Russian Mercenary Boss 'Spoke to Kremlin' Before Attack on U.S., Allies
From Middle East Eye: “Yevgeniy Prigozhin was also in close contact with Russian officials before the attack and told a Syrian official that he had "secure permission" from a Russian minister for a "fast and strong" action that would happen in early February, according to intercepted communications seen by the Post.”
BY DAVID P. GOLDMAN
Washington's abandonment of the Kurds left them with no other choice but to turn to the Assad government and its Russian backers. It's Moscow's chessboard now
BY ASIA TIMES STAFF
‘Afrin city center will be besieged in the coming days,’ says Erdogan
West Africa’s extremist threat has moved into a new part of the vast Sahel region, with a previously calm area of Burkina Faso facing the kinds of assaults that have forced thousands elsewhere to flee over the past year. - Associated Press
By Christopher R. Hill, The Strategist (ASPI): “Given that most of the Middle East is now in a state of turmoil, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should be commended for keeping the Syrian conflict in mind during his recent trip to the region.”