Wars have a funny way of taking on a life of their own. The protagonists tend to lose control over the plot lines, the narrative threads. Syria is that kind of war, an overlap of wars and agendas that has made it almost impossible for anyone—especially our media scolds—to make black and white, good guys/bad guys sense of.
Analysis
James R. Bradley: How Putin came to rule the Middle East
When Russia entered the Syrian civil war in September 2015 the then US secretary of defense, Ash Carter, predicted catastrophe for the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin was ‘pouring gasoline on the fire’ of the conflict, he said, and his strategy of fighting Isis while backing the Assad regime was ‘doomed to failure’.
Daniel Larison: The Extraordinary Folly of Arming Ukraine
“Defensive weapons for Ukraine is an idea whose time has come.” There is no reason to believe that, the idea remains as bankrupt as it has always been…
The temptation of expanding U.S. military involvement
The most effective coalition against the Islamic State — indeed, the only coalition that can defeat it and establish an effective government — is a one that includes not only the United States, its allies, and Iraq but also Russia and Iran.
Paul Robinson Takes On Historically Illiterate Washington Post Op-ed
The Washington Post published an op-ed yesterday by Terrell Jermaine Starr which drew parallels between Soviet nationalities policy and alleged attempts by modern-day Russia to stir up racial tensions in America. The message was pretty clear: the Soviets were not just racists, but specifically Russian racists. So you shouldn’t be surprised that modern day Russians are too. Let’s look at this in detail.
Pietro Shakarian: Reconsidering Russia podcast featuring Dr. Ronald Grigor Suny
Dr. Ronald Grigor Suny, William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan discusses the history of his grandfather – the composer Grikor Suni – and his experience of the Russian Revolution, the Revolution in Transcaucasia, Stepan Shahumyan and the Baku Commune, and the issue of class and nationality in the Russian Revolution.
The Ghost of Hybrid War
IISS Senior Fellow Samuel Charap notes that “Undoubtedly, there are serious Russia-related contingencies for which NATO must plan. The hybrid element of Russia’s operation in Ukraine, however, is not one of them. Indeed, the focus on Russia’s hybrid tactics has led to the creation of a bogeyman. Western analysis gives the impression that Russia is already conducting hybrid war against the West. This is a dangerous misuse of the word ‘war’.”
Dr. Richard Sakwa: Hillary Clinton and Russia
It is clear that Clinton surrounded herself with a coterie of left-liberal and neo-con adversaries of Russia’s refusal to accept the hegemony of the US-led liberal international order, and all the rest flows from that.
Aaron J. Mate: Russiagate Is More Fiction Than Fact
From accusations of Trump campaign collusion to Russian Facebook ad buys, the media has substituted hype for evidence.
Alastair Crooke: How Syria’s Victory Reshapes Mideast
The failure of the U.S.-Israeli-Saudi “regime change” project in Syria changes the future of the Mideast, possibly ushering in an era of greater secularism and tolerance, writes ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke.
Alexei Arbatov : A U.N. PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IN UKRAINE
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to send U.N. peacekeepers to Ukraine received a tepid response from the West, but such a mission could very well be a first step in ending the conflict.
Matt Taibbi: Latest Fake News Panic Appears to Be Fake News
The headline on the Washington Post story was scary enough: “Lawmaker: Russian trolls trying to sow discord in NFL kneeling debate”.
William Blum: The MSM’s Anti-Russia Bias
The U.S. mainstream media (MSM} presents itself as the arbiter of truth-telling and journalistic professionalism – the global gold standard – but its deep-seated biases, especially on Russia, belie that self-image, notes William Blum.
We may be about to witness a big Western narrative shift on Russia’s Syria policy
A year ago, Vladimir Putin left the G20 summit in Brisbane early after a “barrage of criticism” and “browbeating” by Western leaders. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper only barely deigned to shake his hand. UK Prime Minister David Cameron openly mocked him to reporters…
Mainstream media, predictably delighted by this apparent confirmation of Russia’s successful “isolation” quickly patted themselves on the back. Job done. No one needs to listen to Russia, right?
Fast forward to this year’s G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. What a difference a year makes.
Sophie Pinkham: Understanding Russia’s War Stories
The past year has seen the greatest panic over Russia’s influence on U.S. politics since the end of the Cold War.
Edward Lozansky: North Korea and a New World Order
…why not take a pause and, for a change, let the regional powers around North Korea, including China, Russia, Japan and South Korea take the lead?
Glenn Greenwald: Yet Another Major Russia Story Falls Apart. Is Skepticism Permissible Yet?
Inflammatory claims about Russia get mindlessly hyped by media outlets, almost always based on nothing more than evidence-free claims from government officials, only to collapse under the slightest scrutiny, because they are entirely lacking in evidence.
Stephen F. Cohen: US-Russian Relations in the Aftermath of Paris . PODCAST.
On Nov. 18, ACEWA Founding Board Member, Prof. Stephen F. Cohen spoke at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco. Prof. Cohen challenged the consensus view taken by both Washington and the U.S. mainstream media that the crisis in relations between Russia and the West – particularly with regard to the Ukrainian crisis – is due solely to Russian aggression under President Vladimir Putin. Further, Prof. Cohen discussed whether perhaps now, in light of the tragic events which continue to unfold in Paris, there is any chance for a thaw in the New Cold War.
The Putin Worldview, Russia in Syria, and the Ukraine Elections
Russia has said specifically in the Middle East that it is intervening to accomplish three objectives. The first is to help the Syrian and Iraqi governments to create conditions for peaceful resolution within their conflict-ridden regions.
The second is to inflict a preemptive strike against global terrorism. By the way, he [Putin] defines terrorists as the enemies of civilization. In other words, even people that he disagrees with—let’s say the United States’ policy and its aspirations—he does not see them as enemies of civilization; they simply want a different set of priorities within the context of our common civilizational values. But the people that Putin labels as terrorists he sees as the enemies of all civilization and all ethics and morality.
The third objective is to, by accomplishing these two first goals, assist all nations in the region that are threatened by terrorism.
Meduza: The most controversial, anticipated film in years is coming soon to Russia.
When it comes to cultural scandals in contemporary Russia, it’s hard to find anything so controversial as “Matilda,” a new film by Alexey Uchitel about the love affair between Nicholas Romanov, when he was still heir to the tsarist empire, and Matilda Kshesinskaya, a celebrated ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theaters.