September 16, 2013 | Vol. 182, No. 12

COVER
The World According to Vladimir Putin (World)
Moscow is taking an ever more controversial stand with the U.S. Why Russia’s leader dreams of imperial rebirth

COMMENTARY
Obama’s Slippery Slope in Syria (Worldview)
Striking at Assad won’t end the conflict. But it may drag the U.S. into a complex civil war

WORLD
The Cult of Bashar Assad (Syria)
Even the Syrian President’s father didn’t want him to rule Syria. But the accidental dictator won’t give in

VIEWPOINT
Britain and the F Word
Environmentalists can take heart: fracking in the U.K. faces many daunting hurdles

UNITED STATES
Syria: Inside the D.C. War (War Vote)
Will Congress follow the President into an attack that no one wants?

THE CULTURE
Corliss: A Tribute to Japan’s Movie Master (Movies)
With a daring war film, Hayao Miyazaki lays down his pen
10 Questions for Yoko Ono
Artist and activist Yoko Ono on creativity, John Lennon’s legacy and why she feels no need to retire

ESSAY
Under a Chinese Moon
Beijing’s commitment to manned space flight is a reminder of what the U.S. could once do

LETTERS
Define Down Under? (Conversation)