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MENASource

Sep 6, 2013

His Holiness the Pope Speaks Out on Syria

By Fred Hof

In a letter to Russian President Vladmir Putin dated September 4, 2013, and addressed to Putin in his capacity as host for the G20 meeting in St. Petersburg, one interpreted by some as a rebuke to President Barack Obama, His Holiness Pope Francis had the following to say about Syria

Syria
Russian State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin

NATOSource

Sep 5, 2013

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’ if Georgia Joins NATO

By Katerina O. Labetskaya, Russia Direct

[I]t seems that some politicians in the West regard the positive processes to ease the tensions in Russian-Georgian relations as an opportunity to continue the same policy of attracting Tbilisi into NATO

NATO Russia
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė

NATOSource

Sep 5, 2013

President Grybauskaitė : NATO Exercises Enhance Lithuania’s Security

By Lithuania Tribune

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to discuss the implementation of NATO’s contingency plans for the Baltic States

NATO Security & Defense
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

NATOSource

Sep 5, 2013

NATO Chief Regrets Divisions Over Syria

By AFP

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen sharply regretted international divisions over Syria on Sept. 5, warning that such splits risked sending a message of encouragement to dictators

European Union International Organizations

MENASource

Sep 5, 2013

Egypt’s Constitutional Committees

By Yussef Auf

With interim president, Adly Mansour’s constitutional declaration on July 7, a new system was adopted to amend the currently suspended Egyptian constitution, with two committees formed to carry out the task. The first committee of ‘ten experts,’ has completed its work, while the second, the ‘Committee of Fifty’ will begin its work on September 8.

North Africa

MENASource

Sep 5, 2013

Top News: Bomb Explodes Near Egypt Interior Minister’s Convoy

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt unscathed when a bomb detonated early on Thursday near his convoy in northeast Cairo.

MENASource

Sep 5, 2013

Top News: Former Syrian Defense Minister Defects

By MENASource

Former Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Habib, a prominent member of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect, has defected and is now in Turkey, a senior member of the opposition Syrian National Coalition told Reuters on Wednesday.

New Atlanticist

Sep 5, 2013

Is the Special Relationship Dead?

By Julian Lindley-French

Is the Anglo-American special relationship dead? In the wake of Parliament’s 29 August decision to block the use of British forces in any US-led strike on Syria British officers were ejected from planning meetings at US Central Command (CENTCOM). At this week’s G20 meeting in St Petersberg President Obama will pointedly have a private meeting […]

United Kingdom United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Sep 5, 2013

Five Reasons Why Congress Must Support Obama on Syria

By R. Nicholas Burns

Whether you agree or disagree with President Barack Obama’s surprising decision to ask Congress to authorize the use of force against Syria is last weekend’s question. Now that the Senate has begun a vigorous debate, this week’s only pertinent question is whether theUnited States will respond to the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons against […]

Syria

MENASource

Sep 5, 2013

Syria: Authorizing the Use of Military Force

By Fred Hof

It is understandable that many in Congress have grave reservations about authorizing President Barack Obama to use military force in Syria. It is equally understandable that the president, for so long, tried to hold Syria at arm’s length as the Assad regime slaughtered civilians and put American friends and allies in the region in grave […]

Syria