Foreign Press Review - March 16 2006 0316-2006f
FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analysis from all around the world’ Compiled by Şanlı Bahadır Koç Subscribe to FPR
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H1 Financial Times US foreign policy puts accent on democracy US takes a softer line on security strategy The US will, in the first security review since the invasion of Iraq, place the promotion of democracy at the heart of its foreign policy as it adopts a tougher stance towards Russia, China and notably Iran

Baker named to help lead review of policy on Iraq

New York Times Report Backs Iraq Strike and Cites Iran Peril A new version of the Bush administration's national security strategy identifies Iran as the U.S.'s greatest challenge.

Washington Post President to Restate U.S. Preventive War Doctrine White House to unveil 49-page National Security Strategy that reaffirms the 2002 goals of attacking enemies before they can strike the United States

Steps Toward Unity in Iraq By David Ignatius

Guardian Every tyrant should hear Banquo's ghost hissing: 'Remember the Hague' Timothy Garton Ash: Milosevic's death must mark the end of bloody ethnic separation and the start of international accountability.

Congressional Research "Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses"

Independent Hamish McRae: Predicting an end to global growth can prove an uncertain science

Dennis Prager on explaining Jews: What is a Jew? Why are most Jews secular? They are a very insecure people, but hey, there are all types of Jews.

Asia Times US$: Forget Iran, the problem's at home Of all the things that could wreck the US dollar - and there are many - the projected Tehran oil bourse, which is tentatively scheduled to open this month to trade crude and other petroleum products in euros rather than US dollars, is probably not among them. A much greater threat to the US currency is the US current account deficit. - John Berthelsen

The spiraling costs of US's deficits The US current account deficit hit a stunning US$804.9 billion in 2005, and could top $1 trillion a year in 2006. The main causes? Huge trade deficits for expensive oil and cheap, mostly Asian consumer goods. The implications for economic growth are ominous - and getting worse. - Peter Morici

H2 Strategic Studies Institute Strategic Theory for the 21st Century What is the true meaning of strategy? by Dr. Harry R Yarger
Sistani, the United States and Politics in Iraq: From Quietism to Machiavellianism? Reidar Visser (NUPI Paper , Oslo: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, March 2006, 33 pages). FULL TEXT
Full Brammertz report to the UN: Third report of the IIIC established pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1595, 1636 and 1644 Part One: The Daily Star Part Two: The Daily Star
Houston Chronicle Can unified Iraq be more than the sum of its parts? By CRAGG HINES
NYT 25 Key Questions on Iraq What the Bush administration and the American public should have been asking then, and what they should be asking now.
What Would Iraq Civil War Look Like?
PINR "Intelligence Brief: Sectarian Violence Moves Iraq Closer to Civil War" Full text of report
KR Iran tells U.S. allies it will escalate crisis if hit with U.N. sanctions
Time - Iraq Crisis Brings US, Ba'athists Closer
AEI Transcript, summary, and video of a conference on the Iranian threat, featuring Sen. Sam Brownback
The Rise of China By James R. Lilley
Foreign Policy looks at leaders who are at risk today, and what might follow if they fall.

IHT Iran, the Asian charmer MICHAEL VATIKIOTIS Wrongly perceived as an isolated rogue state, Iran is in fact busy building bridges with moderate Muslims nations in Asia

Christian Science Monitor UN-Iran discussion mirrors Iraq debate Experts warn that US may act on its own if Security Council takes too long.

The Globalist Why the next decade will be neither Chinese Nor Indian, but Japanese.

Eurozine - The geopolitics of Russia's gas counter-offensive.

RCP Iraq Is About to Look a Lot Like Lebanon By Ian Bremmer

Slate Today's Papers Wikipedia antiwar.com technorati

Senate FRC Hearing Post-Palestinian Election Challenges in the Middle East
H3 Morgan Stanley Turkey: Walk the Line Simultaneous monetary tightening in developed markets is a challenge, not the end of the world. Turkey’s macro normalisation is a result of prudent policies, not because of ‘easy’ money. Fiscal consolidation moderates volatility and reduces the probability of negative output shocks. Policy continuity is the key for anchoring market expectations to multi-year targets.

Islamofascist coup? Washington Times

Ext links- Dis Basinda Turkiye - Google News Turkey –Turquie- Türkei - İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası - Kurdish Media - FPR Archive - Quickread - Google News - Iraq -Iran - Syria – Kurdish - Greece - Cyprus – Azerbaijan - Israel - BBC Turkish 0700 -TurcoPundit - Mideastwire.com -
Iraqi&Regional MediaMonitoring

EU and US Compete for Turkey's 120 War Aircraft

''Sivil ve Demokratik Çözüm Arayışları 1, Türkiye’nin Kürt Meselesi” Konferansı'nın ardından

EDM KARABAKH CONFLICT HANGS OVER GEORGIA'S ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGIONS

U.S. Ambassador visits G. Antep, Adana

Turkey criticizes Israel's nuke program

Iran uneasy with Turkey's permission to US based oppositionary ...

Turkey on my mind...

Eurasian energy lines and TurkeyNew Anatolian

US State Department declined to comment on withdrawal of its ambassador from Armenia

Asia Times Who's afraid of the new Japan? Japan is finally waking up from its political and economic hibernation. The new Japan is more confident, more assertive, and more willing to use its power. Northeast Asia, the region with the largest number of powerful neighbors, is about to witness the greatest power game in the world, and Japan will not be watching from the sidelines. - Malcolm Cook and Huw McKay

The fragile Europe-US 'alliance' on IranUnlike their disunity during the march to war against Iraq, the US and Europe seem to agree that something must be done to restrain Tehran's nuclear activities. But the trans-Atlantic convergence is much thinner than it appears, partly because Europe itself is divided.

PDA Insurgent Iraq: Links to full-text online articles and reports about the Iraqi insurgency What is the nature, history, and organization of the Iraqi insurgency? Who are the insurgents? This guide links to essential full-text online articles and reports regarding the insurgency.
H4 New York Times Report Backs Iraq Strike and Cites Iran Peril A new version of the Bush administration's national security strategy identifies Iran as the U.S.'s greatest challenge.

DAVID BROOKS Rumsfeld's Blinkers Revisiting the turning point of the war in Iraq.

Editorial What Every Iraqi Should See The trial of Saddam Hussein should be a showcase for a better Iraq, but thus far it has fallen disappointingly short.

Editorial As if That Fire Needed Fuel The prison raid in Jericho, on the West Bank, shows that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues its never-ending run, fueled, this time, by Britain and America.
Hussein Urges Iraqis to Unify in War on U.S.
As U.S. Dissents, U.N. Approves a New Council on Rights Abuse
World Bank Warns Palestinians of Bleak Year for Economy
New Mandate for the BBC: Put Entertainment First
BOB HERBERT Stop Bush's War An ocean of blood has been shed in President Bush's mindless war, and there is no end to this tragic flow in sight.

Call for Censure Is Rallying Cry to Bush's Base
H5 Washington Post President to Restate U.S. Preventive War Doctrine White House to unveil 49-page National Security Strategy that reaffirms the 2002 goals of attacking enemies before they can strike the United States

Steps Toward Unity in Iraq By David Ignatius, BAGHDAD -- For a change, pessimism isn't necessarily the right bet for Iraq. Its leaders are taking the first tentative steps toward reversing the country's downward slide.

Al-Jafari Fights Back By Jim Hoagland,
Adversity and the telephone bring out the best in Ibrahim al-Jafari, Iraq's embattled prime minister.

U.N. Approves New Rights Panel In policy shift, U.S. agrees to help fund council and begins internal talks over possible membership

Editorial Drop It, Mr. Hunter IN 2005 FOREIGN direct investment in the United States -- that's money used to buy companies, factories and real estate, as opposed to stocks and bonds -- came to $128.63 billion. That figure, up 20 percent over the year before, comes on top of the $486 billion worth of U.S. assets that the...

More Rallies, No Sale Bush Fails to Resolve Public Doubts About War By David S. Broder,


H6 Guardian Every tyrant should hear Banquo's ghost hissing: 'Remember the Hague' Timothy Garton Ash: Milosevic's death must mark the end of bloody ethnic separation and the start of international accountability.
Britain's standing is now at a nadir in the Middle East Seumas Milne: By colluding with the Israeli attack on Jericho, Straw has underlined the Americanisation of British policy in the region.
Jericho: an election stunt? Comment is free: Israelis think it will benefit Ehud Olmert, who is already leading in the polls, writes Brian Whitaker.
Israel: we warned of prison attackUK and US told what to expect. Blair's credibility suffers body blow
Back to the future Tehran dispatch: Robert Tait looks back more than 50 years to the last time Iran was referred to the UN.
Fight the invaders, Saddam urges Iraqis from dock Former president uses testimony to rally support· Microphone cut after heated clashes with judge
New Labour must recognise that Berlusconi is the devil Martin Jacques: Blair's friend and ally lies in direct line of descent from Mussolini and poses a toxic threat to democracy.

Colour revolutions fade in Russia's shadow Simon Tisdall: Alexander Lukashenko is going to unusual lengths to ensure the "right" result in Sunday's presidential election in Belarus.
H7 Time - Iraq Crisis Brings US, Ba'athists Closer

Panic in Davos World By Patrick Buchanan

UPI Commentary: High geopolitical stakes By Arnaud de Borchgrave
New Republic The improbable rise of an Iraqi liberal by Spencer Ackerman
Weekly Standard Post-HasteThe first batch of captured documents from pre-war Iraq and Afghanistan are now available online. by Stephen F. Hayes
The National Security StateExecutive Intelligence Review (EIR)
UPI Analysis: Who stands to gain from Doha talks?


H8 BBC First meeting for Iraq parliament The Iraqi parliament's first session opens on Thursday after long delays, but is likely to see discord.
Tortuous search for unity
Chaos threatens troop withdrawal
Long path to sectarian split

What Would Iraq Civil War Look Like?

Interview: How The Security Council Might Deal With Iran


Shi'ite Clerics Fear They Cannot Prevent Civil War

Pentagon Again Dismisses Civil War Talk as Military War Games Prepare for It

Sunni Suspicions of Kurds, Shi'ites Undermine Army

Civil War Seen Drawing in Iraq's Neighbors

Civilian Casualties on the Rise in Iraq

American Support for Iraq War Down to 28%

H9 Ha’aretz – Saddam kept up pretense of WMDs to prevent Israeli attack According to declassified report, Saddam pretended to have chemical weapons for fear of Israeli attack

Aluf Benn Settlers, you have failed

Dennis Prager on explaining Jews: What is a Jew? Why are most Jews secular? They are a very insecure people, but hey, there are all types of Jews.

Jerusalem Post Rattling the Cage: Hallucinations of Hitler By LARRY DERFNER The forces of militant Islam don't have anything approaching the power the Nazis had.

BBC Gaza dilemma Palestinian violence poses hard questions about EU funding

UPI Outside View: How to deal wih Hamas By DAVID AARON

Analysis: What does the Jericho raid signal?
H10 Christian Science Monitor UN-Iran discussion mirrors Iraq debate Experts warn that US may act on its own if Security Council takes too long.

Kuwaiti oil plan stirs nationalist fervor Declining reserves are forcing the country that nationalized oil 34 years ago to weigh foreign help.

Election politics show Israel's drift from peace negotiations

What now for war trials after Milosevic?

Report: Internet search outs CIA agents Using publicly available Web services, Chicago Tribune finds 2,653 CIA officials, some undercover.

Nuke fuel's terror risk
White House says new technology will reduce waste and proliferation, but scientists advise caution

H11 IHT Iran, the Asian charmer MICHAEL VATIKIOTIS Wrongly perceived as an isolated rogue state, Iran is in fact busy building bridges with moderate Muslims nations in Asia.

William Pfaff: When a young Frenchman's fancy turns to revolution If the demonstrations in France peak this week and decline, and if the new employment measures actually push youth unemployment down, Villepin will have passed the test of the streets.

Tehran's dangerous influence on Iraqi politics H.D.S. GREENWAY The big winner in America's war with Iraq is likely to be Iran.

Look who's back in the passing lane SANFORD M. JACOBY With Toyota poised to overtake GM as the world's largest auto company it's time to realize that Japan is back.

NRO Jonah Goldberg: France is a lazy college kid’s utopia

Der Spiegel interviews Czech President Václav Klaus.

From Germany, taking the immigrant test: A challenge to the notion of a defining German culture.
H12 RFE/RL Bosnian Cleric Sees Unique Role For Europe's Muslims Moderate Bosnian Muslim leader Reisu-UI-ulema Mustafa Ceric comments on his recent Declaration of European Muslims, which calls for increased tolerance for Muslims in Europe while also pledging Muslim devotion to tolerance, the rule of law, and human rights.

EurasiaNet Bird Flu Deaths Stir Fears in Azerbaijan

UPI Europe, Russia clash over Transnistria
PDA The Evolving India-U.S. Strategic Relationship a PDA compilation edited by Bipasha Ray, March 2006. Collection of links to articles, analyses, commentaries, official reports, congressional testimonies and lectures exploring the evolving strategic relationship between the U.S. and India.
International Crisis Group Pakistan: Political Impact of the Earthquake


H13 The Times One president but plenty of thugs WILLIAM HAGUE The people of Belarus need support in their struggle against the last dictator of Europe

Judge silences Saddam tirade at the flick of a microphone switchSaddam Hussein issued a ringing call for Iraqis to stop fighting one another and unite to resist the American invaders

Pariah states line up to hijack new UN human rights group

WSJ A Defensive Culture - President Bush needs to win hearts and minds in the Pentagon too. BY BRENDAN MINITER



WWF report documents the global decline of free-flowing rivers Press release "Most of the world’s largest rivers are losing their connection to the sea, with nearly a quarter of those left risk being disconnected in the next 15 years. According to a new WWF report, only a third of the world’s 177 large rivers (1,000km and longer) remain free-flowing, unimpeded by dams or other barriers. Only 21 of these actually run freely from source to sea, the other 43 are large tributaries of rivers such as the Congo, Amazon and Lena. The report, Free-flowing rivers – Economic luxury or ecological necessity? – shows that the ever increasing loss of free-flowing rivers is a disturbing trend, threatening the supply of water for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, fish and fishery products."


H14 Financial Times US foreign policy puts accent on democracy US takes a softer line on security strategy The US will, in the first security review since the invasion of Iraq, place the promotion of democracy at the heart of its foreign policy as it adopts a tougher stance towards Russia, China and notably Iran

Bush seeks to make promotion of democracy his legacy

China urged to be more open on military build-up

Baker named to help lead review of policy on Iraq James Baker, the US secretary of state during the first Gulf war, was named as the joint leader of a high-powered and independent taskforce to assess the situation in Iraq and find “long-term viable alternatives” to current policy

Editorial China needs more reform not less The outside world now takes it for granted that China is set on a path of ever-deepening economic reform that will underpin its inexorable rise to economic superpower...

Editorial Israel raises the stakes Israel's storming of a Palestinian prison in Jericho on Tuesday may result in short-term gains for Ehud Olmert

Concern in west over Russian plan to sell nuclear reactor fuel to India

Troops only add to Iraq's problem, say most Americans

Japan curbs Iran oil imports over nuclear concerns

COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: The denim revolt that can rid Europe of tyranny Few dare to hope for immediate change in Belarus. But the building blocks for change are starting to materialise, writes Robin Shepherd, of the CSIS.

White House scotches rumours of a shake-up


H15 Los Angeles Times George Clooney is Hollywood's No. 1 neocon By Max Boot He talks a liberal line, but in the movies he's a real Bush man.

Probe of Prewar Intelligence Making Progress

U.S. Votes Against U.N. Human Rights Council


FT EUROPE: One state's nationalism is another's posturing Three years ago, before Poland became a full EU member, commentators in France asked: Who lost Poland?

Fed’s Beige Book paints upbeat outlook A report prepared for the Federal Reserve’s next meeting paints a benign picture of an economy growing well with inflation pressures contained.

COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: The high price of the Dubai Ports World debacle Had Bush acknowledged from the outset the legitimacy of the concerns among opponents of the Dubai deal he may well have won his fight, writes David Frum, of the American Enterprise Institute

COMMENT: A White House caught red-handed By Jacob Weisberg

Prodi wins debate with Berlusconi A confident Romano Prodi declared himself on course for victory in next month’s Italian election and said he had exposed the campaign rhetoric of Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, as hollow propaganda.
H16 WSJ Growing Iraq Anxiety Threatens Republicans
Iraq is the foremost election-year problem for Republicans, a poll says. A Wall Street Journal/NBC survey found unhappiness with handling of the war and the nation's direction in general drove Bush's approval rating to 37%, a new low.


Blogometer realclearpolitics – ABC’s The Note - Early Bird thru GovExec -
H17 Daily Telegraph
H18 Independent MI5, Camp Delta, and the story that shames Britain Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna are among eight British residents who remain prisoners at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They are jailed because British officials rendered them into the hands of the CIA in Africa, a fact that may explain why the British government refuses to intercede on their behalf

Britain and US complicit in Jericho raid, says Abbas

Nations vote for creation of human rights watchdog

Hamish McRae: Predicting an end to global growth can prove an uncertain science
H19 The FOB: How the Forward Operating Base is Changing the Life of Combat Soldiers

CRS - "'Sensitive But Unclassified' Information and Other Controls: Policy and Options for Scientific and Technical Information," dated February 15, 2006 (published March 14, 2006).
"Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles," updated February 16, 2006."Military Aviation: Issues and Options for Combating Terrorism and Counterinsurgency," January 27, 2006.
"Managing Sensitive Information: Departments of Energy and Defense Policies and Oversight Could Be Improved,"

H20 Slate How NATO Got Its Groove Back: And why Washington won't like it. Peter Savodnik

Claude Allen's Mentor: Shoplifting and Bushonomics. Jacob Weisberg


H21 A review of The Politics of Good Intentions: History, Fear and Hypocrisy in the New World Order, by David Runciman

From Forbes, a special series of articles on The 20 Most Important Tools.

CIA - "Intelligence in the Civil War" is the topic of a new study published by the Central Intelligence Agency (PDF).

Ext links Blogs - memeorandum - Slate's Today's Blogs - Blogometer - Juan Cole - Kevin Drum - Belgravia Dispatch - Thomas P.M. Barnett
Joshua Marshall - Daniel Drezner - Laura Rozen - the washington note - Syria Comment - David Corn - William Arkin - Phil Carter - Helena Cobban - Matt Yglesias - Oxblog - Brad DeLong
winds of change - political theory/
CounterterrorismBlog OutSide the Beltway - InstaPundit - Kausfiles - andrewsullivan.com - Becker Posner-- armscontrolwonk - Registan Arts & Letters Daily/
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