LyrArc Article Gist
Dunne and Nawaz say the situation in Egypt is developing into something similiar to Pakistan where the military has special privileges and controls what happens in the country even when democratic governments are elected. Dunne and Nawaz are directors of the Middle East and South Asia centers at The Atlantic Council. They say that the U.S. government should suspend military assistance if the conditions are not met for the clear leadership of the elected government and for democratic processes to work.

LyrArc Article Gist
The 3 hour televised debate in Egypt between presidential candidates Amr Moussa, former foreign minister, and Abdel Moneim Foutouh. Presidential elections will be held on May 23 and 24, with a runoff in June. It marks the end of dictatorships since 1952, and the first time Egypt is experiencing the democratic processs, as the period before 1952 involved rule by monarchy and strong influence of British colonial interests in the Suez Canal.

LyrArc Article Gist
The comments attributed to Chief Executive Leung during the election in 2012 about supporting the use of riot police against protestors opposing an anti subversion law in 2003, and his use of tear gas against demonstrators, have infuriated people in Hong Kong. Toeing the Beijing line without consideration of Hong Kong people is making life diificult for Leung. Particularly because of revelations made in the 2012 election campaign that he could not have at the age of 31 been appointed to the committee on the drafting of the Basic Law unless he was a member of the Communist Party. Because of his huge unpopularity Wong says it may be easier for Chinese president Jinping to dismiss Leung and placate Hong Kong people, as a first step. This could be followed by more discussion on the issue of universal suffrage and free elections without prescreening of candiates by the Communist Party.

LyrArc Article Gist
Greece's GDP was up by 1.7% in the third quarter of 2014, according to Elstat, with the recovery in tourism a major factor. It is now on track to achieve 0.6% growth for 2014, for the first time seeing growth since 2008. Yet the recovery is only beginning as Greece's economy is 30% smaller than in 2008.

LyrArc Article Gist
Former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas is the nominee of the New Democrat Party for the presidential election in December 2014. He needs 180 votes in parliament by the third round of voting.

LyrArc Article Gist
Russian prime minister Putin makes a road trip that stretches for 1,240 miles from Khabarovsk, near the Pacific coast, to Chita, a city near the Mongolian border. For half of the distance Putin drove a Russian made Lada compact, and for the other half he used a minivan. He seemed to be enjoying the trip shown on state media. The Wall Street Journal shows a picture of him filling gas in his yellow Lada car at a gas station somewhere in Siberia. Political analyst Alexei Makarkin, says the Medvedev-Putin partnership seems to work well, with Medvedev appealing to educated urban middle class, and Putin to the working classes with his informal style and manner. Driving on the soon to be completed Amur highway -which is historic because it links eastern and westen Russia for the first time- Putin was able to connect with local people and working class folk in small towns on the way.

LyrArc Article Gist
Of the nine positions on China's Politburo Standing Committee, which effectively runs the country, only Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang will remain as China moves to a transition in leadership. There is considerable uncertainty about the direction in which Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang will take the country- whether continuing the status quo or making efforts to introduce democratic processes in the country and shift away from the export model for the economy.

LyrArc Article Gist
President Medvedev of Russia talks with Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov for over an hour at the President's residence. The paper specializes in investigative journalism and has been critical of the control of media and politics under Putin. Four of Novaya Gazeta's reporters were killed or died mysteriously in the past 9 years, with the last Anna Politkovskaya. But Medvedev did not go beyond offering lawyerly answers according to the report. A Russian talkshow host says Medvedev can talk nicely, but can he act, and is there followup. Others see the move as a way to reduce tensions at a time of economic suffering of the people from the impact of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

LyrArc Article Gist
The Obama administration makes the decision on June 13, 2013, to supply arms to Syrian opposition forces to the Assad regime and enforce a limited no-fly zone inside Syria. The decision comes as forces of the Assad regime make gains over poorly armed opposition forces and threaten the Syrian opposition's base in the city of Aleppo.

LyrArc Article Gist
The Washington Post's editorial board offers insights on how the situation in Syria and Iraq deteriorated under the Obama administration's policies.

LyrArc Article Gist
Khairat el-Shatar, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. He was the main voice for the Brotherhood for many years and guided its direction to a movement that supports moderation and modernization. He also guided the Brotherhood in its participation in electoral politics in the Mubarak days and recently in the elections for the new parliament. He is also a businessman and provides financial support to the Brotherhood.

LyrArc Article Gist
Gen. Keane and Pletka say action by the U.S. is needed in 2013 to render ineffective the airdefense system and runways used by warplanes of the Assad regime. They emphasize that the U.S. has the technology and capacity to do this even with the Russian systems added in Syria. The lack of a U.S. response in the face of the Assad regime's attacks on civilian populations and use of chemical weapons, the support to the U.S. from the Arab world and Turkey, and the huge refugee problems in Jordan and Turkey, say Keane and Pletka, will lead to creating a worse situation than the relatively small risks of destroying the runways for Assad's warplanes and the airdefense system.

LyrArc Article Gist
The faltering approach on Syria of the Obama administration and the events that lead to the decision on June 13, 2013, to provide arms to the opposition forces.