The outcome of Russia’s intervention thus far has been better than Putin likely imagined. He is building an air and naval base on the Mediterranean, securing the Assad regime, and undermining NATO by provoking Turkey.

He is doing all of this unchallenged, and with a relatively minor commitment of resources. He has every reason to continue his current course.

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Al-Halaqi stressed that the upcoming parliamentary elections are an affirmation of the vitality of the Syrian people and the strength of the Syrian state and its institutions, calling on all government establishments to cooperate to accomplish the electoral process in accordance with the fair and transparency constitutional requirements that will contribute to the success of the political process in Syria.

(5.2.2016) 2012 tauchte auch ein Bericht auf, wonach der Todesschütze ein Agent des französischen Geheimdienstes gewesen sei, der die Rebellen infiltriert habe. Durch die Ermordung des libyschen Langzeitherrschers habe Paris vermeiden wollen, dass dieser über heikle Verwicklungen höchster französischer Kreise in seinen Herrschaftsstil, über Bestechung und Korruption plaudern könnte.

* Warning: This video contains some disturbing images *

Hochgeladen am 20.10.2011
Muammar al Gaddafi ist heuet am 20.10.2011 getötet worden.

(21.10.2011) Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) betonte in Berlin, es sei “ein wichtiger Tag für die Libyer“. Nun sei endgültig der Weg frei für einen politischen Neuanfang in Frieden. “Darüber ist Deutschland erleichtert und sehr froh.“

All sides in Libya have committed war crimes and other human rights abuses in the past two years and those responsible should face investigation and prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a United Nations report said on Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, Japan also needs to pursue its self-interests vis-a-vis Russia. Tokyo has scheduled a dense calendar of diplomatic exchanges with Russia through the current 2-3 month period. The deputy foreign ministers met in Tokyo on February 15; Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will visit Tokyo in mid-April. Meanwhile, Abe is despatching National Security Council chief Shotaro Yachi to Washington on Monday to explain to US officials why he (Abe) must see Putin in May before the G-7. Abe has identified the reset of Japan-Russia relations as “a diplomatic task of the highest priority”. 2016 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the 1956 Joint Declaration by Japan and the Soviet Union, in which the two agreed to continue World War II peace treaty negotiations.

§ 3 Nr. 8 IFG privilegiert die Nachrichtendienste, die zum Schutz vor Ausforschung insbesondere ihrer operativen Tätigkeit vom Informationszugang vollständig ausgenommen sind. Der vom Gesetzgeber bezweckte lückenlose Schutz der Tätigkeit der Nachrichtendienste gebietet die Erstreckung dieses Versagungsgrunds auch auf das Bundeskanzleramt, bei dem wegen seiner Aufgabe als Fachaufsichtsbehörde und Koordinierungsstelle typischerweise größere Mengen an Informationen der Nachrichtendienste anfallen.

BVerwG 7 C 18.14 – Urteil vom 25. Februar 2016

Das Bundesverwaltungsgericht hat heute entschieden, dass Akten der Geheimdienste, die im Besitz des Kanzleramts sind, nicht auf Grundlage des Informationsfreiheitsgesetzes (IFG) herausgegeben werden müssen. Hintergrund ist die Klage eines Journalisten, der bereits in den beiden Vorinstanzen mit dem Antrag gescheitert war, Akten von Verfassungsschutz und Bundesnachrichtendienst über die RAF, Terroranschläge aus dem Jahr 1977 und nachfolgende Strafverfahren einzusehen.

February 24, 2016,
15:00

At Israel’s initiative, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.

February 24, 2016,
14:20

The two presidents discussed the situation in Syria, particularly the initiatives and proposals set out in the joint Russian-US statement on cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Mr Putin and Mr Rouhani noted the importance of continuing their joint efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, including by continuing the resolute fight against ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups on the UN Security Council’s list of terrorist organisations.

February 24, 2016,
13:30

Mr Putin gave a detailed explanation of the proposals put forward in the Russian-US joint statement on a settlement in Syria.

The King of Saudi Arabia welcomed the agreement and expressed his readiness to work together with Russia to implement them.

The two leaders agreed to continue contacts on this matter.

February 24, 2016,
12:20

The two leaders discussed various aspects of the Syrian conflict in the context of implementing the Russian-US statement (Russia and the United States being co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group) on cessation of hostilities in Syria starting on February 27, 2016.

Mr al-Assad assessed the proposals contained in the statement as an important step towards political settlement and confirmed the Syrian government’s readiness to facilitate the ceasefire’s implementation.

Mr Putin and Mr al-Assad stressed at the same time the need to continue the uncompromising fight against ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups on the UN Security Council’s list of terrorist

“The further degradation of the situation presents a serious threat for the entire international architecture…Obviously a strong stability of the situation is impossible without the destruction of the center of the terrorist threat, first and foremost Daesh, which has taken control of large expanses of territory in the Middle East.”

(18.11.2006) Der Begriff «neuer Naher Osten» wurde der Welt im Juni 2006 in Tel Aviv von US-Aussenministerin Condoleezza Rice vorgestellt (in den westlichen Medien hiess es, sie hätte den Begriff geprägt), als Ersatz für den älteren und imponierenderen Begriff «umfassender naher Osten» (Greater Middle East).

(14.2.2016) Labwani is scheduled to speak on Sunday evening to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem and ask them to influence US policy to support his proposal.

The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, like Islamic State, seeks to divide Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, adding that the country‘s territorial integrity must be preserved.

(15.2.2016) Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who took part in the Munich conference and met with European and Arab leaders including King of Jordan Abdullah II, expressed pessimism regarding the truce’s prospects.

“Unfortunately we are going to face chronic instability for a very, very long period of time,” he said. “And part of any grand strategy is to avoid the past, saying we are going to unify Syria. We know how to make an omelette from an egg. I don’t know how to make an egg from an omelette.”

(14.2.2016) Referring to some of the warring sects, Yaalon added: „We should realize that we are going to see enclaves – ‚Alawistan‘, ‚Syrian Kurdistan‘, ‚Syrian Druzistan‘. They might cooperate or fight each other.“

Ram Ben-Barak, director-general of Israel‘s Intelligence Ministry, described partition as „the only possible solution“.

Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested the latest push for a ceasefire in Syria could amount to the last chance for one, and suggested that the US would see a partition of the country as “plan B.”

Kerry didn’t offer any details on how this would work, of course, but that fact that the US is mentioning partition at all is a huge step, as the US has fiercely resisted similar considerations in neighboring Iraq, which itself is facing a near identical war with many of the same combatants.

Backed by heavy Russian air strikes, Syrian government recaptures Khanaser, located 50 kilometers southeast of Aleppo.

In Aleppo province the Syrian army took back several key areas in fierce battles fought along the strategic Khanaser highway.