -ˈriː, pɒtˈpʊəri/ ▶noun (pl. potpourris) 1 a mixture of dried petals and spices placed in a bowl to…
New details on Benghazi attack on consulate, American response
New details about the attack on the American consulate and annex in Benghazi and the American response on the ground on the evening of September…
Annan fails in Damascus as Syrian army continues its onslaught—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #11 (March 11)
Predictably, Kofi Annan was rebuffed by Bashar al-Asad in talks in Damascus on March 10-11. Inexplicably, Annan declared following his talks in Damascus that there exist grounds…
Monumental miscalculation? Russia’s strategic interests in Syria and its defense of the al-Assad regime
Russia has blocked Security Council resolutions on Syria (e.g., in October, 2011) and has been dragging its heels in the current Security Council debate over…
La Russie défend ses interêts stratégiques du XIXème siècle en Syrie, aveugle au XXIème
Armin Arefi, “Syrie : pourquoi la Russie bloque l’ONU,” Le Point, le 31 janvier, 2012 Pierre Avril, “Pourquoi Moscou protège son allié Assad,” Le Figaro,…
Current military actions in Libya
In U.S. newspapers, it is difficult to get a sense of what is actually going on in Libya on the ground. One of the best…