Holy diplomatic thaw! For the first time since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, an Iranian head of state (currently President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) is visiting Egypt; a core of Arab culture and power. And this comes on the heels of the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi visiting Iran a few months back…the first time that an Egyptian head of state has been to Iran since 1979 as well! Are we seeing the beginnings of an Islamic/theocratic alliance between these states, and thus Iran’s increasing influence spreading to the religiously conservative Muslim Brotherhood? Will Egypt go the way of theocratic Iran? Doubtful. Learn what the Professor makes of this most memorable Mahmoud/Morsi meeting in this podcast! Shoes will be thrown!
The Russian throw-down has officially occurred:! Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it crystal clear (through words, actions, and official visits) that he sees Russia’s future in the East, not the West. Listen as the Professor points out all the Puin moves that make this assessment entirely obvious….including multiple disses of Team West on the G-8, on Syria, and on missile defense, while further embracing China, the SCO, and a “Eurasian Trade Union.”
Putin sez: “The fundamental interests [of Moscow and Beijing] coincide broadly both in international and economic affairs.”
Hu Jintao sez: “I am firmly convinced that your visit will contribute to further development of all-embracing strategic partnership and cooperation.”
Can you feel the love? I can smell it from here.
Big news unfolding on the Arabian Peninsula concerning what is shaping up to be a major power player in Middle Eastern action for the 21st century: the GCC! That’s right, the little known Gulf Cooperation Council just had an official joint meeting with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to discuss how this small band of 6 Arab states will likely become a major arm of power in the region, as the US is selling them butt-loads of arms and even promised a missile defense shield to the group! A much more potent player than the larger and unruly Arab League, this GCC group is the one to watch for possible moves against Iran, or even one of their own in Syria! Find out more about it here!
2012 is a big election year…everywhere! The Professor takes a brief world tour to catch you up on the hot spots of political power transition happening right now across the planet.Russians are at the polls today to likely re-elect Vladimir Putin; a presidential run-off is in play in Senegal; Iran just wiped out political support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Nicolas Sarkozy of France is getting ready to be trounced; and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a big question mark as a second round of cancer treatment calls into question his ability to stand again for office. Democratic change is afoot, Watson!
As the situation continues to spiral into bloody chaos in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad is not the only party that is going to lose big when the state fully collapses into civil war: believe it or not, it’s Iran that stands to be the Biggest Loser, and I ain’t talkin’ about shedding pounds on network TV my friends! In this plaid-cast, the Professor points out multiple ways that Iran is currently getting squeezed by the international community, and how the loss of Syria, its only major ally in the region, is going to be a devastating blow to their power, influence, and status in the Middle East and possibly the wider world.
Keywords: Syria, Iran, Homs, Arab, Persian, Hormuz, nuclear weapon, Hezbollah, embargo, civil war
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