They shook hands, stone-faced and grim and the they met for 90 minutes. Undoubtedly, the two major topic were Syria and Ukraine. Russia has upped the ante in Syria, by sending not only more arms but also military "advisers" and the US and its "coalition, especially UK and Saudi Arabia are deeply concerned.
     Putin has made it clear that he supports Assad and the US has accepted that at least for the short term, it is more important to defeat ISIL, and so it is willing to relent on the immediate removal of Assad. The Saudis and the UK, as well as Turkey will go along with this.
     Syria is important to Russia and their continued backing of the Assad regime is their way of showing this. They are there to stay. They, the Russians are aware that thousands of Muslims from the Russian regions have joined up with ISIL and they want to finish them foo in Syria before they return home with their "jihad".
     The combined forces of Iran , Hizballah and Russia ( who favor Assad), together with the US-led alliance ( France has also joined in the bombing of ISIL bases), will now co-ordinate their attacks. There is one problem and that is the Syrian rebels fighting Assad forces. There is also Turkey, which wants to take the  fight to Kurdish elements in Syria (they are accused of attacks on Turkish troops). This could lead to confusion and mistakes, if there is no cooperation and coordination of efforts.
     Ukraine is another matter of concern as Putin has made it quite clear that he will not withdraw his support of the break-away East. Russia has always been paranoid of encirclement, and they are very concern about NATO expansion. They want a stop to it and will do whatever it can to undermine and stop that expansion, whether it be Georgia, Ukraine, Moldava or the Baltic.
     In the meantime, the Iran nuclear deal has brought US and Iran closer. They are not friends and they are wary of each other. However, there can be some good, not only for Iran ( with the freeing from the embargo, Iran is open for business and many countries, Britain, France, Germany, China etc. are eager to capitalise), but also with the situation in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, Afghanistan, where Iran has influence and the US need to work with Iran. The Saudis, the Israelis and the Qataris may not like this (even Turkey), but they will have to live with any cooperation between USA and Iran.
     In the weeks ahead, it will be interesting to see what, if any, progress is made in these areas. In the meantime, Cuba is well on its way to enjoying the fruits of the recent US openness. Cuba and Iran are two of Pres. Obama's great successes, against severe odds, both at home and abroad.

     The leaders, without May and Duceppe, have had their second debate and while there was a lot of to and fro, talking over each other, they did not improve their lot. The NDP, Liberals and CRAP, continue to hover around 30% in the national polls.
     The NDP continue to move to the center; the Liberals are campaigning left of center and the CRAP has hired a new rabble rouser to get out of the doldrums. This is a last ditch gamble by Harper, to bring in this Aussie gunslinger , who is known for his racist, anti-immigrant rant, in both Australia and Britain. You can already see his handiwork with Harper's statement about " old stock" Canadians.
     Whereas the Duffy trial had had Harper on the defensive, the refugee issue  ( where Harper has consistently refused to budge from his fear-mongering about security risks) has become the new millstone. Even retired generals, D'aillaire, Hillier and McKenzie have come strongly in favor of bringing 50,000 or more of these hapless people to Canada ( in 1979 Canada brought 30,000 "boat people"), saying that it is logistically manageable ( on Sunday, Sept 20, immigration minister Alexander, announced a more flexible approach to bring in 10,000, including Syrians). This is, without doubt, in response to the continued and relentless demands from provincial premiers, mayors, church and other agencies, influential and even ordinary Canadians. It had become an election issue and thus Harper had to give in or face alienation  and wrath of voters, especially coming to the forefront with his "old stock" statement.
     Provincially, the Mulcair/ NDP are ahead in Quebec and BC. The Trudeau/ Liberals are doing well in the Maritimes. The Harper CRAP are looking to holding their own in Alberta ( where the NDP expect to improve) and Saskatchewan. In Manitoba the issue of race vis a vis the treatment of First Nations may see the NDP win more seats ( especially with First Nations candidates and better turn-out. There are 51 seats where their vote can make a difference.). It is vote/seat rich Ontario that holds the key. The NDP has to improve here; the Liberals seem to have clawed back into the race, getting back their traditional vote among South Asians, Italians and Jews, in the 905 area and the Conservatives are desperately hoping to hang on to most of their seats and have been playing the ethnic card with Jews, Ukrainians, Poles and other East Europeans ( they have even brought out former Canadian, now American Gretzky to bolster them).  
     The next month will see "temperature rising". Harper has shown that he is willing to do and anything; hire "gunslingers" like the "lizard of OZ"; use wedge issues.... religion, immigration, fear of the "other" etc . Mulcair has brought a financial statement that did not get much traction and has to do more explaining. He will come under greater and nastier attack from Trudeau and Harper. Trudeau has to be careful. No gaffs but stick to his script, no free wheeling and he still has to show that he has what it takes to be PM.
     The next debates will be important and the scrutiny will be intense.       
 

     They came in desperation, fleeing death and destruction, by ISIS, Assad and Syrian rebels by land and the Coalition by air. They came, the young , the old, the women, the children, the lame and the pregnant, fathers clutching their children, bedraggled, tired, hungry and afraid, hoping to find refuge, any refuge. They came in the thousands, dreaming of a better life, hoping for some relief, some shelter, some peace. They came by land and by sea, walking or in rickety, leaking "boats", paying their last money ( saved or sent from relatives from abroad). Some died on the way and most faced rejection, but still they came, because what else could they do.
     Europe has forgotten, what it is to be a  refugee fleeing the devastation of war. Europe has forgotten the hunger and suffering. Europe has grown has grown fat and selfish. Europe has turned its back on these needy, desperate refugees. And then a little 3 year old boy, Aylan died, drowned with his brother and mother and the world could not turn away, any longer, could not remain selfish and uncaring. This was the defining moment. It took the lifeless body of a three old, lying on a beach in Turkey to awaken us.
     Aylan did not have to die, but he did, because of the callous policy of governments, including the Canadian government. His aunt, in Vancouver had requested asylum for he and his family, six months ago.. A letter was presented to the Minister of Immigration, Chris Alexander, by her local NDP, MP, but it was rejected, because it did not follow protocol ( someone has to be designated as a refugee by UNCHR or another government....how could this be done in the midst of such chaos, people wandering from place to place seeking refuge...in 1979, the Conservative government of Joe Clarke undertook a massive airlift of Vietnamese refugees/ "boat people", after many had died at sea, 30,000 were saved and brought to Canada where they have prospered and become a great asset to Canada and the communities, in which they live. The Trudeau Liberals had started the programme. They had also previously accepted thousands of Sri Lankans and in the mid-90s thousands fleeing the genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda. After the second world war, tens of thousands of Jews, Italians, Greeks and other Europeans were accepted and in 1956, thousands were accepted from Hungary after the Soviet invasion ). Canada has always done its share, but not this time.
     The policy of the Harper government is not to accept refugees who are Muslims. A few Christians from Syria and a few Yazidis from Kurdistan have been accepted. But it is not alone. The Saudis and the oil rich Arab states, have so far accepted none. Jordan, Iraq and Turkey on the other hand have millions refugees, streaming in. Europe has been very reluctant to open its doors and no where is this more glaring than Hungary. They have lied to and ill-treated these people. They want to place them in camps. They even fooled them into boarding trains, ostensibly to take them to the Austrian border, bet instead, try to  force them into barb-wired fenced ad guarded camps ( reminiscent of the Nazis herding train loads to death camps. Thousands decided to walk the 100 miles to the Austrian border, the old, the young, the women, the children, the injured on crutches, in the broiling sun they walked and no one offered them food or water or a lift, until the world shamed the Hungarians and the a few children offered water and the government offered buses.
     The German Chancellor  Angela Merkel stood up and said that Germany would accept 800,000 (equivalent to 1% of the German population. She had said this, after attacks on refugee shelters and on the growing crisis..." Every person who comes is a human being and has the right to be treated as such" ( She has not forgotten what it is to be a refugee, born in East Germany, seeing the failed attempts to cross the Wall; neither did she forget the sufferings of Germans after the second world war). Others in Europe have forgotten but not Angela Merkel and she must be commended for generosity and humanity. She did not obfuscate, make excuses or dithered, like Cameron and other European leaders. She acted and did so immediately.
     Aylan, died so others ay live. He was laid to rest in his home town of Kobani. Rest in peace, little one.