1228-2007f - FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analyses 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 FT Pakistan on the brink: A fractured country awaits the backlash With Musharraf’s only plausible ally gone, plans for a peaceful transition are in tatters

Wall Street Journal Target: Pakistan
Losing in the West, the jihadis hit Pakistan, with its nuclear prize.

The Dangerous Void Left Behind – Ahmed Rashid, Washington Post

Interview with Former U.S. Intelligence Official on Bhutto Assassination

The Nelson Report on Bhutto Assassination

Analysis of the Bhutto Assassination Counterterrorism

NYT News Analysis Salvaging U.S. Diplomacy Amid Division The assassination left in ruins the diplomatic effort the Bush administration had pursued in the last year.

CFR Riedel: Bhutto’s Assassination ‘Almost Certainly’ Work of Al-Qaeda

Mead: Bush's Foreign Policy Record around the World

A Conversation with Benazir Bhutto (Audio)

Bruce Feiler & John Mearsheimer: Debating the Israel Lobby

US-led Wars Costing $15B Per Month

New Republic What's Going To Happen In Pakistan Now?
by Joshua Kurlantzick

Slate What's Next for Pakistan?

Musharraf's handling of the protests that will follow Benazir Bhutto's funeral will decide Pakistan's future.

Jim Lobe Gates Led Realist Resurgence in 2007 Gates as Man of the Year

Juan Cole: Top Ten Myths about Iraq 2007

IHT The consequences of inflexibility By DIMITRI K. SIMES Kosovo's independence could become a dangerous precedent for unrecognized states.

Kissinger on Dealing with a Resurgent Russia - Romesh Ratnesar, Time

Financial Times Iran military force fears threat from within Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard believes that domestic security threats pose a much greater danger than the international crisis surrounding its nuclear programme

Murderous blow to Pakistan’s stability Bhutto’s violent death leaves a hole in national politics and adds a vicious extra dimension of disintegration to a country that is already falling apart

A long, difficult path out of poverty It is unacceptable that so many people still live in the most extreme poverty. This is a challenge the world can and should meet. But let us not underestimate its scale

It’s a multi-currency world we live in What Charles de Gaulle called the dollar’s ‘exorbitant privilege’ can no longer be taken for granted. The US will have to earn it on a daily basis, instead

Russia is in need of firm handling The west should focus on co-operation over energy, nuclear weapons, Islamism and terrorism. If that can be achieved, it will be a lot

Dangers of the dwindling dollar America’s declining currency threatens to undermine Washington’s place on the international stage

US signals support for Taliban talks The US signalled its support for holding secret talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan despite a publicly stated policy of never negotiating with the Islamic militant group

Why we're in the Gulf Walter Russell Mead, WSJ.

Israel's options post-NIE Reduced. Chicago Trib

. Who has oil? Dramatic maps at MESH.

Ha’aretz – An exacerbated tension between Olmert and Rice

Jerusalem Post Does Palestinian Violence Derive from Despair or Hope? - Daniel Pipes

2008, when we need to start keeping our promises [ DAVID KIMCHE

William Arkin Russia Lends a Hand

The Nightmare Scenario – London Times editorial

Bhutto’s Death Hardliner Victory – Con Coughlin, London Daily Telegraph

Death in Rawalpindi – Guardian editorial

Blow to U.S. Goal for Pakistan – Wright and Kessler, Washington Post

Where Bhutto's Death Leaves U.S. - Thompson and Bennett, Time

Death Deals Blow to U.S. - Matthew Lee, Associated Press

Can Democracy Survive? - Bronwen Maddox, London Times

Pakistan Civil War? - Wilkinson, Edwards and Blair, London Daily Telegraph

Lived in Eye of Storm - Perlez and Burnett, New York Times

The Queen is Dead, Long Live the Cause – Ben Macintyre, London Times

Bhutto and Democracy – Michael Hirsh, Newsweek

Benazir Bhutto – Max Boot, Commentary

Benazir Bhutto: Headlong – David Ignatius, Washington Post

Roots of Conflict - Eric Carvin, Associated Press

Who Did It? – Jason Burke, Guardian

Saudis and Pakistan

Main Suspects are Warlords and Security Forces - Jeremy Page, London Times

Daughter of Destiny – Christopher Hitchens, Slate

Benazir Bhutto: A Hero for Democracy? - Michael Hirsh, Newsweek

The Benazir I Knew - Mansoor Ijaz, Christian Science Monitor

Bhutto Killing Inflames Pakistan - Wonacott & Solomon, Wall St. Journal

The Legacy of Benazir Bhutto - David Ignatius, Washington Post

When an Assassin Succeeds - Rich Lowry, New York Post

Benazir Bhutto – Mark Steyn, National Review

Bhutto Killing Rocks ‘08 Trail – Allen, Martin and Smith, Politico

The Nuclear Scenario in Pakistan

Implications of the Zbigniew Brzezinski-Anthony Lake Divide

The End of Free Trade By Robert J. Samuelson Even as countries become more economically interdependent, they're also growing more nationalistic. Here's today quiz. What do the following have in common: (a) Vladimir Putin; (b) China's currency, the renminbi; (c) the U.S.-Peru trade agreement; and (d) Hugo Ch¿vez? Answer: They all reflect the “new mercantilism."

The Future of Radical Islam in Europe Olivier Roy (audio)

FT Asia in 2008: Its rise is a global good If communists, tyrants or authoritarians think they can modernise their economies without unleashing political reform, they are deceiving themselves, says Victor Mallet

Djerejian Pakistan On the Brink: Post-Bhutto Assassination

China’s Asymmetric Strategy – Eric Sayers, Weekly Standard

The Terrorist’s Tet – Austin Bay, Real Clear Politics

Why Vote? Let's count the rational and irrational reasons
By Peter Singer

Foreign Policy Advisory Index
The National Interest

Time Commentary: Bush's Democracy Nightmare

H2 FT Turkish jets strike targets in Kurdish Iraq Turkey launches the latest in a series of strikes against Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq, hitting eight targets in the third cross-border air attack in 10 days

Ha’aretz Source: Turkey is studying support from Israel 'very closely'

Turkish Warplanes Again Cross Border To Bomb in N. Iraq: Strike Against Rebel Kurds Is at Least 3rd In 10 Days;...

Hitting the Kurds from All Sides (Time.com)

Le Monde Paranoïas séparatistes en Turquie

MERIA "U.S.-Kurdish Relations in Post-Invasion Iraq" Aram Rafaat Adobe

US and Turkey need to overcome mutual suspicion, says Lesser

Report: Turkey Using Drones in Northern Iraq with Help of Israeli Crews - Yossi Melman (Ha'aretz)

Guardian Brain drain Stephen Kinzer Turkey's intellectual elite are under attack, as militant nationalism and religious intolerance are on the rise

The differences are significant
GulfNews - By Amir Taheri The versions of Islam popular in Arabia and India were not developed enough to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Turkey, Iran and Egypt to the sidelines of the Muslim world. The picture may now be changing as Turkey and Iran are reverting to their traditional roles by offering rival models of political Islam. (Egypt is still out under what is left of the Nasserist regime.)

The World from Berlin: 'Turkey Is Risking a New Spiral of Violence' - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News Turkey's continuing military operations against Kurdish guerrillas may be bearing fruit militarily, but some German commentators warn it could provoke the PKK to spread the violence throughout Turkey

Top general to visit Washington in late January

Report: Israel is aiding in Turkish operations

İsrail'den Türkiye'ye 10 pilotsuz uçak daha

Israeli UAVs headed soon to Turkey for use against Kurdish rebels

Israeli delays deprive Air Force of spy plane capabilities

US risks Kurdish alliance It's doubtful Kurds will ever forgive Americans for allowing Turks to attack

Khaleej Times Online - Turkey in Iraq

Turkey fears declining US, Israeli support against Rebel Kurds in Iraq

BBC Coming home
Assyrians trickle back to Turkey to re-build an ancient community

Turkey Launches Operation Against Kurdish Rebels Near Iraq Border

Turkey Has Itself to Blame for the Unrest of Kurds Wall Street Journal

Today's Must Read

Misjudging Turkey's war on terror - The Boston Globe

Turkish history through US eyes

Israeli UAVs headed to Turkey soon for use against PKK

İsrail, Heron’ları ocakta gönderiyor

Google News KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect BBC Monitoring

“Kürtler Türk devletiyle ya da Kürt halkı üzerinde sömürgecilik yapan diğer devletlerle yaşamak zorunda değil"

Türkiye Kuzey Irak'la eninde sonunda görüşecek

Iraqi Kurds delay Kirkuk vote - Los Angeles Times

Tensions Mount Between Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran

YASİN DOĞAN DTP kendini bitiriyor

BBG Evi'nden canlı yayın Heron'dan

Security forces hunt PKK terrorists in new operations

DTP'lilere siyasî yasak talebine ret

Irak'la imzalanan terörle mücadele anlaşması meclislerin onayına takıldı

En azından teorik olarak başka bir anlayışa geçmek şart ALİ AKAY

DTP'li Kaplan'dan "fezleke" tepkisi

Çelik'ten ''PKK'lı akraba'' iddiasına yanıt

"Sınır ötesi operasyonlar yasadışı"

Report: Turkish court rejects restrictions on pro-Kurdish Party

Ex-PKK member released under partial amnesty

Military pounds PKK targets in Turkey, Iraq in fresh strikes

Turkey thanks US for aiding airstrikes

Sending A Message To Kurdistan

Talabani Said to Suggest Iraqi Deputy PM for Kurdistan Premiership

Iraqi Kurdistan PM: 'Modern' Press Regulation Law Would 'Boost Freedom'

Muslim Brotherhood, AKP's Solution To Kurdish Problem

Accord Front Not to Abide By Islamic Party-Kurdish Parties' Agreement - Paper

İncirlik’te PKK alarmı

Iraqi Leaders, Kurdistan President Discuss New Alliance, Other Issues

Kurdish parties confirm their consolidation

Kurds blamed for Istanbul bombing - UPI.com

Şensoy criticizes US daily for misjudging Turkey operation

Yusuf KANLI 'Hezen Taybet'

Kurds delay public vote on future of oil-rich Kirkuk

Turkey Not to Ban Kurdish Party

Rafsanjani stresses need for Iran-Turkey cooperation Tehran Times

Iraqi Kurdish Press Highlights 26 December 2007

4 ilde terör örgütü operasyonu: 18 gözaltı

Tanık Koruma Yasa Tasarısı'na Meclis onayı

DTP, Barzani'den randevu talep etti

Yakını PKK'lı olan Çelik: Suç şahsidir

DTP operasyonları protesto için sınıra yürüyüş düzenliyor

New witness protection law to include terror and organized crime groups

Türk işadamı Irak’ın kuzeyinde komplo kurbanı

AKP'li Kürt vekillerin gözü MGK'da

Şırnak'ta Operasyon

İzmir'de PKK'ya darbe

DTP'li Özçelik, Kandil'de öldürülen PKK'lının evine taziyeye gitti

Tunceli kırsalında terörist avı

PKK'ya ait 165 kilo eroin ele geçirildi

Counterterrorism deal with Iraq awaits parliamentary approval

DTP'li vekilden tuhaf çıkış; Meclis kürsüsünden Kürtçe konuşacak

'PKK'nın durdurulmasında ABD, Irak ve Türkiye'nin ortak çıkarı var'

Turkish Pro-Kurdish Party Criticizes Incursions into Iraq

Iraqi TV Reports Kurdish Call for Government Withdrawal, Referendum Vote; Update

Kurdistan government supports modern press law

Turnalar teröristleri gözetlemeye geliyor

DTP'ye PKK tepkisi

- 20 derecede operasyon

'PKK eroini' ele geçirildi

DNO ASA Provides Revised Reserve Estimates on Tawke Field in ...

Misinformation regarding ties between Armenia and Kurdistan ...

Pakistan uçuruma yaklaşırken
İsmet Berkan

Buttoların kaderi, Pakistan'ın kaderi Murat Yetkin

ALİ BAYRAMOĞLU

Benazir Butto'nun ardından…

Hasan Kanbolat Expected assassination and Pakistan-Turkey relations

MUHARREM SARIKAYACilve Pakistan'ın cilvesi...

Fikret BİLA Butto'nun ölümü ve laikliğin önemi

Sami KOHEN Butto ile umutlar da kurban gitti...

Güneri CIVAOĞLU Pakistan'ın 'B.B.' siydi

Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber

Barçın Yinanç Dışişleri Sarkozy ve Merkel’li üçlü zirveye karşı

Zeynel Lüle 2007’de nefes alındı

Kocharian Signs Armenian Defense Doctrine

"Ermeniler'e Kürt aşiretler saldırdı"

Akçam: Soykırım için yeni Osmanlı belgeleri buldum

Northern Cyprus eyes Kosovo decision for own future

Ankara protests Greece over territorial violations in Aegean

Umutsuz yıl

Kıbrıs'ta inanacak birşeyler arayan Yiannis Papadakis'in izlenimleri

Türkiye-Rusya ilişkileri Medvedev'le derinleşecek

Alevilerden Alman kanalına suç duyurusu

THE 'NEW' TURKEY AND GREECE

Putin, Erdoğan agree on boosting trade, energy ties - Turkish Daily News Dec 26, 2007

Aselsan, şehirleri BBG evine çevirecek

BOTAŞ'a müdürlük için 'tarikat torpili'

2008 to be a crucial year for nuclear energy in Turkey, says TAEK’s head

İlk kundakçı yakalandı

CESARET: Gazeteciliğin hammaddesi

Senin de yok Hıncal Abi / Mehmet Demirkol

AKP Government Floods the Islamist Imam-Hatip High Schools With Funds; Other High Schools Can’t Heat Classrooms For Lack Of Funds

Yarbay hakkında işkence davası

28 Aralık 2007 Basın Özeti

Amcası Osmanlı'ya ihanetten yargılanmış!

İstanbul, dünyada en muhteşem 25. şehir seçildi

Şamil Tayyar Bu yazım polisler içindir

Ölümünün 71. yıldönümünde Akif'e vefa

Sauna çetesi davasında tutuklu kalmadı

H3 Karayılan da BBG evinde 'Özel kadın'ların evine kadar izleniyorlar

Ali H Aslan Angles and tangles

Turkey hits terrorist targets in Iraq -- what now? by O. FARUK LOĞOĞLU*

Bilal Çetin Çift sandık Mart 2009’da...

M. Ali BİRAND 2007, PKK'nın dönüm ve sürecini başlattı

Lale Sarıibrahimoğlu Gen. Başbuğ may contribute to a Kurdish solution

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN

Kürt sorununda bir yerler-2

Cornered by army, PKK may target cities

[Yorum - Davut Şahiner] Sınır ötesi operasyonlar başarılı mı?

MGK'nın gündemi 221. madde

Usak Başkanı Laçiner: 2008 PKK'nın sahneden silindiği yıl olabilir ''ABD PKK'yı tasfiye kararı aldı''

Asam Başkanı Loğoğlu: PKK yuvaları ABD desteğiyle BBG evi oldu ASAM Başkanı: Askeri operasyonlar artık daha fazla sürmemeli

Cevdet Aşkın Erdoğan'ın apaş çıkışı, ABD'nin çifte hesabı

ERDAL ŞAFAKKürt sorunu raporları

Ruşen Çakır Elveda demokrasi elveda istikrar elveda Butto

[HABER ANALİZ] Beklenen suikastın beklenmeyen sonuçları

İBRAHİM KARAGÜL

Senaryo gerçek oldu, ABD askeri Pakistan'a girecek!

Cengiz Çandar İstanbul’un gecekondulaşması; Zap’a bombardıman

Benazir: Doğu’nun Kızı

Ahmet Taşgetiren Kundaklanan araçlar kimin? -

Necati Doğru

ABD’ye vidalanma yılına giriyoruz!

Siyasette dönüşüm yılı: 2007 Hasan Celal Güzel

Sebahattin Önkibar Asker-AKP muhabbeti aşka mı dönüşüyor?

Çek bir sınır-ötesi Murat Belge

Etyen Mahçupyan After the operation

Şeriat gelmeyecek Haluk Şahin

Beyond recent turmoil: The future of US - Turkey relations - Turkish Daily News Dec 27, 2007 David MERAHN

Cem Oğuz Barzani's new-found pan-Kurdism Turkish Daily News

AKP'yi kışkırtmak M.Ali Kışlalı

Savaş Süzal Amerika ile gönül bağları

Taha AKYOL Laik 'azınlık'

Mehmet Altan Birinci Cumhuriyet...

Sadi Somuncuoğlu “Millet ve Etnisite” (3)

Ferai Tınç 2008’de konumuz İran

İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası

Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri -

Dış Basında Irak BBC Turkish 0700

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

Taha Kıvanç Yeni filmler

Fehmi Koru Kentli bir İslâm anlayışına doğru...

Hasan CEMAL Fırsat kaçarsa, yazık olur!

Nasuhi Güngör Irak’ta yeni ittifaklar

Mehmet Metiner Demokratik sivil harekât -

Ertuğrul Özkök O günkü manşeti hatırlayınız

Ahmet Hakan

M Ali Birand

Cüneyt Ülsever

Enis Berberoğlu

Oktay Ekşi

Özdemir İnce PKK’yı maaşa bağlamalı!

Hüseyin Gülerce Gaza gelmeyince ne oldu?

İhsan Dağı 'Cumhuriyet'in en ağır krizi'ne ne oldu?

Mümtazer Türköne Dönekliğin hesabı

Mustafa Ünal 2007 nasıl hatırlanacak?

Bülent Keneş What happened in Turkey and what did not in 2007 (1)

Tufan Türenç Başbakan’ın sadaka dağıtan devlet modeli

Serdar Akinan Emniyetin isimsiz kahramanları

Mehmet Tezkan

Ya sayılar bizi kandırıyor ya da vatandaş devletini!

Nuray Başaran Erdoğan iletişim becerisinin zirvesine 22 Temmuz'da çıktı, ancak inişi başladı

ERGUN BABAHAN Demokrasi ve şiddet

EMRE AKÖZ Vermeden alamazsınız!

Umur Talu

NAZLI ILICAKPakistan ve darbeler

MAHMUT ÖVÜR 'AK Parti'nin alternatifi DP olacak!'

YAVUZ DONAT

Mehmet BARLAS
Hala siyasi ya da ekonomik kriz yaşamamak sizi de ürkütüyor mu?

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM

Ercan Kumcu 2007’de gelişmekte olan ülkeler

Erdal Sağlam

Turkey invested more than $3.5 billion in foreign countries

Economic and technical limits of neo-nationalism by ESER KARAKAŞ*

2008 stratejisi

Turkish Banks Lift Net Profits by 35 Pct-Watchdog | Reuters

Yol haritası birlikte çizilirse Türkiye otomotivde üs olur

Petkim ihalesine yargı engeli

Asgari ücret 435 YTL

Hurşit GÜNEŞ 2007'yi geride bırakırken

2008 Planına uyulursa faiz geriler!
Uğur Gürses

[Türk sendikacılığının imaj sorunu] Sendikaları yıpratmak, örgütlü demokratik toplumun ortadan kalkmasına zemin hazırlar

Robert Dallek: "Ultimately Ms. Bumiller’s book will be seen not just as a discussion of Ms. Rice’s role in shaping one administration’s missteps in foreign affairs but also as a cautionary tale about the gap between ambitious presidential appointees and their unwillingness to speak truth to power."

Fuel for Bushehr - Editorial (New York Times)

A Global Trek to Poor Nations, From Poorer Ones Across the developing world, migrants move to other poor countries nearly as often as they move to rich ones.

Military Paper Challenges Defense Department

H5 Washington Post Bhutto Assassination Sparks Chaos Former Premier, Hit by Gunfire After Rally, Was a Key to Pakistan's Struggle for Democracy

U.S. Brokered Bhutto's Return to Pakistan White House Would Back Her as Prime Minister While Musharraf Held Presidency

Editorial Assassination in Pakistan The murder of Benazir Bhutto demands quick action to stabilize the country.

Pakistan at an Uncertain Hour By Teresita C. Schaffer, Page A21 Benazir Bhutto's assassination leaves slim possibilities for a democratic transition that now matters more than ever to the United States.

The Void Left Behind By Ahmed Rashid, The question of what happens next is almost impossible to answer, especially at a moment when Bhutto herself seemed to be the only answer.

The Legacy of Benazir Bhutto By David Ignatius,

The Blame Game Fouad Ajami,,

The End of Free Trade By Robert J. Samuelson Even as countries become more economically interdependent, they're also growing more nationalistic. Here's today quiz. What do the following have in common: (a) Vladimir Putin; (b) China's currency, the renminbi; (c) the U.S.-Peru trade agreement; and (d) Hugo Ch¿vez? Answer: They all reflect the “new mercantilism."

Clinton, Obama Seize on Killing Reactions Illustrate Their Key Differences

H6 Guardian Death in Rawalpindi
Benazir Bhutto: Hopes that political chaos would end with elections on January 8 were dim before Ms Bhutto's death. They have all but been extinguished now

Bhutto assassinated Riots spread across Pakistan following opposition leader's death

A tragedy born of military despotism and anarchy Tariq Ali: Even those of us sharply critical of Benazir Bhutto's behaviour and policies - both while she was in office and more recently - are stunned and angered by her death. Indignation and fear stalk the country once again

Who did it? Jason Burke There are many obvious suspects, but it is unlikely that we will ever know who is responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Air of uncertainty Brian Katulis Bhutto's assassination throws Pakistan's fragile political process into turmoil - and next month's parliamentary elections into doubt

A tragedy foretold Dilip Hiro If the polls in Pakistan go ahead as scheduled, Benazir Bhutto's party is likely to attract a sympathy vote

Plan B for Pakistan Paul Cruickshank he US had placed its hopes for Pakistan in Benazir Bhutto. Now it must prevent her death from becoming a victory for al-Qaida

White House loses an ally
Suzanne Goldenberg on the implication of Bhutto's assassination on US policy

Humanitarianism in crisis

Conor Foley: The year that was: Those keen to 'do something' about global suffering in 2007 had to be reminded of the dictum: 'first of all: do no harm'

How Rumsfeld tried to influence British military policy - in the 1970s

Whose liberation?

Salam Al-Mahadin Human rights are hardly universal and what western culture deems a gross violation is not so in another culture

H7 Asia Times Al-Qaeda claims Bhutto killing Interrogations are said to have revealed the existence of a vast al-Qaeda network to track down and kill “precious American assets” in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto, assassinated on Thursday, was one of the foremost of those American assets. Her death was “our first victory”, in the words of an al-Qaeda spokesman. - Syed Saleem Shahzad

Spencer Ackerman / TPMmuckraker: Ex-Intel Official: Don't Be So Quick to Blame al-Qaeda, Musharraf for Bhutto Killing

Syria's impatience is leading to mistakes
By Michael Young

Commentary: Pakistani suspects galore By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE Suspects in the assassination of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto number in the tens of thousands.

Salon With Bhutto gone, does Bush have a Plan B?

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

Russia Selling Iran Sophisticated New Air Defense System

USA concerned by Russian sale of air defense systems to Iran...

US Troops Battle Sunni, Shi'ite Militants

BBC Monitoring Headlines, Quotes From Iraqi Press 27 Dec 07

US Backs Talks With Taliban as Envoys Expelled

Syrian Source Says Reports on Message to Israel Via Egypt "Baseless"

Dem Congressman: Syria 'Mistaken' to Think New President Will Be Friendlier

A Letter to Iraqi Tribes, The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq

US 'kills 11 militants' in Iraq

Group claims bin Laden to release new message on Iraq

Lebanon's presidency battered by shifting international interests

Iran Paper Analyzes Results of Ahmadinezhad's Foreign Trips

BBC Monitoring Quotes From Iranian Press 27 Dec 07

Iraqi President's Office Denies Algiers Agreement Revoked

Iraqi cabinet backs pardon for thousands of detainees

Iran needs no uranium enrichment: Russia's Lavrov

Less Iraq news raised US opinion of war? Lull in coverage coincides with improved public view of Iraq war, study claims

H9 Ha’aretz – An exacerbated tension between Olmert and Rice

What's the hurry? By Aluf Benn (Jerusalem) & Shmuel Rosner (Washington)

Shmuel Rosner: Israel has Obama's backing to stay a Jewish state

Jerusalem Post Does Palestinian Violence Derive from Despair or Hope? - Daniel Pipes

2008, when we need to start keeping our promises [ DAVID KIMCHE

Treading Water after Annapolis - Herb Keinon

Jordan rebuffs Hamas bid to revive ties Amman is also said to have told Cairo it is 'making a mistake' in not tackling Hamas more firmly.

Change Iran's behavior, not its regime
Jerusalem Post

Olmert: Bhutto could've been Israel's bridge to Muslim world

Palestinian Affairs: Shades of terror

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH Hudna - from Hamas? What's behind the Islamist movement's initiative?

Inside Kissinger's soul [ YEHUDA AVNER

Yedioth Ahronoth

Russian Nuclear Strategist Alarmed by U.S. Intelligence Estimate on Iran

Daily Alert.org – Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine

Experts View Israel's Options After NIE Report

Strangling Hamas or Egypt's Role?

BBC Olmert, Abbas try to revive talks Israeli and Palestinian leaders hold talks to try to defuse a row over Jewish settlement activity.

Obstacles to peace

Israel 'lax on demolition orders'

Analysis: After Annapolis

Dec 27 IA# 412 - Hamas: Between Liberating Palestine and Restoring the Global Islamic Caliphate

Analysis: Optimism for Annapolis process By STEFAN NICOLA (UPI) -- The Annapolis process may very well be the biggest chance for peace in the Middle East since the signing of the Oslo Accords in Norway some 15 years ago, according to a Western diplomat.

A West Bank struggle rooted in land

H10 Christian Science Monitor A new, younger jihadi threat emerges Terrorism experts say radical groups are targeting teenagers as young as 14

US economic forecast for 2008: Bleak The housing crisis and high oil prices may cause a slump, analysts warn

Bhutto's death rocks Pakistan

The assassination of the former prime minister raises questions about the Musharraf government's security measures

U.S. weighs options after Bhutto's assassination

THE MONITOR'S VIEW

Bhutto: 'Don't let militants set the agenda'

Opinion: The Benazir Bhutto I knew

What businesses learned in 2007 about the digital race

ASIA

FT Asia in 2008: Its rise is a global good If communists, tyrants or authoritarians think they can modernise their economies without unleashing political reform, they are deceiving themselves, says Victor Mallet

China Opens Door for Foreign Banks

Tech Boom Sweeps China, But Some Sense a Bubble

IHT South Korea's new pragmatism

By VICTOR D. CHA Lee's first priority will be to reorient the Korean economy back to pro-growth strategies.

H11 IHT The consequences of inflexibility By DIMITRI K. SIMES

Kosovo's independence could become a dangerous precedent for unrecognized states.

Waves of migrants increase pressure on Greece In its zeal to secure the border, Greece is being accused of serious lapses in human rights, ignoring treaty pledges that bind it to give haven to refugees claiming protection.

Serbia considers retaliatory steps against West if Kosovo breaks free

EUROPE European press review

BBC New beginnings
Could 2008 see the Balkans finally shake off the shadow of war?

Der Spiegel PREPARING FOR THE INEVITABLE

Serbs in Kosovo Uneasy as Independence Looms

What happens when Kosovo becomes independent? While Belgrade threatens war as an option, Serbs in the province are preparing for the inevitable -- or getting ready to move away. By Renate Flottau

Employment and Education Policy for Young People in the EU: What Can New Member States Learn from Old Member States?
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor

An uncertain future

Khaled Diab The year that was: As an enlarged EU searched for a raison d'etre, Belgium spent much of this year struggling with its own identity crisis

H12 RFE/RL

Google News Azerbaijan

Kocharian Signs Armenian Defense Doctrine

H13 The Times Pakistan in chaos as Benazir Bhutto assassinated Anger and violence erupt in Pakistan after the opposition leader is killed by a suicide bomber at a rally in Rawalpindi

The Nightmare Scenario

Democracy in Pakistan must not die along with Benazir Bhutto

Can democracy survive Bhutto killing? Bhutto's death will be a terrible shock to Pakistan, but it is hard to say that it is a surprise, says Bronwen Maddox

Civil war fears amid calls for head of Musharraf The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has triggered a wave of violent protests, raising fears of a full-blown civil war in Pakistan

Can you predict the events of 2008? Here is your multiple-choice, semi-serious quiz for the coming year. Answers at the end, if you're stuck

Gerard Baker

Obama urges voters to reject 'fears’

Barack Obama pleaded with voters to disregard his lack of experience amid signs that Hillary Clinton is gaining ground

Wall Street Journal Target: Pakistan
Losing in the West, the jihadis hit Pakistan, with its nuclear prize.

Bhutto's Legacy
Democracy works in Pakistan. The U.S. should support it.
By HUSAIN HAQQANI

Bhutto Killing Rocks Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto's assassination has thrown into disarray Pakistan's transition to democracy, eliminating a leading contender for power just days before a national election and highlighting the growing reach of extremists.

H14 Financial Times Iran military force fears threat from within Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard believes that domestic security threats pose a much greater danger than the international crisis surrounding its nuclear programme

US signals support for Taliban talks The US signalled its support for holding secret talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan despite a publicly stated policy of never negotiating with the Islamic militant group

Malaysia signs $16bn gas deal with Iran Iran has signed a $16bn gas contract with Malaysia, intensifying its efforts to shift its flow of oil and gas deals towards eastern countries and bypass US-led pressure to thwart investment by western companies

Pakistan on the brink: A fractured country awaits the backlash With Musharraf’s only plausible ally gone, plans for a peaceful transition are in tatters

Murderous blow to Pakistan’s stability Bhutto’s violent death leaves a hole in national politics and adds a vicious extra dimension of disintegration to a country that is already falling apart

A long, difficult path out of poverty It is unacceptable that so many people still live in the most extreme poverty. This is a challenge the world can and should meet. But let us not underestimate its scale

It’s a multi-currency world we live inWhat Charles de Gaulle called the dollar’s ‘exorbitant privilege’ can no longer be taken for granted. The US will have to earn it on a daily basis, instead

Russia is in need of firm handling The west should focus on co-operation over energy, nuclear weapons, Islamism and terrorism. If that can be achieved, it will be a lot

Dangers of the dwindling dollar America’s declining currency threatens to undermine Washington’s place on the international stage

Ex-guerrilla chief to head Kosovo coalition Kosovo’s two strongest political parties have agreed in principle to form a coalition government with the aim of declaring independence from Serbia early next year

America in 2008: Populism calls the shotsAs the country heads for an election, public sentiment is shaping the economic policies of both parties, writes Clive Crook

Asia in 2008: Its rise is a global good Victor Mallet on the impact of the region’s rapid economic ascent

Outside Edge: Iowa is more than just corn and churches Few see beyond the caricature of the state, says Jurek Martin

Business in 2008: A year for the brave and wealthy It’s tougher than a year ago, says John Gapper

Anti-Islamic outsider is top Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ pithy and shocking soundbites against Muslims have dominated headlines while his parliamentary outbursts have brought an adversarial style of politics

H15 Los Angeles Times Assassination shatters hopes for stability

Assassination may shift focus of presidential race

Editorial'The common defense'

Editorial: The next president will inherit a nation whose power and prestige has been severely eroded

Bhutto's death shifts course of '08 race

H16 American Politics

Obama runs even with Clinton in two key states

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

Early Bird GovExec Swamp Gas The Swamp

H17 Daily Telegraph Bhutto's murder a victory for hardliners

The murder of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto marks a significant victory for Islamic hardliners who want to destroy Islamabad's alliance with the West, writes Con Coughlin.

LEADER

Pakistan is a more dangerous place

The assassination in Rawalpindi of Benazir Bhutto adds immeasurably to the volatility of that unhappy country.

Bhutto assassination triggers chaos fears

Pakistan is facing the spectre of civil war after Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, was killed in a suicide attack.

National Archives release secret files of 1977

Released files reveal how the Queen wanted the Crossman Diaries censored and Mrs Thatcher had an awkward encounter with a toilet.

H18 Independent What now for Pakistan? Benazir Bhutto 1953-2007: With her died the fragile hope that Pakistan might drag itself from the grip of the military and the jihadists

Chronicle of a death foretold

Analysis: Another killing that will never be credibly solved

Leading article: A killing that reverberates far beyond Pakistan

Michael Fathers: Bhutto's flaws in office cannot diminish her greatness, or the extent of Pakistan's loss

The Year in Review: World politics

Benazir Bhutto: Courageous Pakistani opposition leader who had twice served as her country's prime minister

H19Military Intelligence Terrorism

A new, younger jihadi threat emerges

Terrorism experts say radical groups are targeting teenagers as young as 14

Fallujah, the Information War, and US Propaganda
by Stephen Soldz

H20 Slate What's Next for Pakistan?

Musharraf's handling of the protests that will follow Benazir Bhutto's funeral will decide Pakistan's future.

What Will the Palestinian Authority Do With All That Money? It can buy time, but can it buy a solution for Gaza?
Shmuel Rosner

Putin? Really? Time magazine gives Vladimir Putin way too much credit for Russia's economic recovery.
Michael McFaul

H21 US-Kurdish Relations in Post-Invasion Iraq

TIMEWARNER May End Reign as Largest Media Company...

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