Chris Graham: Syria, and the role of the U.S. on the world stage

AFP

Assad, no doubt, will be emboldened in Syria if the West fails to act in some way, shape or form to his internal aggression, and he won’t be the only one. Ally Russia, with an increasingly aggressive Vladimir Putin pushing the buttons, is calculating the next move in his quest to further strengthen the former superpower. North Korea and China are also watching with great interest to see what the United States does, or as the case may be doesn’t do, in Syria, with their own geopolitical fortunes in mind.

Kaine resolution renews call for two-state solution

AFP

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, joined Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to introduce a Senate resolution commending Secretary of State John Kerry for jumpstarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and called on negotiators to focus on a two-state solution to ensure a secure, lasting peace.

Gov. McDonnell announces major Chinese purchase of Virginia soybeans

AFP

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that Perdue Agribusiness, Incorporated, which owns and operates a major deep-water export terminal for grains and oilseeds in Chesapeake, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Dandong Port Group Company and its affiliate, Dandong Pasite Grain and Oilseed Co. Ltd., to supply up to 29 million bushels of soybeans in a series of bulk shipments for the 2013 crop.