The recent
murder of a major opposition figure in Russia is the latest in a series of
killings of political opponents of Communist dictator Vladimir Putin, a former
Soviet secret services agent. Many other
dissidents have been subjected to harassment, including phony criminal
investigations, or have even been imprisoned or
forced into exile, amidst a climate of a lack of judicial independence
and rule of law, and a diminishment of the freedoms of assembly and the press,
as few independent media have been tolerated by the regime. As a result, there are relatively few
opposition politicians in office or even willing to seek election. The argument by the legions of Russian
propagandists active both in Russian and global media, many of whom are
employed by the Russian government, that Putin could not possibly have
authorized the murder because it would have made him “look bad” would, if
believed, allow him to escape blame for any crime he wished to commit, while
these propagandists conveniently blamed every foreign or domestic opponent of
Putin for the murder.
The
governing center-right party won the Israeli parliamentary elections, despite
interference from associates of liberal Democratic President of the United
States Barack Obama, and has formed a coalition government with various
right-wing parties. Israel will continue its anti-terrorist policies
as a strong ally of the U.S. ,
as well as its opposition to the Islamist terrorist Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons
program. Israel ’s governing party also
benefited from a prosperous economy.
I had posted last month about possible
intervention in Yemen in my
post, Calls for the United Nations to Intervene in Libya
and Yemen , http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2015/02/calls-for-united-nations-to-intervene.html,
in which I specifically mentioned the role of Egypt
and Saudi Arabia . Egypt
and most members of the Gulf Cooperation Council are now participating in a
Saudi-led military intervention against the Iranian-backed Shi’ite rebels in Yemen . The rebels, who are backed by forces loyal to
Yemen ’s previous longtime
dictator, who had been ousted as a result of the Arab Spring, overthrew the
internationally-recognized Yemeni government that had been an ally of the United States
in the War on Terrorism. The U.S. has worked with Yemen against al-Qaeda’s branch
there, which has been its most dangerous.
The rebel takeover has been an obstacle to American counter-terrorism
efforts. The U.S. is supporting the Arab effort
against the pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels. The Arab states deserve praise and gratitude for their efforts.
President Obama has slowed down the
timetable for the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, at the
request of the Afghan government and based upon the advice of U.S. military
leaders in regard to the conditions in theater in this critical battle in the
War on Terrorism, in order to prevent Afghanistan from once again being taken
over by the Taliban and becoming a safe harbor for terrorists, such as
al-Qaeda, who plotted the September 11 Terrorist Attacks from there. Obama has decided not to repeat the mistake
he made in withdrawing from Iraq prematurely after failing to secure a status of
forces agreement, despite warnings from military leaders about the conditions
there and the possibility of a takeover by Islamists, such as al-Qaeda and its
offshoot, the “Islamic State” and remnants of the Baathist regime who are in
alliance with them. These insurgents
promptly seized large swaths of Iraq
after the American pullout, which has necessitated the U.S.-led air campaign
against them, supported by infantry from the Iraqi government and allied
militia. It is hoped that the American-led effort in Afghanistan will be more successful.
