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.
Analysis
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.
A Grand Bargain With Putin Against ISIS?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of the fact that he would like some kind of political settlement with the West. The German magazine Der Spiegelhas just published a leaked official Russian memo outlining a proposed grand bargain in which Putin eases out its close ally, Syrian President Assad, in favor of a still pro-Russian regime that at least stops killing its own people. In return the West acknowledges what has been an open secret for several decades–that Syria is Russia’s sphere of influence in the Arab world.
Thomas Graham and Rajan Menon: The Putin Problem
The Russian–U.S. relationship has yet to hit rock bottom, although it continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
French Connections: The Knock-On Effects of the Paris Attacks
“A U.S.-Russia grand alliance against Assad and ISIS?” asks Robert Kuttner. “Most readers of the Prospect have scoffed at the idea that the U.S. should make common cause with the thuggish Vladimir Putin, an idea promoted by Stephen F. Cohen on the left and Donald Trump on the right. But the idea just became a little less fringe.”
Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor: Do Liberal Democrats Want War With Russia?
Having grown into an inescapable political phenomenon, “Russiagate” abets the chances of war with Moscow in at least three ways. It depicts Russia as a “hostile nation.” It has crippled Trump’s promise to ease tensions by cooperating with Moscow. And it discourages anti-Cold War voices in American mainstream media and politics.
Daniel Larison: Corker Announces His Retirement
Corker spent two terms in the Senate, and during that time he had a generally poor record on foreign policy issues.
Obama Administration Officials Insist Russia Is to Blame for the Syrian Crisis
Last week, on November 5, The Wall Street Journal reported that the CIA will be stepping up its illegal war in Syria by increasing the number of weapons it is providing to the so-called Syrian moderate opposition, putting the lie to President Obama’s pledge not to lead the United States into a proxy war with Russia. If a hearing held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last Wednesday morning on “Russia’s Escalation in Syria” is any indication, the president should expect little to no opposition to the CIA’s action.
Robert Parry: The Rise of the New McCarthyism
As the New McCarthyism takes hold in America, the neocon Washington Post makes Russia the villain in virtually every bad thing that happens, with U.S. dissidents treated as “fellow-travelers,” writes Robert Parry.
Robert Parry: WPost Pushes More Dubious Russia-bashing
The Washington Post has published another front-page story about Russia maybe placing some ads on Facebook, but the article violates a host of journalistic principles in hyping its case, reports Robert Parry.
Gordon Hahn: Russian Propaganda: Much Ado About Little
Much is being made about the ostensibly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Russian propaganda machine.