Word: autocrats
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...empowerment, earning an exhilaration so strong that no fears about the future could quench it. They filled up the capital again Saturday to see their democratically chosen leader sworn in. In Washington and the capitals of Europe, NATO's leaders rejoiced that their campaign to unhorse the Serb autocrat had been won, promising the new President aid and an end to economic sanctions--even if the fugitive indicted by an international tribunal had yet to be brought to justice. And they put off until tomorrow any worries that Yugoslavia's new leader might prove a distinctly prickly partner...
...like that, but when Serbs went to the polls Sept. 24, even they suspected the country would cement his presidency in place for another four years. And when the opposition declared a runaway victory on Sept. 25, claiming Kostunica had got 52.4%, compared with Milosevic's 38%, the Serb autocrat still looked strong, albeit shaken. He set about rectifying the decision in his usual way, urging the cronies who packed the Federal Election Commission to rig the count. But the tally was so lopsided that even he could not plausibly claim victory outright. He had to concede he had come...
...lame ducks and an ailing autocrat isn't much of a recipe for a peace deal - and the odds are lengthening against an Israeli-Palestinian breakthrough at Tuesday's Camp David summit. Israel's prime minister, Ehud Barak, joined President Clinton in the lame duck corner Sunday when his coalition collapsed following the walkout of three of his partners, forcing him to delay his departure for Washington Monday to face down a crucial no-confidence motion in parliament by a mere seven votes. But even before two religious parties and one representing Russian immigrants bolted in protest against Barak...
Giuliani, of course, stands to suffer more politically from this mess - this is the mayor who styles himself as something of an autocrat, who enjoys cracking the whip every once in a while. He's all about law and order. For Pete's sake, he tried to stamp out jaywalking in New York City. So how could this attack take place in his city, on his watch, with the oft-chastened NYPD on the scene...
...would Assad deliberately endanger his opportunity to reclaim the Golan Heights? Some try to explain away Assad's behavior on the grounds that he is an aging autocrat who does not comprehend Barak's political needs as a democratic leader. Assad should be granted more credit. For the past thirty years, the shrewd Syrian leader has defined himself as the Middle East's cold calculator par excellence, and there is no exception here. Assad is well aware of the fact that his actions hinder Barak's ability to muster Israeli public support in a future referendum. The Sphinx of Damascus...