Latest news with #CondoleezzaRice
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Condoleezza Rice reveals concerning shift in Putin's behavior, calls him 'desperate' as Ukraine strikes back
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown "more out of control," arguing he is "desperate" to eradicate Ukraine. Rice was asked about reports of Ukraine striking a bridge linking Crimea and Russia in a series of underwater explosions. Rice called the attack "extraordinary" during "Fox & Friends," saying it shows Ukraine can hold Putin accountable for his "aggression.""It shows a couple of things," she told Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday. "First, the changing nature of warfare, that you can do this with relatively cheap drones... against the Russian strategic air fleet, which has cost billions and billions of dollars. Secondly, it shows that the Ukrainians are very advanced in what they are doing in their defense industry with the building of these drones and an employment strategy for them."UKRAINE'S SURPRISE ATTACK SHOWS IT MAY TAKE A 'MAJOR DRONE STRIKE' TO CHANGE US DEFENSE POLICY, EXPERTS SAY "And third, it is an incredible intelligence coup," she added. "Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly now wondering whether there was an inside job. You're probably going to see a witch hunt in Russia as he tries to figure out who did this inside. So it just shows that just with a little bit of help, Ukrainians can make Vladimir Putin pay for his aggression."A massive underwater blast targeting a bridge linking Russia to Crimea left it in a "state of emergency" Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). The SBU said it detonated around 2,500 pounds of underwater explosives along the Kerch Bridge. Footage showed a blast centered around one of the bridge pillars, followed by people surveying damage on top of the bridge. The surprise detonation comes just days after Ukraine carried out "Operation Spider's Web," a series of coordinated drone strikes penetrating deep into Russian territory that is believed to have taken out dozens of Russia's most powerful bomber jets and surveillance planes as they sat idle on five military noted Putin's behavior has become more unstable since she served under former President George W. Bush, pointing to his unwavering determination in trying to "extinguish" Ukraine. "He seems to be more out of control than he used to be," Rice said. "He was always a very controlled figure. Don't get me wrong, he was never a Jeffersonian Democrat. He was always an autocrat. He was always an imperialist, but there is something about him now that seems almost more desperate in wanting to extinguish Ukraine."Rice argued it is imperative for President Donald Trump to make it clear that Russia will not win in its effort to take over the country after peace talks failed to yield a major breakthrough in Istanbul on Monday. "I do think there's a little part of Vladimir Putin that recognizes, particularly, that the energy infrastructure in Russia is degrading, and that he would be better off to stop this war," she said. "But it's being overcome by that other Putin who still thinks he can extinguish Ukraine. And, you know, he needs the president more than the president needs him. And so, making very clear to him that he's not going to get his maximalist claims is extremely important at this point."Fox News' Greg Norman and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
The National
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Timeframe: When George W Bush played with falcons in Abu Dhabi
Seventeen years ago, before Donald Trump's Abu Dhabi trip, George W Bush became the first US President to make a state visit to the UAE. The trip, in January 2008, became a cornerstone for relations between the two countries. Besides high-profile meetings, the 43rd US president also took time to head to the UAE desert for dinner during his two-day trip. A lavish traditional desert tent was set up for him in Sweihan, an agricultural town in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain region. There, he was joined by President Sheikh Mohamed, who was then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, as well as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. Then US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice was at the dinner, as was Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, who was UAE Minister of Foreign Trade at the time. Ditching his suit for a more casual aviator jacket to ward off the seasonal chill – it rained heavily during his visit – Bush was photographed interacting with falcons, an integral part of Emirati life, as Sheikh Mohamed looked on. In one picture, the US president can be seen holding a falcon up by its perch. Bush was also shown a model of the Saadiyat Island project, where three great museums, Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi were to be built. Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017 and the other two highly-anticipated attractions are due to be completed this year. Saadiyat Island is also home to the Abrahamic Family House, the landmark which features a mosque, church and synagogue visited by President Trump this week. On the second day of his visit, Bush travelled to Dubai, where the traffic was eased by the declaration of a public holiday. Several main routes in the city, including the busy Sheikh Zayed Road, were closed off to the public to ensure the US president's motorcade could travel freely. Bush was driven to several Dubai landmarks, beginning with the house of the late Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum at Shindagha, where he was treated to a colourful reception of cultural music and dances. He also visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Bastakiya, where he was briefed about the programmes and activities of the centre, and met members of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development. In the evening, he headed to Burj Al Arab where he dined with a number of young Arab leaders.
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First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Rawalpindi goes Hezbollah: India must push to label Pakistan a terror state
As Indians gauge diplomacy and the international scramble for a ceasefire, the metric by which they gauge US sincerity should be simple: the designation of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror read more Pakistan now follows the terrorist playbook crafted by Hamas and Hezbollah across decades: stage an attack, threaten escalation and then seek to sidestep accountability by hiding behind the skirts of diplomats in the name of deconfliction, especially as casualties mount. In April 1996, Hezbollah fired several dozen missiles into Israel, including 30 in a single day. Israel responded with 'Operation Grapes of Wrath', an attempt to degrade Hezbollah and drive it north of the Litani River. For days, Hezbollah suffered repeated defeats, but then, on April 18, 1996, Israeli fire struck a UN compound in Qana, southern Lebanon, around which Hezbollah had set up firing positions. More than 100 Lebanese sheltering in the compound died, sparking outrage that forced Israel to curtail Operation Grapes of Wrath and allow Hezbollah to live another day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In July 2006, Hezbollah crossed Israel's UN-certified border to kidnap and kill Israeli soldiers. Israel responded with another offensive to uproot Hezbollah. Again, Hezbollah shielded itself from accountability for its terrorism by manufacturing sympathy for alleged victims. After an Israeli airstrike killed 28 in a Qana apartment building, Hezbollah activated anti-Israeli partisans in the media and in European capitals to pressure Israel to stop its campaign against Hezbollah short of achieving its goals, selling photographs of alleged children's bodies being excavated from the building only to have video and analysis subsequently emerge showing the corpses get up and walk away or be featured elsewhere. Ultimately, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice succumbed to international criticism and pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curtail the Israeli efforts. Rice oversaw negotiations to make the UN peacekeeping mission more robust, in theory to prevent Hezbollah's re-armament. In reality, it was a fig leaf to make diplomats feign serious counterterrorism while allowing the United Nations to continue to evade responsibility. Hezbollah not only regrouped and re-armed but also terrorised southern Lebanon for another two decades. Meanwhile, its sponsors in the Islamic Republic of Iran understood that they could, quite literally, get away with murder in their efforts to cripple, if not defeat, Israel by attrition. As international diplomats scramble to win a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the wake of the attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists last month at Pahalgam, New Delhi must ensure it does not repeat the mistakes of Israel. The United Nations Secretary-General and European foreign ministers will gladly take a cucumber, paint it yellow, and sell it as a cucumber. They will dress up any agreement both by praising its protection of civilians and by presenting it as a deal to end terrorism. They will simply seek quiet to last long enough so that they cannot be blamed when the violence inevitably re-erupts. Ideology and not grievance motivates terrorists such as those that Pakistan trains. For all they talk about the occupation of Kashmir, they ignore that by law, Pakistan, and not India, occupies Kashmir. Their problem is the idea that Muslims live under the authority of non-Muslims. Indeed, this was at the heart of Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir's original speech in which he belittled the idea of Hindus and Muslims living together. What Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands but must convey to Washington, New York, London, and Brussels is that any return to the status quo ante will inevitably mean terrorism throughout the entirety of India and not only in Jammu and Kashmir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2006, Condoleezza Rice and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan ignored a simple fact: Hezbollah was a proxy of Iran operating on the orders and authority of Iran. While the United States had already designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, Rice resisted further sanctions as she and her policy planning staff continued President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's efforts to try to negotiate with Iran and reach out to its supposed reformists. Had Rice, Annan, and others forced Tehran to be accountable for its terrorism, the region might not have descended into further war and terror. Today, many Western diplomats seek a similar deal based on sleight of hand or smoke and mirrors. They want quiet and will treat Islamabad's promises as fact, never mind that Asim Munir is no more sincere about peace than late Al Qaeda leader Usama Bin Laden. As Indians gauge diplomacy and the international scramble for a ceasefire, the metric by which they gauge US sincerity should be simple: the designation of Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror. Indians should interpret any State Department effort to throw a lifeline to Pakistan as signs of American insincerity and outright disdain for India. Just as it is not possible to protect Israel and allow Hamas and Hezbollah to thrive, it is not possible to take India's complaints about Pakistani terror seriously if Washington refuses to hold Islamabad accountable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan will complain about its listing, but the answer to that is not moral equivalency but rather to speak with one voice about the unacceptability of terror. The path to ending a state sponsor designation should not be empty promises but real reform. Indians should demand more. The family of every victim of Pahalgam deserves compensation. That money should come not from Pakistan's treasury but rather from the personal accounts of Munir, be they in Rawalpindi, London, Zurich, or Panama. There could be no other way for Pakistan to show that it has internalised that all terrorism is unacceptable than to make its individual cheerleaders and sponsors pay. Munir, of course, should no longer need such money, as any just agreement would see him spend the rest of his life in prison as an accessory to murder. Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Melania Trump brutally snubbed by unlikely member of the Bush family
The most prominent living member of the Bush family will not be on hand when first lady Melania Trump holds an event announcing a new Barbara Bush commemorative stamp. Former President George W. Bush is not expected to attend the event. Nor is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush expected. Instead, Doro Bush Koch, the daughter of President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush will be there, according to an announcement by the office of the first lady. A spokesman for the former president didn't respond to inquiries, but President Trump has lobbed a long list of pointed criticisms at the Bush family. The former president and former first lady Laura Bush both attended Trump's inauguration, but didn't stick around for the luncheon. The former president delivered curt review of President Trump's first inaugural address where he spoke of 'American carnage.' 'That was some weird s***,' he reportedly said. Trump has relentlessly attacked Bush for the Iraq war, accusing him in 2021 of having a 'failed and uninspiring presidency.' Many top former Bush officials have broken from Trump, and Bush said he wrote in his former national security advisor Condoleeza Rice for president in 2020. Trump famously pounded on Jeb Bush during his 2016 campaign, trying to yoke him to his brother in an angry South Carolina debate. ' 'We should have never been in Iraq,' said Trump. 'They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none and they knew that there were none.' Melania Trump, along with the Obama and the Clintons, attended Barbara Bush's funeral in 2018 during Trump's first term. Trump watched the memorial service on TV from Mar-a-Lago. The White House said he stayed away to avoid disruptions and 'out of respect for the Bush family and friends.' The stamp event puts Melania back on stage at the White House, continuing a role from prior rollouts of first lady stamps. The former president is not expected to attend, the Washington Post reported. Last year's event featuring the Betty Ford stamp was hosted by Jill Biden and attended by Ford's daughter Susan Ford Bales. It was also attended by then-postmaster Louis DeJoy, who was forced out in March amid Trump's talk of privatization and new moves by Elon Musk's DOGE staff. Biden also hosted an event to unveil a stamp for Nancy Reagan. Thursday's event is expected to be attended by acting Post Master General Doug Tulino and Alice Yates of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation.
Daily News Egypt
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
The Greater Middle East: America and Britain's Hidden Hand in Reshaping Arab Identity
The history of the Middle East has not merely been written in ink, but carved through oil, blood, and fragmented memory. Since the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, when colonial architects divided Arab lands in the aftermath of World War I, the region has been managed not as a cradle of civilisation with the right to self-determination, but as a geopolitical zone that must remain under control. That colonial pact was not the end of the story — it was its beginning. From drawing borders with a pen, the strategy evolved into fragmenting awareness through sound and image, from military occupation to a silent invasion seeping into the marrow of identity. The so-called 'Greater Middle East' project was never a developmental initiative, but rather a carefully branded blueprint for dismantling the Arab world — hollowing out its spirit, dismantling its identity, and eroding its immunity. When Condoleezza Rice proclaimed that what was happening in Lebanon was the 'birth pangs of a New Middle East,' her words were not spontaneous — they were calibrated and cynical, as though the blood spilled was a reasonable price for a long-awaited geopolitical infant dreamed up in the security think tanks of Washington, London, and Tel Aviv. America was no longer pursuing oil alone — it sought to unravel the Arab psyche, to tear social fabrics apart, and to manufacture generations that would see resistance as a burdensome relic, Arabism as a failed myth, and religion as an endless inner conflict. When armies failed to subdue the will of the people, Western intelligence agencies stepped in through subtler channels. Both the CIA and Britain's MI6 played pivotal roles in psychological warfare and covert influence operations across the Arab world. Using soft power and digital penetration, they launched invisible waves of mental conditioning via foreign-funded media, cultural organisations, and social platforms that morphed from spaces of free expression into elaborate laboratories for emotional and ideological manipulation. Public anger was outsourced, protests were scheduled by Greenwich Mean Time, and dreams of revolution were reduced to trending hashtags. In this engineered confusion, identity was fragmented, and legitimate demands were turned into explosions that ripped through the nation's foundations. MI6, in particular, has a long and discreet history of meddling in the region's religious and cultural veins. The agency did not limit itself to espionage in the traditional sense but mastered the art of reprogramming consciousness from within. Through selective support of marginal religious currents, it fuelled ideologies that leaned heavily on mystical narratives, most notably the strategic amplification of messianic ideas such as the imminent arrival of the 'Mahdi'. These narratives were no accident; they were subtly encouraged to promote passive hope over active resistance, turning religion from a liberating force into a mechanism of delay and submission. By nurturing a psychological climate of expectation and detachment, MI6 contributed to the erosion of political agency, where people clung to metaphysical salvation while their tangible world collapsed. The result was a population conditioned to wait for divine intervention instead of forging a national revival. Within this same orchestrated landscape, Islamic movements were weaponised — sometimes with their complicity, other times with calculated infiltration. These groups promoted distorted religious doctrines that suffocated the spirit of resistance under the guise of 'obedience,' dulled awareness in the name of 'avoiding fitna,' and demonised any act of liberation as 'rebellion against the ruler.' Grand ideals were hollowed out: jihad was twisted into civil war, the caliphate into blood-soaked fantasy, and religion into a cloak worn by those plotting to assassinate the homeland rather than defend it. Yet none of this manipulation would have taken root without internal vulnerabilities. A decaying educational system, hollow media rhetoric, and a cultural vacuum devoid of inspiring figures created a fertile ground for chaos and extremism. The Arab youth today can quote the price of their smartphones better than they can name the martyrs of their nation. Cities like Beirut, Baghdad, and Damascus — once radiant beacons of Arab thought — have dimmed. Along with them, the dreams of generations have faded: some chronicled by Naguib Mahfouz, others mourned by Mahmoud Darwish, and many still waiting to be written. Meanwhile, Israel watched, guided, and rejoiced. It was not merely an occupying force but a strategic mastermind — the spearhead of fragmentation lodged deep within the Arab world. Through intelligence alliances and security networks, it fuelled divisions, promoted fragmentation, and marketed the failures of Arab regimes as proof that unity is impossible, resistance is futile, and surrender is pragmatic. Israel's greatest success lay in transforming the Arab-Israeli conflict into an endless series of Arab-Arab conflicts, making its presence feel ordinary in a region drowning in self-inflicted wounds. Today, after decades of psychological, cultural, and political ruin, the Arab citizen is confronted with a question far more complex than any colonial map: Do we still have the capacity to forge a self-defined project? Can we afford to dream? Or have our nations become temporary theatres where Western labs redraw our fate? Can we reclaim our awareness before demanding the return of our land or our sovereignty? And perhaps most painfully: what does it mean to be Arab in an age when borders are illusions and the soul of the region lies scattered? Perhaps we don't need new maps — we need a compass that will help us navigate back to ourselves in a world where every direction has been obscured. Without the restoration of memory, we will continue to live inside stories written by our adversaries, with pens we have handed them ourselves. Dr. Hatem Sadek – Professor at Helwan University
