The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

M.N.: The scent of a liar, the smell of a pretender,  the odor of deceit... As the popular Russian proverb goes (and is used often as an action guideline and a strategy):  If you do not deceive them, you cannot sell it to them ("Не обманешь, не продашь")...   " Vladimir Putin’s politics may stink , but he sure smells [wants to smell - M.N.] good. That’s the word out of Moscow, where a perfume inspired by the Russian strongman hit shelves Thursday."  Other comments:   Smekken  ‏ @ Smekken     14h 14 hours ago @ PDChina Does it also smell like dog manure? _____________________________________________ A year in the US: Social turmoil, violence and historic change | World | DW.COM | 27.12.2015 US Gay Rights Battles Continue Beyond Marriage Iraqi forces seize Islamic State stronghold in Ramadi: spokesman | Reuters Taliban Denies Talks With Russia On Fighting Islamic State Medical Marijuana's Big Business Lures Ex-Law Enforcers - ABC Ne

Lightning illuminates a house after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Ala., damaging several houses, Friday, Dec. 25, 2015, in Birmingham, Ala. A Christmastime wave of severe weather continued Friday. Death Toll Reaches 17 After Severe Storms in South - ABC News 10 Tuareg Fighters Killed in Mali By Suspected Islamists The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s. - The Washington Post Top Rebel's Death in Syria Reshuffles Deck Ahead of Talks - ABC News 2 killed in Chicago police officer-involved shooting - CNN.com Egypt Convicts 2 Officers Over Deadly Abuse of Detainees IS Leader Says 'Caliphate' Well, Mocks Saudi-Led Alliance - NYTimes.com German Officials: Better Control of EU Borders Needed A hug and high tea - Modi makes surprise visit to Pakistan | Reuters Police fatally shoot 2 while answering domestic call on West Side - Chicago Tribune Owl attacks officer, causes car crash - CNN.com Off-Duty Police Sergeant Arrested in

AP-Times Square Poll: Shootings Weighed on Americans in 2015 - ABC News More women choosing to arm themselves | Fox News Video At least 60 people charged with terrorism-linked crimes this year — a record - The Washington Post Obama's agenda breaks through in 2015 - POLITICO In Final Year, Obama Seeks to Stave off Lame-Duck Status - ABC News British diplomat praises Obama's presidency - POLITICO ISIS in 2015: How the Militants Fared - NBC News Assad again controls Damascus thanks to Russian air strikes and intelligence Syria war: Yarmouk camp evacuation 'on hold' - BBC News Turkish PM says pro-Kurdish HDP 'rooted in violence', cancels meeting | Reuters Kurdish group TAK claims responsibility for Istanbul airport attack | Reuters The 29 craziest things that came out of candidates' mouths in 2015 - POLITICO GOP Debates: The Wild Untruths You Missed While Donald Trump Was Talking - POLITICO Magazine Donald Trump: Relying on, Trying to Control Free

Russia will collapse ... REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin "There will not be an uprising against Moscow, but Moscow's withering ability to support and control the Russian Federation will leave a vacuum," Stratfor warns. "What will exist in this vacuum will be the individual fragments of the Russian Federation." Sanctions, declining oil prices, a plunging ruble, rising military expenses, and increasing internal discord will weaken the hold of Russia's central government over the world's largest country. Russia will not officially split into multiple countries, but Moscow's power may loosen to the point that Russia will effectively become a string of semi-autonomous regions that might not even get along with one another. "We expect Moscow's authority to weaken substantially, leading to the formal and informal fragmentation of Russia" the report states, adding, "It is unlikely that the Russian Federation will survive in its curren