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Wall Street Journal
Brussels Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal; former Defense and Security Editor for the Financial Times in London
PROFILE
Stephen Fidler
Guest
FROM Stephen Fidler
To the Point
The US and Europe Put Pressure on Russia Today, Barack Obama made his first visit as President to Brussels, headquarters of both the European Union and the NATO alliance. In a speech to 2000 young people, he delivered his harshest words yet for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, calling him a "menace" to the international system built by the United States and Europe since World War II. He said, if Putin thought he could drive a wedge between the US and Europe, he "clearly miscalculated," and warned that Russia’s "isolation will deepen." We hear about his first visit as President to the headquarters of the European Alliance and NATO. Is he right that Russia is only a "regional power?" Who's showing the most strength — or weakness, the President or Vladimir Putin?
To the Point
Slow Growth in Europe Triggers Fears of Euro Break-up European leaders continue to disagree on a way out of their debt crisis, and that's wreaking havoc on the Eurozone. It appears that things may get worse before they get better. Stephen Fidler is Brussels Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal .
To the Point
EU Leaders Meet Again on Debt Crisis European heads of state are meeting again in Brussels to accomplish a "closer union" by coordinating budget policies and amassing a debt fund and deal with the ongoing crisis in Greece. Stephen Fidler is Brussels Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal .
Which Way, L.A.?
Libya, the UN and the Role of NATO After bitter criticism from Libya's rebel leaders, NATO has increased the pace of air attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's forces. NATO officials publicly claim a "clear mandate" to implement the UN Security resolution to use "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians. But as the US declines its traditional leadership role, NATO members are squabbling among themselves and rebels in Libya may be fighting a losing battle. Does Moammar Gadhafi now have the upper hand, both militarily and diplomatically? Will the US help arm the rebels on its own?
To the Point
Libya, the UN and the Role of NATO NATO officials publicly claim a "clear mandate" to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 to use "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians. But within the alliance , that means different things to different countries. France and Italy want regime change, while Turkey and Germany never wanted to intervene, and the US has stepped back from leadership of the alliance. Rebel forces say they're not getting the help they need against Moammar Gadhafi's army, as new evidence emerges of government brutality. Can NATO get its act together before the rebels are wiped out? If Gadhafi holds out, can the West avoid another protracted struggle in a Muslim country? Note: While we were interviewing David Kirkpatrick, who's in Tripoli for the New York Times, he was interrupted. He came back on the phone to say he and some 25 other western journalists had received notes slipped under their doors, ordering them out of Libya by tomorrow morning.
To the Point
London Bomb Scare Raises Profile of CCTV's in the US Less than a week after two car bombs were found and disarmed in London and the subsequent attack on the airport in Glasgow by two men in a flaming car, British police are certain they have the main suspects and have lowered the terror alert from "critical" to "severe." As mainstream Muslims have condemned "extremists," police want to know why several highly educated Muslim doctors would try to kill hundreds of people. One of British law enforcement's resources has been videotape from closed-circuit cameras all over the country, especially in London. Would privacy laws allow the US to adopt that technology? Is it only useful after the fact? Would it encourage a "climate of fear?"
Recommended
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.