Speculation has swirled over what Russian politics will resemble after President Vladimir Putin exits the Kremlin in 2008. Some question whether Russia will continue on its current course—strong government, strained relations with the West—or pursue a different, more accommodating path. The outcome has important implications for energy markets, the democratization of Moscow’s “near abroad,” and [...]

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The following action plan was released in Beijing on February 13, 2007 following the conclusion of the latest round of Six-Party Talks.
Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement
13 February 2007
The Third Session of the Fifth Round of the Six-Party Talks was held in Beijing among the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s [...]

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The agreement by Washington to engage in direct talks revises longstanding Bush administration policy and represents a major concession (Korea Times). Still, the deal leaves the North many ways out of full denuclearization. Experts note it focuses solely on Pyongyang’s plutonium-based program and “puts off the biggest questions,” including North Korea’s separate efforts to develop [...]

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Moscow guaranteed the shoulder-carried SA-18 “Grouse” Igla 9K38 was sold to Damascus under the strict prohibition of its transfer to Hizballah, DEBKAfile notes. The pledge was given to the US and personally by Russian president Vladimir Putin to Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.
A Lebanese army source says the advanced missile consignment may have been concealed [...]

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In recent decades, the South Pacific has been a friendly region for the US and its interests, including islands that sit on Asia’s doorstep. But the rise of China and its growing interest in the Pacific islands may be emerging as yet another area of possible concern. In this final article of a three-part series, [...]

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Thank you, Vladimir Putin. Thank you for confirming that the Cold War is very much alive and that you and your nation is responsible for keeping it so. After all, it is far better for us to know absolutely who you are and what your intentions continue to be. Thank you for confirming that we [...]

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Anti-American populism is in vogue again in Latin America. And we may have ourselves to blame.
In Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela, politicians rail against the United States as an arrogant, greedy, uncaring bully.
What has the United States done to provoke this? The answer: It’s not so much what we’ve done, but what we [...]

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According to Burns, one of the reasons for the US to seek an agreement with Brazil on the worldwide adoption of biofuels is because Washington no longer wants to depend on Venezuelan and Iranian oil. “Energy has become a big diplomatic issue. Energy has tended to distort and expand the power of some countries beyond [...]

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During an Egyptian parliamentary meeting a member of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) was direct in expressing his genocidal wishes for Israel: “That cursed Israel is trying to destroy al-Aqsa mosque…Nothing will work with Israel except for a nuclear bomb that wipes it out of existence,” Mohamed el-Katatny told the Egyptian Parliament.
Link to this [...]

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Pentagon chief Robert Gates might tell Vladimir Putin that “one Cold War is enough,” but the new Cold War chilling relations between Russia and the West has less to do with nuclear weapons and much more about who will control energy resources. Paolo Pontoniere is a New America Media European commentator.
A new Cold [...]

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