0517-2007f - FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analyses from all around the world for informed debate’ Compiled by Şanlı Bahadır Koç U.S. / Britain / Turkey / Magazines / Think-tanks / Blogs / Misc /Books / Quickread / Numbers / Reports - FPR Table - Subscribe to FPR

H1 Cordesman: US-Iran Talks on Iraq Useful, But Unlikely to Produce Immediate Results

Chatham House Accepting Realities in Iraq - new briefing paper A new briefing paper assesses the political, security and economic prospects for Iraq in the coming year. The author, Gareth Stansfield, claims that there is not 'one' civil war, but many civil wars and insurgencies in the country and current realities have to be accepted if new strategies for solutions are to be found. Read paper. Press notice.

BBC War-torn Iraq 'facing collapse' Iraq faces collapse unless the US and Britain radically change strategy, a leading think tank warns.

Guardian Gaza crisis worsens as 16 killed in gun battles · Homes of senior Fatah members set on fire · Hamas calls third ceasefire of week as death toll grows

Washington Post To 'War Czar,' Solution to Iraq Conflict Won't Be Purely Military

Ha’aretz – ANALYSIS: With Hamas dominant, is there salvation in occupation? As clashes in Gaza take a heavy toll, Hamas' supremacy emerges and Fatah's lack of leadership is clear.

Independent Patriotism and pride come first as Sarkozy takes power Sarkozy took office promising to create a new France, rooted in pride in the values of an "old France" of hard work, discipline, patriotism and self-sacrifice

Leading article: This special relationship is looking rather jaded

New York Times A Defense We Just Don’t Need (Yet) MICHAEL O'HANLON The military benefits in the short term of a new ballistic missile defense site in Poland and the Czech Republic are not worth the worsening of relations with Russia that it has already engendered.

Washington Institute The Surge in Iraq: An Early Assessment Jeffrey White, Andrew Exum, and Michael Eisenstadt

The Future of Palestinian Politics

Guardian Leader Russia and the EU Crisis? What crisis? No one expects the meeting between EU and Russian leaders tomorrow in Samara, to achieve much. For the EU's new generation of leaders, the assumption that Russia is a natural part of Europe, that it should be treated with understanding and patience, has probably had its day. It will be replaced by harder-edged pragmatism.

Iran is safe ... for now Simon Tisdall: Despite the bluster, there is no serious prospect of an American or Israeli military attack on Iran this year.

Helena Cobban Global security after Iraq, part 2

Financial Times Editorial It’s high time for a blunt talk with Mr Putin Russia needs the EU as a market as much as the EU needs Russia. That is the message Mr Putin needs to hear at the EU-Russia summit.

EurasiaNet Russia Celebrates its Central Asian Energy Coup
BY SERGEI BLAGOV

EDM DIPLOMATIC FRENZY AS NEW COLD WAR LOOMS

- ARMENIAN PARTY OF POWER WINS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

- RUSSIA SURGING FARTHER AHEAD IN RACE FOR CENTRAL ASIAN GAS

IHT A united Europe awaits Putin at EU-Russia summit

The mistrust is mutual By IAN BREMMER Cultural differences and domestic political pressures stoke misunderstanding.

Is Iran Facing an Economic Crisis? USIP A US briefing assessing Iran's macroeconomic performance

The EU Should Not Ignore the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation CER

Slate It's Patriotic To Criticize:

How our generals got so mediocre.

Fred Kaplan

The climate map of Europe | Environment | Guardian Unlimited ...

Daily Star Editorial Soft power and diplomacy: America's most underutilized tools

Saudi Arabia: a kingdom on the rebound By Christian Koch

New dates, old commitments in the peace process By Ghassan Khatib

USIP Iraq's Oil Law: How and When?

Ha’aretz Benn The alternative that was not presented The Foreign Ministry, which is supposed to seek diplomatic solutions, made do with its traditional role as the defense establishment's press office.

Shavit Worthy leadership for a year of decision If Iran is not stopped this year, then in the summer of 2008 it will be on its way to nuclear hegemony, which means a different Middle East. It also means a different State of Israel.

Daily Star What Israel wants is within its reach By Raafat Dajani

Asia Times Russia draws Europe into its orbit With Moscow striking a deal with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan over the transport of gas to Europe, the US attempt to drive a wedge between the Central Asian countries and Russia lies in shambles. While the US says this is "not good for Europe", the Europeans are divided. Now, Iran has virtually become the last frontier in the energy war. - M K Bhadrakumar

The case for imperial liquidation
The great American republic is in decline, just as surely as the Roman republic before it - and for many of the same reasons. But how to prevent the final downfall? Merely changing governments won't be enough; the entire imperial system, including the vast military-industrial-congressional complex, must be dismantled, at home and abroad. - Chalmers Johnson

Commander's veto sank Gulf buildup
Admiral William Fallon, then the Bush administration's nominee to head Central Command, placed his job on the line in February by refusing to increase the number of aircraft carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf from two to three. By "putting the crazies back in the box", Fallon set the course for the United States' engagement, not intimidation, of Iran. - Gareth Porter

The true heart of darkness
Iraq is and will remain for years to come the real heart of darkness of the early 21st century. Forget about Russia or China; now, finally, the Bush administration, the military-industrial complex and assorted armchair warriors can finally be assured that the US has found an enemy for life. - Pepe Escobar

Iran courts the US at Russia's expense
Moscow's efforts to make Europe dependent on Russia as its main energy provider undermine the United States' global strategy. This is where the resolution of the Iraq crisis and the possibility of detente between Iran and the US play a key role. Hence Washington's offer of direct talks with Iran in Baghdad, which Tehran has embraced, but at the expense of alienating Russia even further. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi

'Nothing Anglo-Saxon takes place there' Ha'aretz

Mother Jones No Congress, No Peace News: If the United States spreads its Middle Eastern disaster into Iran, it won't be the fault of George W. Bush alone – a Democratic Congress will share some of the blame. Fortunately, the legislative branch has effective options for stopping war before it starts. By Jonathan Schwarz May/June 2007 Issue

IsraPundit Does Iran Dictate US Policy?

Nation Politics: Iran Nukes Call Bush's Bluff

The Times Sarkozy key as Merkel closes on EU constitution

Britain and Germany are locked in a high-stakes tug-of-love over Nicolas Sarkozy amid clashing visions of Europe’s future

Google 2.0: Google Universal Search

H2 PINR "Intelligence Brief: The Risk of Turkish Intervention in Northern Iraq" Full text of report

IHT To the Turkish people from their European friends

CSIS A New Test for Turkish Democracy Bulent Alirıza

Turkey and America: Indispensable Allies at a Crossroads Richard C. Holbrooke Read the full transcript (PDF—113kb)

FT Model town of Turkey's silent Islamists When Turkey's secularists wake up in the middle of the night sweating about an Islamist takeover, it is people such as Selcuk Cetin who haunt their dreams.

Jerusalem Post Support the secularists in Turkey [ DANIEL PIPES,

Al Awsat Turkish Secularism and the Current Political Stalemate : Sayyed Wild Abah

AKP kimi tehdit ediyor?
Ragİh Ömer

[Yorum - H.D.S. Greenway] Türk demokrasisine kuşatma...

Erdoğan askere halk yoluyla karşı koyacak
MUHAMMED NUREDDİN

The Turkish headscarf issue: a Singapore perspectiveby MOHAMED NAWAB MOHAMED OSMAN

Why is Turkey on the brink of a military coup?

İşte Türk mucit Nanoteknolojiyle üretilen 'LED', çok az ısı yayarak elektrik enerjisini direkt ışığa çeviriyor. Tasarruf yüzde 90. 'LED' bazlı ışık kaynakları küresel ısınmaya da çare

Turkey Orders 30 F-16C Block 50s et. al. for $2.9B Defense Industry Daily

Delegation from US Congress to visit Turkey

Google News Kurdish Kurdish Media

Ardan Zentürk Kuzey Irak... Her zamankinden yakın...

Can Ataklı Barzani’den Erdoğan’a kıyak

Withdrawing to Kurdistan Is No Withdrawal Cato Institute,

Barzani: AB, Kerkük referandumu konusunda hayal kırıklığına uğrattı

Kerkük'e dönüş formları dağıtılıyor

Başer "Kuzey Irak'a müdahale için ittifak şartı yok"

Uçak MİT ve polisin takibindeydi

Spencer Ackerman The Bitter North Iraq

US scrambles to keep Kirkuk from igniting USA Today

Iraq: Kurdish Region Under Increasing Threat

Go to Kurdistan? No

Zana hakkında iddianame tamamlandı

Kirkuk: oil and blood

Iraq's Kurdish Problem.

Kurdish Parliament Pushed Through Disputed Religion Law

Diyarbakır şehitlerini 10 binler uğurladı

US says its commitment to Turkish democracy consistent

Negroponte'den Türkiye uyarısı

Casey: 'The U.S. is committed to Turkish democracy'

Kirkuk: A constitutional issue
By KRG.org

Kurdistance: The Honor Killing of Dua
Global Voices

Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber

Hasan ÜNAL AB’den ne haber???

Sarkozy dönemi Murat Yetkin

'Öteki AB' ciddiymiş

Sami KOHEN Fransa'da "Sarkozizm" dönemi

[Yorum - Eser Karakaş] Demokrasi, AB, büyüme ve işsizlik

Rauf DENKTAŞ İyileştirilmiş çözüm planı (2)

Between Turkey and the EU, two plus two does not necessarily equal four C. Cem OĞUZ

George Tenet: A Greek tragedy? by CHRISTOPHER VASILLOPULOS*

Avrupalı aydınlardan demokrasi bildirisi

ABD'den Sarkozy'ye Türkiye uyarısı: İyi düşün

ABD’den Sarkozy’ye Türkiye çağrısı

FoxNewsChristianity in Turkey

Greek American leadership meets in Washington, DC, from May 16-18 ...

FT Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone

Turkish Cypriots in Brussels: End isolation now!

Former CIA director talks about Greek-Turkish 1996 crisis

ABD Kosova'ya Tek Yanlı Destek Vermeyecek

Asia Times Nabucco pipeline: The fat lady has sung
In its quest to find a way to bypass Russia in exporting Central Asian oil and gas, the US has embraced a pipeline project strangely named after the opera Nabucco. But the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan agreed to pump gas through an underused Russian line. It seems that the brief flirtation with Nabucco was just a ploy to get better terms from Moscow. - John Helmer

BBC 'Hayal kırıklığı'

Putin'in Orta Asya'daki enerji anlaşmalarının Türkiye için anlamı

Lale Sarıibrahimoğlu The game is not over…

MELİHA OKUR
Türkiye, Hazar kartını kaybetti mi?

Akaryakıt kaçakçılarını takip eden başkomiserin ölümünde suikast şüphesi

Başer Bu ülkede 50 yıldır lider çıkmadı

Prof. Arat, intihal iddialarını yalanladı

IMF yarın Türkiye'yi görüşecek

Seyfettin Gürsel İstihdam artmaya devam ediyor

Salih Neftçi Piyasalardaki yüksek iyimserliğin önemi

İbrahim Öztürk Gelir dağılımı nasıl düzeliyor?

Deniz Gökçe İşsizlik ve istihdamda şubat sayıları

Ercan Kumcu Merkezi bütçede yapısal bozulma

Erdal Sağlam Piyasalara yurtdışı etkisi olumlu ama

Hasan Ersel Palet, tuval ve tablo

Asaf Savaş Akat Askeri darbeye hayır

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM
Ekonomiyi seçim sonrası ne bekliyor?

Hurşit GÜNEŞ Bazı kentlerde konut fiyatları neden daha hızlı artıyor?

Yaman TÖRÜNER
Bu dalga bizi nereye götürüyor?

IMF Başkanı Rato: Türkiye dinamik yükselen bir piyasa

BBC 17 Mayıs 2007 Basın Özeti

H3 Gündüz Aktan Akıllanamamak

ASLI AYDINTAŞBAŞ AK Parti'ye yapılan teklif

Ahmet Taşgetiren ABD-AB ile ne yapmalı?

Taha AKYOL AKP nereye?

Ertuğrul Özkök Yaşar Paşa'yla anlatmamak için birbirimize söz verdik

Ahmet Hakan Ciddi ve aykırı bir mukayese denemesi

İçe kapanan Türkiye, dışarıda inisiyatifi elinden kaçırıyor

Tanıl Bora [Birleşme solu ihya eder mi?] Türkiye'yi geleceğe taşıyacak bir programları yok!

Ruşen Çakır - Prof. Şerif Mardin: “Mahalle havası diye bir şey var ki AKP’yi bile döver”.

AKP yelpazeyi açtı DP'de herkes var

SOLİ ÖZEL Gerçeklerle yaşamak

Serdar Turgut AKP ve ordu

Şemdinli sil baştan

Yargıtay, Şemdinli kararını hayali buldu

Cengiz Çandar Aday listeleri ve Türk neo-oryantalistleri...

M Ali Birand Türkiye, büyük yol ayrımında

Ekrem Dumanlı "Yaşam tarzımıza müdahale" mi dediniz?

Şahin Alpay Hukuk değil yargıç devleti

Mumcu ve Ağar ‘darbe’ olacağına inandırıldı

Ali Bayramoğlu Nasıl bir Türkiye’ye doğru?

Enis Berberoğlu Baykal, Demirel mi oluyor

Hasan CEMAL Organize çekirdek!

Uçakta nükleer şüphe

Aksiyon Siyasetin üzerindeki yeni hayalet: Darbe korkusu - Hakan Çağrı

İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası

Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri - Dış Basında Güncel Türkiye Bülteni

Dış Basında Irak BBC Turkish 0700

VOA TSİ 06:30 Dış Basında Türkiye Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey Turquie Türkei TurcoPundit

Taha Kıvanç

Fehmi Koru Tabelaya bakalım, nefes alalım

NAZLI ILICAK Asker-siyaset ilişkileri

ALİ BAYRAMOĞLU Laik kesimdeki ağır hastalık…

Üye yok, önseçim yok!
Tarhan Erdem

İhsan Dağı Ready for an anti- Western military coup?

Bir büyük hayal kırıklığı Nuray Mert

Ruşen Çakır AKP dışa mı açılıyor, yoksa göz mü boyuyor?

Bilal Çetin “Merkez” görünme yarışı...

Who, really, is responsible for Turkey's malign nationalism?
Burak BEKDİL

[Röportaj - Mazhar Buğdaycı, Hakkı Baştürk] Genç siviller rahatsız: CHP kazanıncaya kadar seçimler yenilensin!

Abramowitz'in sözleri çarpıtıldı

Güç ve ahlak arasında Turgut Tarhanlı

İBRAHİM KARAGÜL Avrasya satrancı, Putin'in son golü

AK Parti merkeze, CHP ulusalcılara yöneldi

[Yorum - Aydın Menderes] Ne'de birleştiler?

Hüseyin Gülerce Statükoya karşı AK Parti'nin kozu...

Asıl tahammül edemedikleri milletin söz sahibi olması

Mehmet Y Yılmaz AKP kazanırsa, şeriatçılar mı kazanmış olacak?

Röportaj Prof. Dr. Ayşe Kadıoğlu: CHP solun değil devletin partisidir

Cüneyt Ülsever Bir turnusol káğıdı olarak Ömer Dinçer!

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN
Konuklar ve ev sahipleri

MAHMUT ÖVÜR
'AK Parti ateisti de kucaklamalı'

The recent Turkish presidential elections: A ‘lose lose’ situation by Prof. ERGUN ÖZBUDUN*

Ekrem Dumanlı If the AK Party is stopped by anti-democratic means

Partiler aday adaylarını değerlendiriyor

Yılmaz yol ayrımında

İslamcıların gözü Türkiye'deki krizde

Bahçeli: MHP seçime tek başına giriyor

Erdoğan, İstanbul'a il başkanı arıyor

AKP'ye Harvard mezunu aday

Rice, mitinglerin AKP'ye olduğunu bilmiyor

Bahçeli AKP’nin hakkından tek başımıza geliriz

İsmail Küçükkaya Abdüllatif Şener’den tartışılacak öneri

Güler Kömürcü İddialar...

Güngör URAS CHP'ye kimler neden oy verecek?

[Yorum - Mümtaz'er Türköne] Millî iradenin seçim sınavı

Mehmet Altan Elveda Şemdinli...

Ne kadar özgür?

Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü Türk basınını tartıştı

Meydanlar alternatif program ve kadrolar arıyor GÖKHAN ÇAPOĞLU

Erdoğan halden anlıyor mu?
İsmet Berkan

Annecim! Türkiye nereye gidiyor?
Perihan Mağden

Erdoğan'ın sürpriz 'ülkücü adayı' Musa Serdar Çelebi

Oktay Ekşi Hangi Tayyip Erdoğan?

Çankaya Köşkü'nde bir 'fuzulî şâgil'
Hasan Celal Güzel

Yargıtay Şemdinli kararını bozdu

Yalçın Doğan Dışarısı solu izliyor

‘367’ Kanadoğlu CHP’den aday mı

AKP asker aday peşinde

Ümit ÖZDAĞ CHP-DSP birleşmesi

Fikret BİLA Zeki Sezer'in liderlik sınavı

İşte CHP'nin yeni vizyonu: Erol Çakır, Nur Serter, Necla Arat

Alevi kuruluşları 'sol'u tartışacak

Şükrü Küçükşahin İki numaradan bir numaraya rica

Şakir Süter Özkan ve Serdaroğlu

Yargıtay'ın kritik kararı

İlnur Çevik What happened to the Semdinli case?

ERGUN BABAHAN "Derin" magazin ve üniversite

EMRE AKÖZ Bunların niyeti faşizm

Semih İDİZ Kardeşim Turan, seni özleyeceğim

TURANI NE ÖLDÜRDÜ? DEVAM
SAVAŞ SÜZAL

Okkan suikastında gerekçeli karar

Genelkurmay sitesinde ‘Özkök Paşa’nın sırrı

Esrarengiz uçağı MİT çözecek

MİT izliyordu

Pilot değil, ajan telefonu gibi

Engin Ardıç 20 Mayıs Deniz Baykal’ı Parlatma Bayramı

'Solda birlik'te sona doğru

Emekli Korgeneral Karabay AKP'nin teklifini kabul etmedi

Partiler aday adaylarını değerlendiriyor

"Uzanların yeni malları çıkabilir"

Sol'da birlik ve DSP

CHP lideri Baykal'ın açıklamaları DSP'de nasıl yankı buldu?

Süheyl Batum

İşte bir anayasa tartışması daha

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF The President and Wolfowitz

As Paul Wolfowitz is to the World Bank, the U.S. is becoming to the world.

H5 Washington Post To 'War Czar,' Solution to Iraq Conflict Won't Be Purely Military

It's Our Cage, Too Torture Betrays Us and Breeds New Enemies By Charles C. Krulak and Joseph P. Hoar, Page

Assertions that 'torture works' may reassure a fearful public, but it is a false security.

Editorial A Question of Torture Excepting John McCain, Republican candidates for president seem to favor it.

Gaza Fighting Intensifies, Leaving at Least 21 Dead Israel Attacks Hamas After Rocket Strikes

Many Tips, Few Answers in Hunt for GIs Effort Involves 6,000 Troops; Hundreds of Iraqis Detained for Questioning

Sarkozy Takes Reins, Warning France Against 'Inertia'

Even With the Democratic Party's Right Wing, Bush's Iraq Plans Don't Fly

Wolfowitz Hangs On As Ouster Hits Wall

Day-Long Standoff Ends Unresolved; Talks to Resume

Hagel as Hamlet -- or the Third Man?

By Dana Milbank, If Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel shows any more leg about an independent presidential candidacy, he risks a citation for indecent exposure.

Symbolic Measure to End War Voted Down 67 to 29 in Senate

Can Democrats Take Yes for an Answer?

By David S. Broder, Page A17

The issue of trade policy -- as critical to the nation's future as Iraq and every bit as divisive -- is now squarely before the Democratic Congress.

H6 Guardian Leader Russia and the EU Crisis? What crisis? No one expects the meeting between EU and Russian leaders tomorrow in Samara, to achieve much. For the EU's new generation of leaders, the assumption that Russia is a natural part of Europe, that it should be treated with understanding and patience, has probably had its day. It will be replaced by harder-edged pragmatism.

Sarkozy takes office, à la JFK
· Energy and informality as French president sworn in · Rightwing reformist pledges break with past

Gaza crisis worsens as 16 killed in gun battles · Homes of senior Fatah members set on fire · Hamas calls third ceasefire of week as death toll grows
Comment: Karma Nabulsi

Russia accused of cyberwar Three-week wave of attacks on Estonia causes alarm across the western alliance.

Brown secures Labour leadership

Paranoia in Pakistan Tariq Ali: Instead of trying to browbeat a supreme court judge, Musharraf should fight him in elections.

US moves to reassure Lebanon over Syria
Washington to create UN tribunal to try suspects in former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri assassination case

Wolfowitz seeks resignation deal

It's the trial of the year: the national interest v Murdoch and Dacre
Timothy Garton Ash: For the good of Britain, Gordon Brown should face down the unelected press barons on Europe. But I wouldn't bet on it.

Leaders who follow ordinary people's courage earn respect
Karma Nabulsi: The political class and media have failed to hold the prime minister to account and made the intolerable seem invisible.

Prince Harry will not go to Iraq

Russia builds atomic plant for Burma

Madrid bombing suspects go on hunger strike Thirteen suspects on trial for bombings protest at what they consider to be unfounded accusations against them.

H7 Alon Ben-meir Realpolitik: Iraq a tangled web of national self interests

A majority of people around the world favour strengthening the United Nations to increase its role in peacekeeping, fighting terror and in stopping nuclear proliferation, a new survey has found, and an interview with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

From Mogadishu to Baghdad: The Failure of UN-centric Multilateralism

Who will win in the 21st century? In the IMD's World Competitiveness Yearbook, the US came in first once again. But other nations are closing the gap.

The Ghost of George Kennan: A review of Containment: Rebuilding a Strategy Against Global Terror by Ian Shapiro and The End of Alliances by Rajan Menon.

Ariel Cohen National security consequences of oil dependency

From Foreign Policy, a look at the fast-growing faiths that are upending the old world order.

Interventionism's Last Hold-Out: Kanan Makiya, the Iraqi exile who convinced many liberal interventionists to support the war, now stands alone in saying invasion was the right decision.

Martin Kramer Islamism and Fascism: Dare to Compare

H8 IraqSlogger Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq

US Papers Thursday: A "Complex" Attack

Iraqi Papers Thur: Clashes in Nasiriya

Iraqi vote may turn GOP against war

Petraeus: No Definitive Guidance by September

“Is Iraq's government building a Shiite intelligence agency? “

Militants Admit Plan to Draw US to Saudi Arabia

Daily Star Editorial Soft power and diplomacy: America's most underutilized tools

Saudi Arabia: a kingdom on the rebound By Christian Koch

New dates, old commitments in the peace process By Ghassan Khatib

Jordan and the G-11: Call their bluff
By Rami G. Khouri

Is Iran Facing an Economic Crisis? USIP
A US briefing assessing Iran's macroeconomic performance

Ban pushes for Hariri tribunal despite Lebanese objections

Iranian Supreme Leader Supports U.S.-Iran Talks On Iraq

Pakistan's permanent crisis | Ayesha Siddiqa

Asia Times Document details 'US' plan to sink Hamas
An explosive document, purporting to be a Jordanian government translation of a US intelligence document, outlines a plan to undermine Hamas and hand full power to Fatah in upcoming Palestinian elections. Should President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah agree to such a plan, he would be complicit in undermining his own national-unity government. The Jordanian authorities have acted quickly to suppress the story. - Mark Perry and Paul Woodward

Boston Globe Abandoning our democratic allies (By David Schenker)

Stakes are high on all sides of an unstable Iraq

(By Ahmed Aboul Gheit)

Al Awsat Moderation Despite the RAND Corporation! : Mshari Al-Zaydi

H9 Ha’aretz – ANALYSIS: With Hamas dominant, is there salvation in occupation? As clashes in Gaza take a heavy toll, Hamas' supremacy emerges and Fatah's lack of leadership is clear.

Benn The alternative that was not presented The Foreign Ministry, which is supposed to seek diplomatic solutions, made do with its traditional role as the defense establishment's press office.

Shavit Worthy leadership for a year of decision If Iran is not stopped this year, then in the summer of 2008 it will be on its way to nuclear hegemony, which means a different Middle East. It also means a different State of Israel.

Mubarak: Hamas will never sign a peace agreement with Israel

Obama to Haaretz: More pressure on Iran urgently needed

Daily Star What Israel wants is within its reach By Raafat Dajani

Daily Alert.org - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel –

'Iran could be year from nuke'
Ynetnews

Former CIA Chief Changes Tune on Pollard Story

Pathology of self-deception

Shimon Peres Addresses The Washington Institute's Soref Symposium

Forward Foxman, Wiesel Upbraid Israel For Pace of Peace Effort

Some of Israel’s strongest supporters chastised the country’s leadership this week for failing to take up opportunities to solve the long-standing conflict with neighboring Arab countries. Read more

Jerusalem and Peace - Editorial (Jerusalem Post)

The Sarkozy Victory - Freddy Eytan
(Institute for Contemporary Affairs/Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

BBC Israelis held over 'hate' murder

Two Israeli brothers are detained over the stabbing of a Palestinian in an apparent hate crime, police said.

Indyk: Palestinians becoming more 'realistic'

Analysis: Will Shimon Peres finally win?

The Pro-Israel Lobby and US Middle East Policy Dissident Voice

H10 Christian Science Monitor

Opinion: Plea to save Russia from enemy within Under President Putin, Russians have pawned precious freedoms for economic growth.By Vladimir Ryzhkov

Violence takes Gaza to the brink

A series of deadly attacks this week could derail the fragile truce agreement between rival Palestinian factions and threatens to draw Israeli forces back in.

Is General Lute the right kind of 'war czar'?

Bush feels heat on climate change

The president this week announced an auto-emissions plan designed to cut US oil consumption by 10 percent in 20 years.

Afghan refugee crisis brewing

Home to 3 million refugees, Iran and Pakistan are intensifying efforts to send them home. Experts say it will be 'disastrous' for Afghanistan.

In Algeria, a status quo vote

Al Qaeda attacks last month have not altered the likely result of Thursday's parliamentary election.

No grand return for Pakistan's Bhutto

The self-exiled former premier has ruled out a political deal with President Musharraf.

ASIA Chatham House China and India: Cooperation and Competition
Growth in economic cooperation between China and India masks continuing political animosity between the two states. This new paper outlines the complex relationship and suggests that competing interests, combined with concerns over longer-term ambitions, seem likely to hamper future cooperative relations. Read paper. Press notice.

Contested Capitalism: Financial Politics and Implications for China RSIS A 47-page Singaporean working paper examining the nature of China's developing institutions

Will China be unstoppable, once it adopts Western higher education? Not to worry! With American advice, the Chinese too will end up as self-satisfied ignoramuses... more»

The China Syndrome: China's Military Modernization and the Rearming of Southeast Asia
RSIS

WSJ It's Win-Win on U.S.-China Trade "Attempts to politicize trade issues should be resisted."
By WU YI

Why China Has Eased Pressure on Bloggers

The Chinese government, which spent months mulling over ways to crack down on bloggers, is retreating from its campaign, a development that illustrates the difficulty China faces as it tries to control technology

With a boost from the Internet, Shinto makes comeback in Japan

Latest Chinese missile to target US carriers: report

H11 IHT A united Europe awaits Putin at EU-Russia summit

The mistrust is mutual By IAN BREMMER Cultural differences and domestic political pressures stoke misunderstanding.

Sarkozy sworn in as president of France

Democracy over dictatorship
By MANJEET KRIPALANI
The latest protest movement in Pakistan isn't about the low quality of life but about something more lofty - the sanctity of the Constitution, which has been flagrantly abused by Presidenty Musharraf's government.

EU welcomes new Serb leaders, with terms

Merkel's G8 - spot the difference | Patricia Daniel

EUROPE European press review

SPIEGEL Interview with French Historian Max Gallo: 'Sarkozy's Victory Is that of Reality over Utopia'

The EU Should Not Ignore the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation CER

BBC New blood
The arrival of Nicolas Sarkozy both excites and worries EU allies

What is Sarkozy's foreign policy?
Gulf News By Amir Taheri

BBC Eurozone sceptic
Mark Mardell on how Gordon Brown will get on with Brussels

PINR "Intelligence Brief: Serbia Avoids Early Elections Yet Remains Unstable"
Full text of report

H12 RFE/RL Georgia: Foreign Minister Hails South Ossetia 'Breakthrough' Minister Gela Bezhuashvili tells RFE/RL Tbilisi believes it has achieved a "breakthrough" in relations with separatists in South Ossetia

Russia: Energy Summit Gives Putin New Trump Card

EurasiaNet Russia Celebrates its Central Asian Energy Coup BY SERGEI BLAGOV

Armenia: A New Era for a New Opposition?

EDM DIPLOMATIC FRENZY AS NEW COLD WAR LOOMS

- ARMENIAN PARTY OF POWER WINS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

- RUSSIA SURGING FARTHER AHEAD IN RACE FOR CENTRAL ASIAN GAS

Building Stability in the North Caucasus: Ways Forward for Russia and the European Union SIPRI
A 68-page policy paper tracing the role of the North Caucasus in Russian history and offering recommendations for urgent shifts in policy towards the region by Russia and the EU

Russian-American Security Cooperation after St. Petersburg
SSI

The EU Should Not Ignore the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation CER

U.S. Secretary of State Concludes Intensive Diplomacy in Russia

Google News Azerbaijan

CSIS The US-EU Partnership Committee for Ukraine

BBC Burying the hatchet
Russian Orthodox Church merger to heal Soviet-era rift

IHT Russian Orthodox Church is set to mend a bitter schism

Azerbaijani Court Jails Two Opposition Journalists

UPI Analysis: Ukraine needs a “culture of consensus”

H13 The Times Sarkozy key as Merkel closes on EU constitution

Britain and Germany are locked in a high-stakes tug-of-love over Nicolas Sarkozy amid clashing visions of Europe’s future

Gaza heads for civil war amid street battles Mahmoud Abbas threatened to declare a state of emergency as fierce fighting between Hamas and Fatah took to the streets

Candidates debate reveals two faces of Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani displayed both his winning and losing faces during a combative and revealing Rupublican candidates debate

The Bank – at last – gets tough

A month ago I wrote that Britain was facing economic disaster. Today I withdraw this indictment Anatole Kaletsky

Just the time for a spot of sun and golf in the Gulf In the teeth of wearisome howling from conspiracy theorists, Halliburton is moving its headquarters from the US to Dubai

Giles Whittell

Leader Mini or Midi Treaty?

Brown must not allow Blair to sign Britain’s power away

Wolfowitz 'ready to quit' as World Bank head

Shift in White House stance leaves Wolfowitz facing exit

The 4 things that Wolfowitz did wrong

Wall Street Journal Congress's War Dodge
They're for the war but also against it.

H14 Financial Times Editorial It’s high time for a blunt talk with Mr Putin Russia needs the EU as a market as much as the EU needs Russia. That is the message Mr Putin needs to hear at the EU-Russia summit.

COMMENT: The key test of accurate financial reporting is trust Our markets must retain the integrity and efficiency that has contributed greatly to prosperity in America, writes Henry Paulson.

MARKETS AND INVESTING: Dollar's story may not be a thriller, but it is compelling

Senate rejects Iraq bill tied to deadline

The Senate rejected an effort to impose a March 2008 deadline for withdrawing US troops from Iraq as politicians continued drafting legislation to overcome an impasse with the White House over funding for the war

WORLD NEWS: Merkel 'honoured' by visit but tricky talks lie ahead

WORLD NEWS: Russia in talks to join OECD

WORLD NEWS: Hamas and Fatah intensify Gaza fighting

Wolfowitz working on resignation deal

WORLD NEWS WORLD BANK POWER STRUGGLE: Fellow travellers on path to crisis

WORLD NEWS WORLD BANK POWER STRUGGLE: Wolfowitz affair sparks rifts in Bush team

WORLD NEWS - WORLD BANK POWER STRUGGLE: US set to yield as extent of isolation becomes clear

Sarkozy to make global warming a priority

Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to make global warming and human rights the top international priorities of his five-year term as French president

Factions ratchet up Gaza violence

King takes Greenspan to task Alan Greenspan’s repeated and often market-moving public pronouncements drew an implicit rebuke from the governor of the Bank of England. Interview transcript: Lord George

US keen for nuclear deal with India

The fate of a historic civil nuclear deal between the US and India will loom over George W. Bush and Manmohan Singh when they meet at the G8 summit next month.

WORLD NEWS: Hope of fiscal order fades as PA implodes

US contests G8 climate communiqué

Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone The eurozone is expected to expand to 15 member countries next year after Cyprus and Malta were given the go-ahead to join.

Russia warns EU on new vetoes Senior Russian officials yesterday said the European Union must not let itself be held hostage to the "anti-Russian" agenda of new members such as Poland.

COMMENT: How to curb Asia's towering energy demand The novelty of air-conditioning has stoked a perverse desire to fight the natural climate, writes Victor Mallet.

COMMENT: French lessons on healthcare reform France’s system is alluring. Ranked number one by the World Health Organisation, it does it all for just 10% of GDP, writes Clive Crook.

The United States and Russia try to relax

Editorial

H16 American Politics Can Bush recover? Or will he drag down Republicans in '08?
Raw Story,

IHT Bringing lobbyists to heel
It's crunch time for U.S. House Democrats to deliver on their vow to rein in power lobbyists who sully Congress by purchasing privileged access with outsized campaign donations.

realclearpolitics – ABC’s The Note – US News Political Bulletin

Early Bird GovExec

H17 Daily Telegraph Sarkozy raises hopes in UK

On this side of the Channel, it is hard not to feel a sense of hope, for both France and Europe, as Mr Sarkozy assumes a role that he has sought with such tenacity.

Iraq too dangerous for Harry, says Army

Wolfowitz poised to quit World Bank

Iraq quiet zone is now area of danger

H18 Independent Leading article: Why Tony Blair should go now

Gordon Brown's confirmation as the sole candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party means that he will be Britain's next Prime Minister, but we must wait six weeks for him to take office

Patriotism and pride come first as Sarkozy takes power Nicolas Sarkozy took office promising to create a new France, rooted in pride in the values of an "old France" of hard work, discipline, patriotism and self-sacrifice

John Lichfield: An omnipotent presidency with only one head to roll

Leading article: This special relationship is looking rather jaded

World Bank set to finalise departure of defiant Wolfowitz

H19Military Intelligence Terrorism

The Democratic Challenge: Transparency, Accountability and Effectiveness in Intelligence CCC
A group of articles examining how democracies confront the dilemma of creating and maintaining intelligence services that are effective and under democratic civilian control ( single page linking to each article)

Anti-terrorism strategy needs overhaul, says ex-MI6 chief

Outside View: The misuse of 'Shock and Awe'

James Fallows Honoring Andrew Bacevich, father and son

Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Lessons of the Last Forty Years SIPRI

The Terrorism Warning Process: A Look behind the Curtain
Stratfor

Disavowed: The Government’s Unchecked Retaliation Against National Security Whistleblowers (PDF; 305 KB)
Source: American Civil Liberties Union
From press release:

H20 Slate It's Patriotic To Criticize:

How our generals got so mediocre.

Fred Kaplan

the book club Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy:

Is globalization as bad for Americans as it is for our pets? Daniel Altman and Daniel Gross

Afghansomaligaza:

Is Gaza worse off than Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia? Shmuel Rosner

Faith-Based Fraud:

Jerry Falwell's foul rantings prove you can get away with anything if you have "Reverend" in front of your name.

Christopher Hitchens

The United States and Global Trade: A State Legislator’s Guide to Maximizing Economic Opportunity through Trade (PDF; 134 KB)
Source: National Foreign Trade Council
From press release:

H21 History from below
As Alexander Pope argued, the proper study of mankind is man. And not just the great men. Our shelves are already chock-full of the stories of the politicians, generals and kings. Books chronicling the story from below, make a welcome change from the cottage industry which has recently come up, turning out history without people.

Commentary: The bookworm president

Google launches consolidated search

If atheism’s a religion, it is fourth in the world, behind Hinduism, and it’s growing. God is not on the side of unbelief, but history may be... more»

The books for boys list in full [pdf download]

The net is being carved up into information plantations

Music Service From Amazon Takes On iTunes

Amazon plans a music-download service that will sell songs without copy protections that can be played on any device.

WIDER: Next Gen of Wi-Fi Is Planned for Summer...

Scientists Cast Doubt on Kennedy Bullet Analysis

Multiple Shooters Possible, Study Says

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