Why Russia Stokes Mideast Mayhem.

The author shares his thoughts on why Russia is exacerbating the conflict between Iran and Israel. He believes that the aim of Russia is to lift the price of oil back to a level that would allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to keep funding the crackdown. He argues that if the regime of Putin falls, he and his cronies will face the loss of their fortunes and criminal prosecution when their looting is exposed. He criticizes Western leaders for pretending that Putin's help is needed, as Russia is threatening to shut down natural gas pipelines.