Putin's Syrian Gambit :.

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Author :
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 : 9780160939983
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (399 download)

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Book Synopsis Putin's Syrian Gambit :. by : John W. Parker

Download or read book Putin's Syrian Gambit :. written by John W. Parker and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2017 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Putin's Syrian Gambit

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781974219919
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (199 download)

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Book Synopsis Putin's Syrian Gambit by : Institute for National Strategic Studies (US)

Download or read book Putin's Syrian Gambit written by Institute for National Strategic Studies (US) and published by . This book was released on 2017-08-04 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thanks in large part to Russia's military intervention, Syrian president Bashar al-Asad'sfortunes have made a remarkable recovery since May/June 2015. Russia, together with the LebaneseHizballah, Iran, and Iranian-organized Shia militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, andelsewhere, has succeeded in averting Asad's military defeat. What Russian president VladimirPutin has accomplished in Syria is important for American national security interests and policyin the region because it frames some of the hard choices Washington must now make.Russia has profited from a hard core of Alawite and Christian support for Asad insideSyria. At the same time, U.S. reluctance to become militarily involved in Syria facilitated themove of Russian forces into the country. Russia also benefited from the disunity among thediverse opposition to Asad and their external patrons. While Saudi Arabia and Turkey wereboth early proponents of ousting Asad, Saudi Arabia is now more focused on defeating Houthirebels in Yemen, and Turkey on fighting Kurdish separatist forces in northern Syria. In returnfor help from Putin in resolving its Kurdish problem, Turkey in 2016 helped Putin resolve Russia'sAleppo problem.As President Donald Trump considers and implements a way forward on working withRussia in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and toward peace in Syria,events of the past several years underscore several fundamental constraints under which Putinwill be operating and some challenges that have been overstated.First, Russia will find it hard to deliver Asad's agreement to any political arrangement thatrequires him to step aside to bring the conflict to an end. Asad plays Russia off against Iran andthe Lebanese Hizballah, placing them all on the same level and extending no preference to Putinfor Russia's contribution to his survival.Second, Tehran will not be keen to see its leverage in Damascus diminish and that of Moscowgrow. Tehran will support Asad in his resistance to any Russian pressure that would impactwhat Tehran sees as its existential interests in Syria as a vital link in Iran's land bridge to theLebanese Hizballah.Third, while working with Iran militarily in Syria, Russia has successfully pursued engagementwith most major Sunni powers in the Middle East, most interestingly Saudi Arabia, as wellas with Israel. However unpopular on "the street," Putin and Gulf Sunni royals appear to haveno complexes about dealing with each other.Fourth, Putin does not want Syria to be a "negative" issue going into the next Russianpresidential elections, scheduled for March 2018. This may be the major reason he has wanted to "solve" Aleppo so quickly in 2016 and pivot again to peacemaking efforts more prominence.Cooperation with the Trump administration and renewed American treatment of Russia as a"respected equal" would make Syria a more manageable electoral issue for Putin.As Washington continues to formulate and fine-tune a new approach to fighting ISIS andterrorism under the Trump administration, this study makes the following policy recommendations.First, the United States must cast aside sentiment and strictly prioritize its objectivesand preferred or acceptable outcomes.Second, the United States should work toward a Syria that remains unified even as theAmerican fight against ISIS benefits from Syrian Kurdish military prowess. The Kurds should bepart of the mix in political negotiations going forward but only in the context of a unified Syriaat the end of the process.

Putin's Syrian Gambit

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781973839026
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (39 download)

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Book Synopsis Putin's Syrian Gambit by : John W. Parker

Download or read book Putin's Syrian Gambit written by John W. Parker and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-22 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Due largely to Russia's military intervention, Syrian president Asad's fortunes have recovered since June 2015. Russia, together with Hizballah and Iran, averted Asad's military defeat. What Russian president Putin accomplished in Syria is important for American security interests and policy in the region because it frames hard choices Washington must now make. Russia has profited from a hard core of Alawite and Christian support for Asad inside Syria. At the same time, U.S. reluctance to become militarily involved in Syria facilitated Russian military intervention. Russia also benefited from the disunity among the diverse opposition to Asad and their external patrons. While Saudi Arabia and Turkey were both early proponents of ousting Asad, Saudi Arabia is now more focused on defeating Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Turkey on fighting Kurdish separatist forces in northern Syria. In return for help from Putin in resolving its Kurdish problem, Turkey in 2016 helped Putin resolve Russia's Aleppo problem. As President Trump considers and implements a way forward on working with Russia in the fight against ISIS and toward peace in Syria, recent events underscore fundamental constraints under which Putin will be operating and some challenges that have been overstated. First, Russia will find it hard to deliver Asad's agreement to any political arrangement that requires him to step aside. Asad plays Russia off against Iran and Hizballah, extending no preference to Putin for Russia's contribution to his survival. Second, Tehran will not be keen to see its leverage in Damascus diminish and that of Moscow grow. Tehran will support Asad in his resistance to any Russian pressure that would impact Syria's role as Iran's land bridge to Lebanon. Third, while working with Iran militarily in Syria, Russia also engaged with major Sunni powers in the Middle East, most interestingly Saudi Arabia, as well as with Israel. Fourth, Putin does not want Syria to be a "negative" issue in Russian presidential elections in 2018. Cooperation with the Trump administration and renewed American treatment of Russia as a "respected equal" would make Syria a more manageable electoral issue for Putin. As Washington continues to formulate and fine-tune a new approach to fighting ISIS and terrorism under the Trump administration, this study makes the following policy recommendations. First, the United States must cast aside sentiment and strictly prioritize its objectives and preferred or acceptable outcomes. Second, the United States should work toward a Syria that remains unified even as the American fight against ISIS benefits from Syrian Kurdish military prowess. The Kurds should be part of the mix in political negotiations going forward but only in the context of a unified Syria at the end of the process. Third, the United States should explore the military pros and cons of more robust cooperation with Russia in Syria, without conceding anything in advance on Asad's future or Iran's place in the region. The U.S. needs to be prepared selectively and judiciously to strike Syrian regime forces from time to time to inhibit their attacks on nonterrorist opposition fighters and civilian populations. Fourth, Washington should work quietly with Moscow toward diminishing Iranian leverage in Syria and the region. That said, while Moscow probably hopes that its weight in Syria will increase over time at Iran's expense, Russia has little interest in sharing influence there with the U.S. Finally, with or without Russia, the United States should engage militarily in Syria more robustly. Besides being necessary to fight ISIS more effectively, this will also help reverse the view that began to take hold in the region during the Barack Obama administration that the United States is a declining power, and encourage regional capitals to rebalance their relations with Moscow.

Putin's Syrian Gambit

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 98 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (994 download)

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Book Synopsis Putin's Syrian Gambit by : John W. Parker

Download or read book Putin's Syrian Gambit written by John W. Parker and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Between Russia and Iran: Room to Pursue American Interests in Syria

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780160949982
Total Pages : 90 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (499 download)

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Book Synopsis Between Russia and Iran: Room to Pursue American Interests in Syria by : John W. Parker

Download or read book Between Russia and Iran: Room to Pursue American Interests in Syria written by John W. Parker and published by . This book was released on with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Putin's War in Syria

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0755634640
Total Pages : 297 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Putin's War in Syria by : Anna Borshchevskaya

Download or read book Putin's War in Syria written by Anna Borshchevskaya and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-11-04 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Skillfully lays out Mr. Putin's approach to the Middle East." Wall Street Journal "Detailed and fascinating." Diplomatic Courier Putin intervened in Syria in September 2015, with international critics predicting that Russia would overextend itself and Barack Obama suggesting the country would find itself in a “quagmire” in Syria. Contrary to this, Anna Borshchevskaya argues that in fact Putin achieved significant key domestic and foreign policy objectives without crippling costs, and is well-positioned to direct Syria's future and become a leading power in the Middle East. This outcome has serious implications for Western foreign policy interests both in the Middle East and beyond. This book places Russian intervention in Syria in this broader context, exploring Putin's overall approach to the Middle East – historically Moscow has a special relationship with Damascus – and traces the political, diplomatic, military and domestic aspects of this intervention. Borshchevskaya delves into the Russian military campaign, public opinion within Russia, as well as Russian diplomatic tactics at the United Nations. Crucially, this book illustrates the impact of Western absence in Syria, particularly US absence, and what the role of the West is, and could be, in the Middle East.

The Battle for Syria

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Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300262035
Total Pages : 423 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle for Syria by : Christopher Phillips

Download or read book The Battle for Syria written by Christopher Phillips and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unprecedented analysis of the crucial but underexplored roles the United States and other nations have played in shaping Syria’s ongoing civil war “One of the best informed and non-partisan accounts of the Syrian tragedy yet published.”—Patrick Cockburn, Independent Syria’s brutal, long-lasting civil war is widely viewed as a domestic contest that began in 2011 and only later drew foreign nations into the fray. But in this book Christopher Phillips shows the crucial roles that were played by the United States, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar in Syria’s war right from the start. Phillips untangles the international influences on the tragic conflict and illuminates the West’s strategy against ISIS, the decline of U.S. power in the region, and much more. Originally published in 2016, the book has been updated with two new chapters.

Selling War and Peace

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108804349
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (88 download)

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Book Synopsis Selling War and Peace by : Jack Holland

Download or read book Selling War and Peace written by Jack Holland and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-07 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By analysing Anglosphere foreign policy debates during the Syrian Civil War from 2011 to 2019, this book is a significant contribution to the literature in three fields. First, the book analyses the entirety of the Syrian Civil War in an innovative four-phase chronology, as the conflict evolved from calls for democracy, through chemical weapons concerns, to the rise of ISIL and the onset of Great Power proxy war. Second, the book maps and theorises Anglosphere foreign policy, charting the history and future of the US-UK-Australian military alliance during a key period of political uncertainty, defined by Donald Trump's presidency and the UK's Brexit negotiations. Third, the book develops a post-constructivist framework for the analysis of transnational political debates which determine war and peace in Syria and beyond. This framework emphasises the hard nature of soft power and the coercion of political opponents through forceful words.

The Great Power Competition Volume 2

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Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030903907
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (39 download)

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Book Synopsis The Great Power Competition Volume 2 by : Adib Farhadi

Download or read book The Great Power Competition Volume 2 written by Adib Farhadi and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-02-01 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Region faced numerous obstacles to building a stable and prosperous future. The region, which encompasses the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia, has been plagued by economic and political uncertainty amidst dramatic shifts in the global power structure. With the pandemic now exacerbating the volatility in this already fragile region, the U.S.'s strategic objectives are rife for re-examination. A complicated stew of factors such as weakening of established governance systems, the emboldening of extremist individuals and groups through advances in digital technology, the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and Syria, and the intensification of the great power competition with China and Russia are creating a fertile environment for the growth of violent extremist organizations (VEOs). Such organizations take advantage of vulnerable, aggrieved, and traumatized populations to fuel radicalization, recruitment, and unrest, which further undermine stability and the potential for peace and prosperity. While it is still early to fully understand how the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic will impact U.S. policy, this book provides a timely analysis of relevant dynamics such as popular radicalization, digital information ecosystems, networks of influence, and new capabilities to recognize and prepare for other such black swan events in the region.

Turkey Under Erdogan

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Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300247885
Total Pages : 279 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Turkey Under Erdogan by : Dimitar Bechev

Download or read book Turkey Under Erdogan written by Dimitar Bechev and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2022-02-22 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An incisive account of Erdoğan's Turkey--from fledgling democracy to today's authoritarian rule

The Arms Race in the Middle East

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Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3031324323
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (313 download)

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Book Synopsis The Arms Race in the Middle East by : Mohammad Eslami

Download or read book The Arms Race in the Middle East written by Mohammad Eslami and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-07-28 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume discusses security policy and strategic policymaking in the Middle East region. Due to its unique geopolitical, geoeconomic and geostrategic features, the Middle East region has been confronted with challenging security issues. Combined with a lack of an efficient regional security regime this has led to the formation of a full-fledged arms race. This book draws together contributions from international experts to address the factors that have been contributing to the ongoing formation of an arms race in the Middle East as well as the impact of this phenomenon on the regional and global security environment. The book is organized in three sections. The first section outlines the contemporary dynamics of the arms race in the Middle East by focusing on its most recent dynamics and their implications for regional and international security. The second section conducts systematic analysis of case studies of country-specific drivers of the arms race. The third and final section examines the role of external actors in the arms race, evaluating both the responses of regional actors to external interventions as well as the implications of the arms race for extra-regional countries.

World War in Syria

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Publisher : SCB Distributors
ISBN 13 : 1949762475
Total Pages : 447 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (497 download)

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Book Synopsis World War in Syria by : A.B. Abrams

Download or read book World War in Syria written by A.B. Abrams and published by SCB Distributors. This book was released on 2021-07-01 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World War in Syria answers questions that will have continued relevance beyond the country’s borders for years to come. "Impressive in its scholarship, pondered in its judgements, above all searing in its dissection of Western powers' war on Syria waged over many decades, the book is a must-have on the bookshelves of any serious fair-minded student of Syria." --Peter Ford, British Ambassador to Syria from 2003 to 2006 "The most detailed history of the war in Syria so far, providing a richness of highly interesting details, as well as a critical analysis of its complex international and domestic dimensions, rarely encountered in other Western publications." --Nikolaos van Dam, former Special Envoy for Syria, 2015-16. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Germany and Indonesia, Author of Destroying a Nation. The civil war in Syria. "A. B. Abrams explores the widening scope of the Syrian conflict in his important book. Solving Syria’s civil war will require a regional approach engaging stakeholders whose interests are fundamentally opposed." --David L. Phillips, Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights. "Abrams is a meticulous guide to the labyrinth of Syria's modern political history." --Richard W. Murphy. U.S. Ambassador to Syria, 1974 to 1978. Consul in Aleppo, Syria, 1960 to 1963 "A. B. Abrams has written an extremely informative and illuminating account on the international dimension of the origins, outbreak and evolution of the Syrian conflict. His empirically rich analysis in this nuanced and comprehensive study make it one of the best books, if not the best book, written about the Syrian crisis. This book is a MUST read for anyone who wants to understand the Syrian conflict, the Middle East, and the role of the great powers in the region." --Jubin Goodarzi, Professor and Deputy Head of International Relations, Webster University, Geneva. Former consultant and political adviser on Middle Eastern affairs for the UNHCR. "An insightful and dispassionate record of the Syrian Maelstrom and the West’s role as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice." --John Holmes, Major General and Director Special Forces (ret.), British Army.

Russia's Military Interventions

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Author :
Publisher : Rand Corporation
ISBN 13 : 1977411118
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (774 download)

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Book Synopsis Russia's Military Interventions by : Samuel Charap

Download or read book Russia's Military Interventions written by Samuel Charap and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2021-09-27 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite Russia’s relatively small global economic footprint, it has engaged in more interventions than any other U.S. competitor since the end of the Cold War. In this report, the authors assess when, where, and why Russia conducts military interventions by analyzing the 25 interventions that Russia has undertaken since 1991, including detailed case studies of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War and Moscow’s involvement in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

The Regional Order in the Gulf Region and the Middle East

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Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030454657
Total Pages : 455 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis The Regional Order in the Gulf Region and the Middle East by : Philipp O. Amour

Download or read book The Regional Order in the Gulf Region and the Middle East written by Philipp O. Amour and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-07-04 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the regional order in the Gulf Region and the wider Middle East, focusing on regional rivalries and security alliances. The authors analyze the regional system in terms of its general structure as well as the major inter-state and non-state security alliances. The structure of the regional system in the wider Middle East and the shake-ups it has experienced explain the ongoing regional rivalry and polarization since 2011 in hotspots such as Syria, Yemen, and Libya. As such, the various chapters address regional transition and power dynamics between and among regional great powers and non-state militant actors across the Gulf Region and the wider Middle East in terms of the alliance building, persistence, and disintegration since 2011.

The Kremlin Strikes Back

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 131688936X
Total Pages : 473 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (168 download)

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Book Synopsis The Kremlin Strikes Back by : Steven Rosefielde

Download or read book The Kremlin Strikes Back written by Steven Rosefielde and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America and Europe responded to Russia's annexation of Crimea on March 18, 2014 by discarding their policy of East-West partnership and reverting intermittently to a policy of cold war. The West believes that this on-again/off-again second Cold War will end with Russia's capitulation because it is not a sufficiently great power, while the Kremlin's view is just the opposite; Vladimir Putin believes that if Moscow has strategic patience, Russia can recover some of the geostrategic losses that it incurred when the Soviet Union collapsed. The Kremlin Strikes Back scrutinizes the economic prospects of both sides, including factors like military industrial prowess, warfighting capabilities, and national resolve, addressing particularly hot-button issues such as increasing military spending, decreasing domestic spending, and other policies. Stephen Rosefielde aims to objectively gauge future prospects and the wisdom of employing various strategies to address Russian developments.

News Commentary Essays Book II

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Publisher : Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1685708366
Total Pages : 650 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (857 download)

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Book Synopsis News Commentary Essays Book II by : Charles Henderson,

Download or read book News Commentary Essays Book II written by Charles Henderson, and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-05-13 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Charles Henderson’s newly released News Commentary Essays Book II: Poignant Responses to Fourth Estate Rancor is a vivid collection of sociopolitical writings. The years 2014 to 2015 were significant in American history because they were filled with news stories about epic and sometimes controversial events. The presidential campaign began to slowly heat up and the news media reporters were caught flat-footed when two inexperienced candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, surprisingly, jumped into the lead. The military conflict in the Middle East shifted to Syria, causing the op-ed foreign policy writers to berate President Obama for hesitating to enter into a third insurgency war. And last but not least, the Supreme Court finally heard arguments on the constitutionality of overturning state bans on same sex marriage. That ruling, both epic and controversial, is expected to lead to the challenging of religious liberty. Henderson’s Book II is an entertaining and insightful volume of over four hundred essays touching on all manner of complex political policies and social issues. It contains eighteen different topics arranged in chapters, alphabetically, from “Drones” to “Women in the Military,” encompassing other chapters involving controversial subjects such as homosexuality, morality, race, and social issues. Pursuit of the unbiased truth is the hallmark of this book’s narratives. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dr. Henderson’s new book is a grippingly eloquent and mind- broadening work of educated opinion, with many of the essays written in response to the rather conservative op-ed pieces in the liberally inclined Washington Post. In his writings, Henderson offers a rare mind of clarity along with a serene strength of conviction, secure in his foundation in God’s Word amid the raging din of the modern world’s political drama and ethical battlefields.

Russia's Place in the World

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Author :
Publisher : Algora Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1628941464
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (289 download)

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Book Synopsis Russia's Place in the World by : Andrej Kreutz

Download or read book Russia's Place in the World written by Andrej Kreutz and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prof. Kreutz presents a concise geopolitical and historical background of Russia and the major predicaments that currently hamper its full international integration and acceptance. He outlines the negative and potentially dangerous aspects of the existing situation. In the author's view the Russian Federation, which is a successor state of the Soviet Union and the previous Russian Empire, should not now be treated as a defeated nation on probation. Rather, alongside China, it should be acknowledged as a great independent power with its own political traditions and interests. Only such an approach can secure international peace and cooperation in Europe and Asia, which are needed by all countries of the region and even the world at large. The book's approach is mainly historical; nevertheless it focuses on some of the most important and controversial present day international challenges both in Europe and Asia. Its aims to address academics, journalists and other specialists, but also is written for the general public. Its goal is to provide an alternative and unprejudiced view of the "Russian Problem," starting with the recognition that the struggle for survival has been a major challenge in Russia's past and present - a fact that is often seemingly overlooked by those analysts who misconstrue defensive moves as potential aggression. An expert on Eastern Europe and political history, Prof. Kreutz is neither a Russia-sympathizer nor a Russia-basher, but he presents a neutral account of Russia's place in the world. This book fills a gap left by other recent works including the historical monograph by Marshall J. Poe, The Russian Moment in World History, which provides only the introduction and background to the present situations, and Professor Tsygankov's Russia's Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity in National Identity, which is more about various Russian political theories than on the actual socio-political and geopolitical situation of the country. Mankoff's Russian Foreign Policy. The Return of Great Power Politics and Treisman's The Return: Journey from Gorbachev to Medvyedev are focused on the current political issues and make some interesting points; however, they do not seem to perceive the challenges coming to Russia from the neo-capitalist transformations and US imperial expansion in its neighborhood. Dmitri Trenin did not mention much about them either, in Post-Imperium-Eurasian Story. While presenting a rather bleak picture of present-day Russia, he suggests that Moscow should open itself fully to the capitalist modernization and accept US hegemony. His comparisons of the Soviet Union with the former Western colonial empires are not always convincing. Trenin, a former Soviet Colonel and diplomat is apparently influenced by his present employment with the Carnegie Endowment, but his book is nevertheless informative and makes an interesting contribution to the existing literature on the subject.