Only Israel stands by U.S. in UN vote condemning Washington.

Only Israel stood by the U.S. in a UN condemnation of the US re the latter’s embargo on Cuba. It was the first such resolution since US-Cuban diplomatic ties were restored earlier this year.  US deputy ambassador to the UN, Ronald Godard, said shortly before the vote that the U.S. “finds it unfortunate that despite our demonstrated bilateral progress the Cuban government has chosen to introduce a resolution that is nearly identical to those tabled in years past," For the latest Jewish travel narrative with a chapter on Cuba and its Jews, check out “The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond,” (Globe Pequot Press) http://amzn.to/J3Z47T. Also an ebook.Wherever books are sold, Follow me on twitter @bengfrank. www.bengfrank.blogspot.com

Russia and Syria

Syria represents Russia's last bastion of significant influence in the Middle East. Its strategic location enables Russia to project power in the Mediterranean. By entering Syria,---with its strategic location---Russia once again is projecting power in the Mediterranean. Check out my three books on Russia and Ukraine, http://amzn.to/13Sp769. wherever books are sold. Follow me on twitter @bengfrank

Question re Russia in the Middle East?

So is the Russian initiative in Syria, a serious attempt to engage the US in a joint enterprise to solve the war in Syria? Or is it Russia seizing the opportunity to boost its profile at America's expense in the Middle East - showcasing its military hardware for good measure?  Check my two books on Russia and Ukraine, “Klara’s Journey,” (Marion Street Press) http://amzn.to/13Sp769. available wherever books are sold. Also an ebook, nook, and kindle, “The Scattered Tribe, Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond,” (Globe Pequot Press)  http://amzn.to/J3Z47T.   Follow me on twitter @bengfrank. www.bengfrank.blogspot.com

Russia Back n Cuba

Not since Soviet times, has Russia stepped up ties with Cuba. After a complete downfall of relations during perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has worked hard in recent years to upgrade relations. The latest move by Moscow is a $1.32 billion loan to Havana on October 17 to refurbish the communist island's power plants, says RFE/RL. Chk "The Scattered Tribe, Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India To Tahiti & Beyond," (Globe Pequot Press) http://amzn.to/J3Z47T.

Russia, a world power!

In a report this month for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Gustav Gressel argued that Putin had overseen the most rapid transformation of the country's armed forces since the 1930s.

"Russia is now a military power that could overwhelm any of its neighbors, if they were isolated from western support," wrote Gressel, a former officer of the Austrian military.

Russia's fighter jets are, for now at least, conducting nearly as many strikes in a typical day against fighters opposing the government of President Bashar al-Assad as the US-led coalition targeting the Islamic State has been carrying out each month this year.

Check out my three books on Russia and Ukraine, wherever books are sold. Follow me on twitter @bengfrank

Russian intervention in Syria!

Russian intervention in Syria has opened Russia not just the shores of the Mediterranean, but also the road goes to the Gulf. We may feel the effects of this game changing move from Egypt to Bahrain and Yemen, although with different ways and intensities, writes Dr. Dr. Mehmet Akif Okur  Assoc. Prof. / Gazi University-Ankara.  Check out “Klara’s Journey,”(Marion Street Press), “ an historical novel, a story of “betrayal, drama and love.” C. Follow me on twitter @bengfrank. www.bengfrank.blogspot.com

What a mess!

What a mess! In scenes reminiscent of the Cold War, President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin traded barbs in speeches at the United Nations. Each put forth their competing approaches to fighting Islamic State and ending the conflict in Syria. A later face-to-face meeting between the two leaders produced a "business-like back and forth" with no agreements reached, according to a U.S. official, Check out my three books on Russia and the Ukraine: "Klara's Journey," (Marion Street Press)  "The Scattered Tribe,"  (Globe Pelquot Press) and "A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe and South American." (Pelican Publishing Co.)