Sphere Of Influence

Russia appears to be rolling back its military incursion into neighboring Georgia. But that's probably because what Russia wanted wasn't territory at all. Instead, experts say, by sending in its troops Russia seized the upper hand strategically in dealing with countries around its periphery. "They don't want to rebuild the Soviet Union, but they do want a sphere of influence," said Steven Pifer, a former deputy assistant secretary of State and ambassador to Ukraine.

As President Bush's term comes to a close, the United States has the world's largest economy and its most powerful military. Yet its global influence is in decline. The United States emerged from the Cold War a solitary superpower whose political and economic leverage often enabled it to impose its will on others. Now, America usually needs to build alliances -- and often finds that other powers aren't willing to go along.

If gasoline prices have you muttering curses at OPEC during each fill-up, maybe you should just say \o7nyet\f7. With global oil output barely covering demand, Russia and other countries outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries are wielding more sway. They're affecting the price of oil and everything made from it.

Karl Rove, the canny and controversial presidential advisor who will be leaving the White House at the end of the week, may have more enemies than anybody in Washington. He also may have more nicknames. George Bush calls him "boy genius." Critics of the administration have often described him as "Bush's brain." But the name that has really stuck with Rove over the years is "the architect."

This week's elections produced good news for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, but also underscored the limits of the popular Democrat's political reach. Eight of 12 candidates Villaraigosa endorsed for state office won their primary races. But the mayor also put his substantial clout behind Proposition 82, an initiative that would have taxed the rich to provide preschool for all.

After years spent edging Syrian troops out of Lebanon in a bid to win independence for the beleaguered nation, Western leaders face the prospect of pressing Damascus to reassert its influence with Islamic militants there to halt rocket attacks on Israel and free Israeli prisoners. As a consequence, Syria sees itself as back in the driver's seat of regional politics after years of U.S.-imposed diplomatic and economic isolation, several Syrian politicians and analysts said.

The report issued last week by the blue-ribbon Iraq Study Group provides fresh proof of Iran's strengthened hand in the Middle East since the U.S.-led invasion: It mentions the Islamic Republic more than 50 times and makes clear that the U.S. will have to seek Iran's help for any resolution. "The report told the Iranians, You are mighty now in the region and in Iraq.

Fueled by a long-standing rivalry over who should lead South America, tensions between Brazil and Argentina escalated Tuesday amid reports that Buenos Aires was preparing to adopt a tougher approach toward its giant neighbor. Comments by Argentine officials this week disparaging Brazil's attempts to exert more international influence touched off a flurry of speculation that relations between the two nations were in a nosedive.

Santa Clarita's attempt to gain greater influence over development erupting all around its borders, the city's third try since it incorporated in 1987, is expected to be rejected Wednesday by the Local Agency Formation Commission. Developers, as well as some adjoining communities and residents of outlying rural areas, oppose expansion of the so-called sphere of influence, which paves the way for annexation of new neighborhoods into the city.

The coming decade should be one of momentous, if plodding and confusing, change in Western Europe, and of a growing power and assertiveness on its side of the Atlantic that the United States will be forced to heed. Already the world's largest trading bloc with 15 members, the European Union by 2010 may count 20 to 30 members--and ultimately as many as 35. Five former Eastern Bloc nations and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are already negotiating entry.