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Before the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, Russia considered itself the heir of Rome or at least of Byzantium, the second Rome. When the Byzantine Empire fell, Russia dubbed itself the Third Rome. Byzantium had been the pre-eminent power of an unipolar world. But once on the defensive, unable to lead its empire, it fell back on a policy of balance and stability. They relied on small tilts in that balance, which went in their favor.
For Europeans, war is usually defined as diplomacy by other means. The present U.S. administration has managed to re-define diplomacy as the inconvenient but necessary window-dressing to justify military action.
Cairo, Egypt - The real questions are: If the Democrats take control of Congress, will they be able to solve the problems created by the Bush administration? Will their influence through the U.S. Congress change existing policy?
Cairo, Egypt - Following the election of President Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun, the Afghan political leadership faced a daunting challenge: To reconstruct infrastructure and develop an effective security force with international assistance while avoiding the perception that they, the new Afghan leadership, was yet another regime manipulated by foreign interests.
Cairo, Egypt - Middle East nations perceive the U.S. and the West trying to dominate the region through economic, political and military means. Iran's nuclear challenge to the West then becomes a welcome relief for many.
Cairo, Egypt - To begin answering this question, it would be a good idea to review the terms of the ceasefire and the extended mandate for UNIFIL under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, August 2006.
Cairo, Egypt - [Pick: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman] If I had to choose one book with which to spend my vacation, I would want something escapist, but not fictional - a sort of analogy for today.
Cairo, Egypt - The significance of this latest terrorist plot is in its timing. Hezbollah's successful efforts at confronting and surviving Israel's military onslaught in Lebanon over the past six weeks has provoked Al Qaeda to attempt to divert attention to itself.
Cairo, Egypt - When discussing the economic relationship between the Middle East and Asia one is discussing oil. Other aspects to their relationship include finance, construction, development, and the potential for the Middle East to be an emerging export market.
Egypt - Any attempt to impose a three ethnic enclave solution against the wishes of the Iraqi people would be disastrous. Most Iraqis are against a partition of their country.
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