| H1 The Economist A special report on America and the world After Bush Geopolitical trends The empires strike back Two books about how the world is changing reach very different conclusions Washington Post U.S. Has Little Influence, Few Options in Iraq's Volatile South Tense Hours in Iraq's Sadr City Pitched battles between U.S. and Shiite forces shatter months of relative calm in region Time NATO: Alliance Of the Unwilling Amid arguments over troop deployments in Afghanistan and with defense spending continuing to decline in much of Europe, NATO faces fundamental questions about its role New NATO papers focus on Afghanistan, enlargement, Russia, and cyber defense New York Times U.S. Airstrikes Aid Iraqi Army in Basra Siege Iraqi forces, which have no air support of their own, have so far failed to subdue Shiite militias in Basra and have asked the Americans and British for help. Endorsement of Obama Points Up Clinton’s Obstacles A surprise endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by a popular senator in a battleground state underlined the ferment in the Democratic race High Rice Cost Creating Fears of Asia Unrest The price of rice, a staple in the diets of nearly half the world’s population, has almost doubled on international markets in the last three months. NYRB Gloomy About Globalization
By Robert Skidelsky Ha’aretz – UN: Ex-Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network Obama: My foreign policy would be like that of Bush Sr., JFK, Reagan NATO and Global Partnership: To be Global or to Act Globally? DIIS This 34-page Danish report argues that the future of NATO depends on the ability of the alliance to combine a strategy of intervention with a broad strategy of integration NATO Expansion Should Continue - Donald Rumsfeld, Wall Street Journal There is no better way for the alliance to move forward than by extending full membership invitations to Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, and by beginning the process to bring Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance. Guardian Why are we still there? Leader: The Ministry of Defence made it clear that this country, unlike the US, is not about to join the offensive against Shia militants in Basra A great leap backward Sami Ramadani By responding to Washington's call to arms, Nouri al-Maliki will be seen in Iraq as the tool of a deeply unpopular occupation Time The Clean Energy Scam Cover Story) Ethanol increases global warming, destroys forests and inflates food prices. So why are we subsidizing it? McClatchy Iraqi prime minister softens ultimatum as militias stand ground Four days into a major government offensive in Basra, Iraqi government forces have been unable to dislodge Shiite Muslim militias from their strongholds in the southern port city, prompting Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to back off his ultimatum to disarm by Friday. Some U.S. officials worry Maliki may have miscalculated the militias' resolve US Officials: Basra Fight Not Going Well Police Refuse to Support Iraqi PM's Attacks Fox News: FBI Focusing on ‘About Four’ Suspects in 2001 Anthrax Attacks Daily Telegraph We must talk to the Taliban, says Browne Britain must be willing to talk to the Taliban and other extremist groups to try to stabilise the world, the Defence Secretary says Interview: 'We can't do this for ever' Rift between UK diplomats and Army in Basra British forces are facing pressure to intervene in Basra after government efforts to defeat Shi'ite militias ground to a halt Maliki's war on Sadr is a gamble Juan Cole / Informed Comment: Mahdi Army Stands Firm in its Basra Neighborhoods; Demonstrations in Baghdad against al-Maliki A review of The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order by Parag Khanna. Fred Halliday on why the rise of "sovereign wealth funds" signals the end of the neo-liberal model. Boston Globe Through Iraq, a path to the presidency SHORT-TERM domestic calculations usually short-circuit long-term foreign policy considerations, never more so than in an election year. But when it comes to US policy toward Iraq, domestic politics may turn out to be more of a help than a hindrance in producing an effective policy. (By Ivo Daalder and Philip Gordon, Boston Globe) A snub for Syria A SUMMIT meeting usually brings together heads of state. But when delegations deplane in Damascus this weekend for an Arab League summit, a dozen or more of the 22 Arab leaders will express their displeasure with Syrian President Bashar Assad by staying home A review of Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Struggle between East and West by Anthony Pagden (and more Financial Times FT MAGAZINE - BOOK REVIEW: When worlds collide By Niall Ferguson China will not be cowed A boycott of the Olympic opening ceremonies would not change the objective realities one whit, writes Christopher Caldwell Israel bids to revive peace talks with Syria An Israeli cabinet minister discloses that Israel is attempting to restart peace negotiations with Syria, echoing recent statements made by the prime minister FT MAGAZINE - BOOK REVIEW: Non-fiction: Bring on the Apocalypse: Six Arguments for Global Justice Guardian A Euro-army is fantasy land. We need our American ally Martin Kettle: Nato today is very much a solution in search of a problem. It needs to be reformed and refined - but not to be replaced Al Hayat Death of the Two-State Solution Patrick Seale - It is now clear beyond reasonable dispute that a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has passed into the realm of fiction. The project - if it ever was a real project - is stone dead. Some Western politicians, U.S. President George W Bush among them, continue to pay lip service to the notion of an independent and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security Bringing in China and India By: Kazuo Ogoura | The Japan Times
How Japan adapted to international rules required of it during the Meiji modernization of the mid-19th century has important lessons for China and India today India: Missile Defense Dreams By: Animesh Roul | ISN Security Watch India reveals plans for an ambitious anti-missile defense shield, sparking concerns of an arms race and speculation as to the country's true capabilities Asia Times Russia challenges US in the Islamic world
For the second year in a row, Russia this month attended the annual summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference as an observer. This signals Moscow's active extension of its involvement in the Middle East by directly challenging the US's traditional dominance of the region. The "peace dividend" of this growing friendship with the Islamic world also translates into hard dollars - from mega projects in Egypt and Saudi Arabia - under the US's nose - to renewed oil interests in Iraq. - M K Bhadrakumar U.S. wants Georgia, Ukraine in NATO With Russia opposed and Europe divided, U.S. hopes that its allies in Ukraine and Georgia will be given a clear path to membership at next week's NATO summit in Romania are fading quickly. The Economist Troubled Armenia Protests continued Dangerous Bargaining By: Ryan Miller | The Moscow Times With NATO's summit in Bucharest approaching on April 2, Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza reported that the Kremlin would be looking for a certain quid pro quo with the Atlantic alliance -- Moscow's help on Afghanistan in exchange for a promise to keep Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO. EurasiaNet Kosovo and Karabakh: How Azerbaijan Sees the Connection Azerbaijan’s decision to withdraw its peacekeepers from Kosovo is playing into a larger debate about the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. The Times Arab League summit opens in Damascus With conditions under Hamas rule in Gaza remaining desperate, Syria wants the Palestinian cause to be top of the agenda Analysis: Britain must now fight or fail Much of today’s problems in Basra can be traced back to Britain’s failure to commit the forces necessary to control southern Iraq Putin's Achievements and What's Expected of Medvedev By: Amir Taheri | Asharq Alawsat As Dmitry Medvedev prepares to take over as President of Russia, analysts dismiss his forthcoming tenure as "an extension of Vladimir Putin's reign." But it would be wrong to assume that the Medvedev presidency would be nothing but Putin-bis with a smile | H2 IHT Another false dawn? Alvaro de Soto Perhaps Talat and Cristofias can persuade their people to think of themselves as Cypriots as opposed to merely Greek- or Turkish-Cypriots. LA Times Turkey's disintegrating democracy Turkish American takes Justice and Development Party leaders to task. By Cüneyt M. Serdar ‘ABD ayrıntıları biliyordu’ Der Spiegel Turkey and NATO: Ankara Unhappy about Request for More Help Turkey unlikely to get US attack helicopters Laura Rozen WHERE: ISTANBUL AIRPORT Continue reading "" AKP'nin gönlü Doğu ve İslam'la EDM POLARIZATION DEEPENING AHEAD OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S PRELIMINARY DECISION IN AKP CLOSURE CASE PKK threatens to retaliate against Turkey Turkey Is Not Black or White By: Camille Leganza | Turkish Daily News The first three months of this year have been tumultuous in Turkey, from the border actions against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to the lifting of the headscarf ban in universities and now the litigation against the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP EurasiaNet Turkey: Suit to Ban Governing Party Threatens to Plunge the Country into Crisis It's the Wedge Issues, Stupid
Georgetown Independent Turkey and the U.S. Focus on Polarizing, Unproductive Politics Google News Fırat News Agency KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect Dış Basında Irak BBC Monitoring Inter – national Cevdet Aşkın Ankara 'demir leblebi'yi yuttu, Erbil'le resmi temas başladı Cooperation with Iraqi Kurds depends on action against PKK, says Babacan Special envoy Özçelik meets Kurdish authorities in Dohuk Iraklı Kürtlerle ilk resmi temas Güneydoğu’ya ’Nur’ yağıyor PKK’lıların helikopterlere saldırısı son anda önlendi İşte Türkiye'ye en çok PKK'lı teslim eden ülke First Turkish Official Contact with KRG Sebahattin Önkibar Bir elde Kur'an, bir elde kömür, bir elde Said-i Nursi... Hoşgeldin Kürdistan Bora Bayraktar Afganistan'a asker göndermek Gazi'de PKK-DHKP/C kavgası Jitters Over Syria's Kurdish Clashes By: Sami Moubayed | Asia Times
The death of three Kurds in clashes with security forces in the Kurdish district of Qamishly in northeastern Syria has angered Kurds not only in Syria but also in neighboring Iraq and Turkey. This is very bad timing for a region on the verge of explosion Selahattin Üneş Kardeşlik Kürt sorununu nasıl çözer Türkiye, Kürd bölgesinde sosyal ve ekonomik kalkınmayı sağlamak için eğitimi de kapsayan çalışmalar yapmalı DTP leader, others may face up to 10 years in prison Cheney'nin Türkiye Ziyareti
Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri Günlük Haftalık Türkiye'ye eleştiri Avrupa Parlamentosu üyelerinden 'yargı darbesi' eleştirisi ve yasal reform talepleri Rauf Denktaş Statü meselesi Paşa: Asla geri adım atmayacağız Deril Dedeoğlu Hopes for a new era in Cyprus Sami Kohen Balkan açılımı Hasan Kanbolat A new era with Georgia? CHENEY EMİR VERDİ DEVAM
SAVAŞ SÜZAL Gül: "Turkey fell behind on the way to EU" AKP nihayet 301'i hatırladı! Referandum kilidini Türkiye için açıyor ATAKA'lı ırkçı vekillerden Başbakan Erdoğan'a sözlü taciz Tayyip Erdoğan, Meriç için bastırdı; baraja hız verilecek Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Başbakan'a Kırcaali'de sevgi seli: Osmanlı topraklarına hoş geldiniz Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Lokmacı hazırlanıyor Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Türkiye, Güney Asya'ya da özen göstermeli Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Türkiye, EXPO için tek yürek oldu Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. 'Fitne' peşindeki filme tepki seli
Büyükanıt inspects Lokmacı gate days before grand opening Domestic political turmoil eclipses Article 301 Erdoğan urges Sofia to start planned dam on River Tunca
U.N. Undersecretary for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to
Sivil kıyafetli ziyaret Rum televizyonunda Kardak'a çakılan pilot kalp hastasıymış Ergenekon sorgusuna çocuk pornosu girdi Yeni yasayla nikahsız yaşayanlar artacak Türbana ilk imza YÖK’te danışmanlık getirdi Denizli’yi karıştıran ilahiler Harem selamlığa Vali’den müdahale
Sabah grubuna ‘anchorman’ olarak transfer olan gazeteci Mehmet Barlas, tartışılan transfer ücretini iade etti Başkan maaşı 15 bin değil YÖK’ün kıyak zam keyfi sadece bir gün sürdü "Özcan'ın maaşı 6 bin 600 YTL" YÖK'te Şengör krizi sürüyor Turkish entrepreneurs open second school in Cambodia Babam sağolsun akademisi! Barlas'ın ATV'ye transferiyle ilgili suç duyurusu İletişim özgürlüğü ve Türkiye: YouTube daha kaç kez kapanacak? İstanbul'un 100 zengini | H3 İddianameden eşimin bile haberi yoktu, televizyondan öğrendi Ergenekon arşivleri Milliyet Son Dakika ’Kapatma’ pazartesi oylanacak İşte Ergenekon ile Danıstay’ın aile bağları İddianame iade koşulları taşıyor Derin Devlet için kim ne düşünüyor AK Parti davasında 33. madde düğümü Mahkeme eve kapandı İddianamenin reddi için koşullar mevcut ‘Ulusalcılık’ terör dosyasına girdi
Danıştay saldırısı sanıklarından Osman Yıldırım’ın, 2006’da mahkemeye bir dilekçe verdiği ve Veli Küçük, Muzaffer Tekin, Sedat Peker gibi isimlerden söz edilen dilekçedeki iddiaların araştırılmaya değer bulunmadığı ortaya çıktı AKP, 330 sıkıntısını aştı Erdoğan: En isabetli kararı Anayasa Mahkemesi verir Cengiz Çandar “Sağduyu” ile “darbeye teslimiyet” eş anlamlı değildir... Ahmet Taşgetiren • Laikliği ateşe sürmek ( 29.03.2008 ) Ruşen - Çakır Şener Erdoğan’ın yerini alabilir mi? Taha Akyol Kâzım Karabekir üzerine Fikret Bila Baykal: Gül’den inisiyatif aldığı izlenimi edinmedim Murat Yetkin 'Gül'e görev düşüyor' ama... HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN Atatürk/çülük ve politika NAZLI ILICAK Bombalar sahipsiz kaldı MAHMUT ÖVÜR AK Parti'nin kapatılması yerel seçimleri nasıl etkiler? Ertuğrul Özkök Şakanın arkasındaki gerçek M Ali Birand Baykal, Gül ile topa girmek istemiyor... Hasan Cemal Anayasa Mahkemesi, ‘yargısal darbe’ye geçit verecek mi?.. Enis BerberoğluGeri adım: Kod türban Murat Belge - 'Uzlaşma': nerede? MEHMET KAMIŞ - Gladio ya da Ergenekon ABDÜLHAMİT BİLİCİ - Batı çeteye karşı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. BÜLENT KORUCU - Babacan'ın yerinde olmak istemezdim Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. ŞAHİN ALPAY - Jüristokrasi ya da demokrasi Will Ergenekon, the Turkish Gladio, be eliminated? by MÜMTAZ’ER TÜRKÖNE TEDAŞ’ta işe girmenin yolu AKP’den geçiyor Bankacılık devi İş Bankası üzerinden Kurultay hesabı ‘Ulusalcılık’ terör dosyasına girdi SABAH İyice tuhaflaştı AKP’li vekilden kapatma davasına şok sözlerle tepki CHP'nin umudu Anayasa Mahkemesi
Ball lands in Constitutional Court Fehmi Koru: At pazarlığı (mı?) Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Ali Bayramoğlu: Az zeka, az kıvraklık… Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Kürşat Bumin: 'İade'yi beklerken Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Taha Kıvanç: Aydın Bey'den cevap gelmedi ERGUN BABAHAN Savcıya "akıllı ol" uyarısı
Perihan Mağden - 'Bilmiyorum seninle sonumuz ne olacak' Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. İsmet Berkan - AKP savunsun mu, saldırsın mı? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Türker Alkan - Katmerli uzlaşmazlık Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Altan Öymen - 'Uzlaşma'nın itibarı düştü! Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Haluk Şahin - Kampanyada din faktörü Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Murat Yetkin - 'Gül'e görev düşüyor' ama... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Hakkı Devrim - Söz Sait'e dayandı mı, fena! Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. ALİ BULAÇ - İslam ne yapar? Oktay Ekşi Keşke iyimser olsak Bekir Coşkun Sondan bir önceki tango... Serdar Turgut Köşk mantısı yarasın Özdemir İnce Hukuk ve guguk Mehmet Y Yılmaz ’AKP’li değilsen darbecisin’ Yalçın Doğan AKP’de Demirel ve Erbakan benzetmesi Yalçın Bayer Bu sözcükler yakışıyor mu Hadi Uluengin Bir Ergenekon avukatı Zeynep Göğüş Biz nereye gidiyoruz? MUHARREM SARIKAYA ERDAL ŞAFAK Gündem "Jet-Lag"i ENGİN ARDIÇ Ver kurtul
ERGUN BABAHAN Savcıya "akıllı ol" uyarısı
EMRE AKÖZNemo judex! Umur Talu MEHMET BARLAS Kifayetsiz muhterislerin iktidar kavgalarında figüran olmayalım...
YAVUZ DONAT Mehmet Altan Cumhuriyet Gazetesi ve utanma... Mahir Kaynak Herkesin sorunu Ömer Lütfi Mete Erdoğan’a yasak, düşmana bayram Mustafa Erdoğan Hangi sağduyu darbecilikle demokrasiyi uzlaştırabilir? Prof. Dr. Mehmet Altan: AK Parti dik durursa İttihatçı zihniyet biter İsmail Küçükkaya
Evet, çıkış yolu var Can Dündar Seçim gecesi başlayan hastalık Raportör: Mahkeme iddianameyi iade edebilir CHP'nin umudu Anayasa Mahkemesi İlhan Selçuk'tan savcıya nasihatlar Fırat: Venedik kriterleri davayı düşürür CHP de mi tağyir suçu işledi?
Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. AK Parti'yi sandıkta alt edemeyenler, başka yollar arıyor Harddisklere ne yükleniyor?
Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Baykal, en 'keskin' muhalifini İş Bankası yönetimine atadı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Çankaya'da demokrasi mutabakatı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Cumhurbaşkanı da umutlu, biz de.... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Cumhurbaşkanı'na danışman olan Gürel'e CHP'den ilginç tepki Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Cumhurbaşkanı'nın başyaveri değişiyor Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Başsavcı: Basında çıkan haberlere itibar etmeyin ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM Ercan Kumcu Erdal Sağlam Ege Cansen Sendikalar reformcu olmaz Metin Münir Erol Sabancı, “Şapkamı alıp gitmiyorum” diyor Güngör Uras Akbank’ta kuşak değişimi Hasan Ersel Planlı kalkınmanın hüzünlü serüveni 2001 yine olur mu?
Taner Berksoy
Doğalgaz Türkiye’de 230 Bulgaristan’da 187 euro 2050'de İtalya, Kanada ve Kore'yi geçeceğiz $5 billion flees Turkish markets in two weeks Turkey may change energy sell-off strategy-sources UPDATE 1-Turkey's Tofas aims to double 2008 vehicle exports Turkey to decide soon on IMF relationship -paper Emerging debt-Spreads wider, politics crimp Argentina and Turkey Vergide sıralama değisti gizemli zenginler çoğaldı TÜSİAD'a iflas uyarısı |
| H4 New York Times U.S. Airstrikes Aid Iraqi Army in Basra Siege Iraqi forces, which have no air support of their own, have so far failed to subdue Shiite militias in Basra and have asked the Americans and British for help. Endorsement of Obama Points Up Clinton’s Obstacles A surprise endorsement of Senator Barack Obama by a popular senator in a battleground state underlined the ferment in the Democratic race High Rice Cost Creating Fears of Asia Unrest The price of rice, a staple in the diets of nearly half the world’s population, has almost doubled on international markets in the last three months. Treasury Dept. Plan Would Give Fed Wide New Power A plan that would give the Federal Reserve broad authority to oversee financial market stability could expose Wall Street to new scrutiny, but it avoids a call for tighter regulation Editorial More Flimflam on Warming Despite the blather about George Bush’s newfound awareness of the dangers of climate change, his administration refuses to do anything about the problem Bleakonomics By ROGER LOWENSTEIN On Wall Street, intervention should have happened long ago. It’s called oversight. Growing Gulf Divides China and Dalai Lama South Korea Plays Down Missile Test by the North | H5 Washington Post U.S. Has Little Influence, Few Options in Iraq's Volatile South Editorial Not Quite Free Mr. Gaddafi might seem rehabilitated, but Libya is still a work in progress Tense Hours in Iraq's Sadr City Pitched battles between U.S. and Shiite forces shatter months of relative calm in region U.S. Airpower Joins Basra Offensive Americans Battle Sadr Militia in Baghdad as Green Zone Is Struck Again The Mahdi Army Critics Assail IMF Plan on Developing Nations' Voting Share U.S. Regulatory Shakeup Planned Treasury Dept. to unveil plans to overhaul agencies governing nation's financial institutions Clinton Resists Calls to Drop Out She vows to fight on even as more Democrats warn that a longer nomination battle will hurt party Why Wake the President? By George Lardner Jr There are few 3 a.m. crises that require the immediate attention of the president. Bush's Simplistic Vision By Dan Froomkin HADITHA KILLINGS: Third Marine Is Cleared of Charges, Given Immunity White House Readies Mortgage Aid Plan Administration to propose using federal funds to guarantee cheaper loans for borrowers at risk of foreclosure due to plummeting home values Disloyalty Deserving An Insult By James Carville Loyalty is a virtue that Bill Richardson appears not to understand | H6 Guardian Why are we still there? Leader: The Ministry of Defence made it clear that this country, unlike the US, is not about to join the offensive against Shia militants in Basra A great leap backward Sami Ramadani By responding to Washington's call to arms, Nouri al-Maliki will be seen in Iraq as the tool of a deeply unpopular occupation American warplanes join Iraqi troops in taking the fight to Shia militia Sadr stronghold in capital comes under attack as intense battles continue We're fighting for survival, says Mahdi army commander Senior commander in the Mahdi army says militia is fighting a battle for survival in Basra against a rival Shia faction seeking to obliterate it ahead of September elections A Euro-army is fantasy land. We need our American ally Martin Kettle: Nato today is very much a solution in search of a problem. It needs to be reformed and refined - but not to be replaced Merkel to boycott Olympic ceremony Pressure builds for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet Wanted: inspiring speechwriter. Knowledge of Kirkcaldy essential Former PM's aides tapped up as strategy chief seeks to sharpen up Brown rhetoric A charm offensive aimed at Europe Sarkozy becomes passionate Anglophile, heralding new era of France-UK love and understanding Nearly gaffe-free: the new Berlusconi Former PM Silvio Berlusconi repackages himself as elder statesman in Italian election campaign Straw bans early release of terrorists Justice secretary bans the early release of convicted terrorists despite overcrowding in jails This is diplomacy as an episode of Terry and June Marina Hyde: For all the pomp of the French state visit, relations between our countries can't help but revert to stereotype Dean urges superdelegates to choose between Clinton and Obama by July 1 |
| H7 Juan Cole / Informed Comment: Mahdi Army Stands Firm in its Basra Neighborhoods; Demonstrations in Baghdad against al-Maliki Cole on Lehrer News Hour A review of The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order by Parag Khanna. Fred Halliday on why the rise of "sovereign wealth funds" signals the end of the neo-liberal model. Boston Globe Through Iraq, a path to the presidency SHORT-TERM domestic calculations usually short-circuit long-term foreign policy considerations, never more so than in an election year. But when it comes to US policy toward Iraq, domestic politics may turn out to be more of a help than a hindrance in producing an effective policy. (By Ivo Daalder and Philip Gordon, Boston Globe) A snub for Syria A SUMMIT meeting usually brings together heads of state. But when delegations deplane in Damascus this weekend for an Arab League summit, a dozen or more of the 22 Arab leaders will express their displeasure with Syrian President Bashar Assad by staying home A review of Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Struggle between East and West by Anthony Pagden (and more Bush's Mess Grows in Iraq
by Ann McFeatters Bush's Risky Mission to Basra - Boston Globe editorial Daily Star History will not look fondly on today's crop of Arab rulers No impunity, whether in Iraq or Lebanon By Rami G. Khouri
The Basra Surprise - New York Post editorial
Iraq: The Battle for Basra - London Times editorial
Beyond the Battle of Basra - Matthew Mainen, The Guardian
Smallest States Suffer Most in Iraq - Al Neuharth, USA Today
| H8 IraqSlogger Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq McClatchy Iraqi prime minister softens ultimatum as militias stand ground Four days into a major government offensive in Basra, Iraqi government forces have been unable to dislodge Shiite Muslim militias from their strongholds in the southern port city, prompting Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to back off his ultimatum to disarm by Friday. Some U.S. officials worry Maliki may have miscalculated the militias' resolve US Officials: Basra Fight Not Going Well Police Refuse to Support Iraqi PM's Attacks US Has Little Influence, Few Options in Iraq's Volatile South UN says 'network' killed Hariri A UN inquiry says a "network of individuals" was behind the 2005 killing of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. Hariri probe
Lebanese splits over latest UN report into ex-PM's killing The Shias in Iraq Riding the tiger Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq By Patrick Cockburn Iraq faces a 'defining moment' The US president calls the fight between Iraqi forces and militias in Basra "a defining moment" for Iraq. Basrans struggle under gunfire Jitters Over Syria's Kurdish Clashes By: Sami Moubayed | Asia Times
The death of three Kurds in clashes with security forces in the Kurdish district of Qamishly in northeastern Syria has angered Kurds not only in Syria but also in neighboring Iraq and Turkey. This is very bad timing for a region on the verge of explosion Al-Mahdi Army Vows to Fight On Rudd's troop withdrawal leaves Bush alone on Iraq Mar 28 ANNOUNCEMENT# 66 - From The MEMRI Blog: News about the Arab Summit Writer Criticizes Pro-US Arab Leaders Not Attending Arab Summit Lebanese leader condemns Syrians Lebanon's prime minister blames Syria for his country's political crisis on the eve of an Arab League summit. 'Muslim brothers'
How Arab troops are winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan Mar 27 SD# 1880 - Lebanon Publishes New Evidence of Ties Between Syria and Fath Al-Islam Vatican, Saudis discuss a church The Vatican is negotiating with authorities in Saudi Arabia for permission to build the country's first Roman Catholic church, sources in the Holy See said yesterday. | H9 Ha’aretz – UN: Ex-Lebanon PM Hariri killed by criminal network Obama: My foreign policy would be like that of Bush Sr., JFK, Reagan Avigdor Lieberman: Israel's minorities must be loyal to the Jewish state 38% for pressuring Palestinians, 25% for pressuring Israel (WTR) Hamas chiefs tout Israel truce, call for internal reconciliation Ben-Eliezer: Israel trying to revive talks with Syria Syria: U.S. pressuring Arab leaders to stay away from Arab summit Top Arab leaders shun Damascus summitCountries aim to show Syria diplomatic cost of its hard line on Lebanon and Israeli-Palestinian conflict [ CAROLINE GLICK By DIANA MUIR APPELBAUM AND PAUL S. APPELBAUM, MD
What the studies cannot tell us is who is a Jew. Yedioth Ahronoth 'We'll consider overall truce' Hamas' Haniyeh calls on Arab leaders in Damascus to help lift crippling siege on Strip Turn page on Holocaust Crucial ties with Germany will suffer if Israel only leans on identity as victim, writes Dr. Gil Yaron PA scores legal triumph
New York District Court overturns ruling ordering Palestinian Authority to pay $174 million in damages to family of 2002 terror attack victim pending new trial. US Justice Department refrains form interfering, 'monitoring case' Daily Alert.org – Hebrew Press Editorials (2008) - Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine The Economist The Gaza Strip Hamas's battle for hearts and minds Al Hayat Death of the Two-State Solution Patrick Seale - It is now clear beyond reasonable dispute that a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has passed into the realm of fiction. The project - if it ever was a real project - is stone dead. Some Western politicians, U.S. President George W Bush among them, continue to pay lip service to the notion of an independent and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security Golan Druse in Limbo ISA
As rumors swirl concerning the possibility of resumed talks between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights, local Druse struggle to avoid being dragged into the fray. West Bank: Al-Jazeera reports that parts of the West Bank face a spiraling health and environmental crisis due to toxic waste dumping. |
| H10 Christian Science Monitor ASIA Bringing in China and India By: Kazuo Ogoura | The Japan Times
How Japan adapted to international rules required of it during the Meiji modernization of the mid-19th century has important lessons for China and India today India: Missile Defense Dreams By: Animesh Roul | ISN Security Watch India reveals plans for an ambitious anti-missile defense shield, sparking concerns of an arms race and speculation as to the country's true capabilities A New Diplomatic Order in Pakistan By: Jane Perlez | The New York Times If it was not yet clear to Washington that a new political order prevailed here, the three-day visit this week by America’s chief diplomat dealing with Pakistan should put any doubt to rest The BBC surveys Pakistani media reaction to the country’s new prime minister. FORUM: What about Pakistan? By Harlan Ullman The larger point is not to let what is a major difference between Pakistan and the Bush administration over how to wage the war on terror disintegrate into a blunder that will harm both states FT China will not be cowed A boycott of the Olympic opening ceremonies would not change the objective realities one whit, writes Christopher Caldwell Chinese profits will soon make the world forget Tibet By Warren W. Smith Sense and insensitivity in Pakistan The talk among leaders of Pakistan's new coalition government about reviewing Pakistan's role in the Washington-led war on terrorism is very worrying. Commentary: Afghan lament By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE (UPI) -- "I don't care if it takes another 10 or 20 years, but we cannot allow Afghanistan to fail." So spoke Frank Carlucci, former U.S. defense secretary and national security adviser, at the Council on Foreign Relations. Failure, said Carlucci, would break the Atlantic Alliance and turn the world stage over to the next two global heavy hitters -- China and Russia. Is this the Indian century? Aditya Chakrabortty: Is this the Indian century? Tata's takeover of Jaguar and Land Rover this week heralds a new era of dominance Lessons From Japan's Malaise By: Bill Emmott | The Washington Post Japan's stock market collapse began in January 1990 and continued throughout that year. The property market followed, with a lag. Yet the Bank of Japan did not try to prevent this financial crash from damaging the real economy by cutting interest rates, as the U.S. Federal Reserve has done spectacularly during the past three months U.S. Sees More Beijing Missiles Aimed at Taiwan By: Richard Halloran | The Washington Times
China has deployed far more missiles aimed at Taiwan than previously reported, according to U.S. officials with access to intelligence assessments US Says No Meddling to Save Musharraf Mood Builds for Aussie Security Shift - Andrew Fraser, Canberra Times
Tokyo Out in the Cold - Conley and Heazle, The Australian
China Should Face Challenges on Tibet - Baltimore Sun editorial
The Cry of Tibet - Wang Lixiong, Wall Street Journal
Behind the 'Modern' China - Robert Kagan, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Taming Tibet - Trudy Rubin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Against the Beijing Games - Jason Lee Steorts, National Review
Projecting Pyongyang: The Future of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il Regime
Source: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Uneasy alliance
US military presence in the Philippines divides opinion
N. Korea Expels 11 of South's Officials in Reaction to Rising Criticism By: Blaine Harden | The Washington Post
North Korea expelled 11 South Korean officials from its territory on Thursday, a response to the South's increasingly tough criticism of its neighbor's record on human rights and nuclear proliferation GLOBAL EPIDEMIC Where have all the manhole covers gone? By DANIEL K. GARDNER China's rapid economic growth is feeding a worldwide epedemic of manhole cover theft. | H11 IHT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT A court too far By CHRISTOPHER M. GOSNELL The bricks and mortar of justice have to be closer to the communities affected by crimes EUROPE European press review NATO Expansion Should Continue - Donald Rumsfeld, Wall Street Journal There is no better way for the alliance to move forward than by extending full membership invitations to Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, and by beginning the process to bring Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance. U.S.: Losing Europe By: Peter Buxbaum | ISN Security Watch
The next US president may be able to improve America's tarnished image in Europe, but many allies have already headed for the hills and the task is indeed a formidable one Germans doubt Anglo-French love-in The Economist Charlemagne Europe makes peace with nationalism Even in a border-free Europe, everyone wants a homeland Bold Steps to Europe By: Vuk Jeremic | The Guardian Kosovo's independence declaration triggered a debate on the legitimacy of international borders. But an agreement with Belgrade may yet be reached Britain and America Anglo-Saxon attitudes UN chief condemns anti-Islam film The UN secretary general condemns a Dutch anti-Islam film as a series of Muslim governments protest Dutch relief
Muted reaction to anti-Islam film in the Netherlands
Call for Olympic boycott rejected Several EU countries reject calls for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics NATO and Global Partnership: To be Global or to Act Globally? DIIS This 34-page Danish report argues that the future of NATO depends on the ability of the alliance to combine a strategy of intervention with a broad strategy of integration Freedom of Speech, Battle over Values and the Political Symbolism of the Muhammed Drawings
DIIS This 26-page Danish paper examines the origins of thew Danish cartoon crisis Sonia de Camargo (Catholic U - Rio): Europe Debates Its Destiny. A review of After the Deluge: New Perspectives on the Intellectual and Cultural History of Postwar France. Sarkozy's Conquest of London By: Adam Smith | Time
It was the first state visit by a French president to Britain in more than a decade. But the visitor seemed to feel quite at home in a summit between British and French leaders in London Thursday Barroso criticizes Bulgaria's progress in fighting organized crime Time Britain's Mean Streets An epidemic of violent crime, teen pregnancy, heavy drinking and drug abuse fuels fears that British youth is in crisis Time EU Reform: Hidden Agenda By NIGEL LAWSON The federalist vision that underlies E.U. reform is woefully out of tune with what most Europeans want Der Spiegel France and NATO: The Path to Full Membership Poland and NATO: Nestling up to Uncle Sam
The NATO Summit: Germany Puts the Brakes on US Expansion Plans The World from Berlin: How Friendly Will Sarkozy's 'Entente Amicale' Be? | H12 RFE/RL Google News Azerbaijan Asia Times Russia challenges US in the Islamic world
For the second year in a row, Russia this month attended the annual summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference as an observer. This signals Moscow's active extension of its involvement in the Middle East by directly challenging the US's traditional dominance of the region. The "peace dividend" of this growing friendship with the Islamic world also translates into hard dollars - from mega projects in Egypt and Saudi Arabia - under the US's nose - to renewed oil interests in Iraq. - M K Bhadrakumar U.S. wants Georgia, Ukraine in NATO With Russia opposed and Europe divided, U.S. hopes that its allies in Ukraine and Georgia will be given a clear path to membership at next week's NATO summit in Romania are fading quickly. The Economist Troubled Armenia Protests continued Dangerous Bargaining By: Ryan Miller | The Moscow Times With NATO's summit in Bucharest approaching on April 2, Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza reported that the Kremlin would be looking for a certain quid pro quo with the Atlantic alliance -- Moscow's help on Afghanistan in exchange for a promise to keep Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO. EurasiaNet Kosovo and Karabakh: How Azerbaijan Sees the Connection Azerbaijan’s decision to withdraw its peacekeepers from Kosovo is playing into a larger debate about the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Missile Defences to Be Discussed in Sochi, Not Bucharest - Russian NATO Envoy Russia Considering Increased Cooperation With Nato EDM MORTGAGING UKRAINE’S FUTURE SECURITY TO PAST STEREOTYPES ABOUT NATO?
- WILL ROLE OF PARTY LEADER HELP PUTIN HOLD HIS OWN IN THE RULING DIARCHY?
Putin's Achievements and What's Expected of Medvedev By: Amir Taheri | Asharq Alawsat As Dmitry Medvedev prepares to take over as President of Russia, analysts dismiss his forthcoming tenure as "an extension of Vladimir Putin's reign." But it would be wrong to assume that the Medvedev presidency would be nothing but Putin-bis with a smile Azerbaijan: RFE/RL reports on a push by oil-rich Azerbaijan to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Central/South Asia: Iran Pushes Cross-Border TV Project |
| H13 The TimesChina Syndrome The Times, Beijing, Tibet and the Olympics Arab League summit opens in Damascus With conditions under Hamas rule in Gaza remaining desperate, Syria wants the Palestinian cause to be top of the agenda Analysis: Britain must now fight or fail Much of today’s problems in Basra can be traced back to Britain’s failure to commit the forces necessary to control southern Iraq Britain dragged back into Basra conflict Troops prepare to leave their fortified base outside Basra as fighting escalates to several cities in southern Iraq The State works. Have faith You wouldn't think it listening to the Left, but there is a serious role for government today Matthew Parris Could this be the end for Robert Mugabe? He has taken Zimbabwe to the brink of ruin in 28 years of violent one-party rule, but now the President is fighting for power Clinton and Obama are told to shut up Democratic chairman calls for the campaign for the presidential nomination to end early after a week of damaging exchanges Wall Street Journal The Sunni-Shiite Terror Network
By Amir Taheri John McCain was right. Radical Islamists of all stripes cooperate all the time. Justice for Iraq
By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey
So what if the jihadist has a U.S. passport? Curveball Revisited
New details about the spy who lied – and his German patrons Deeper and Deeper
By James Taranto
Barack Obama keeps digging. A review of Greenspan's Bubbles: The Age of Ignorance at the Federal Reserve by William Fleckenstein THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL To appreciate the magnitude of the Fed's recent actions, let's review how Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues have ratcheted up their innovative policy responses as the credit crisis has deepened. Weekly Standard The Credit Crisis of 2008
by Irwin M. Stelzer Facing Capitalism's
Greatest Crisis
The New Deal turns 75 as the United States faces another credit crisis requiring government measures to restore confidence.
by James Piereson | H14 Financial Times FT MAGAZINE - BOOK REVIEW: When worlds collide By Niall Ferguson China will not be cowed A boycott of the Olympic opening ceremonies would not change the objective realities one whit, writes Christopher Caldwell Israel bids to revive peace talks with Syria An Israeli cabinet minister discloses that Israel is attempting to restart peace negotiations with Syria, echoing recent statements made by the prime minister FT MAGAZINE - BOOK REVIEW: Non-fiction: Bring on the Apocalypse: Six Arguments for Global Justice US sends in back-up for Iraqi offensive The US was forced to send in reinforcements on Friday as Iraqi security forces admitted they were having difficulties subduing radical Shia militants in the south of the country Clinton urged to quit presidential race Hillary Clinton faced calls to drop out of the presidential race as senior Democrats warned that her divisive battle with Barack Obama was harming the party’s chances of winning the White House in November Lunch with the FT: Nassim Nicholas Taleb The former Wall Street trader on randomness Muslim reaction to Dutch film is muted The release of an anti-Islamic film by Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician, is met with a low-key response across the Arab world, with the subject mostly avoided in sermons Move to cut troop numbers in Iraq shelved Plans to reduce British troops in Iraq to 2,500 are abandoned on the recommendation of military commanders after the upsurge in violence in Basra How Carla revived Camelot Vanessa Friedman on Bruni-Sarkozy’s style Guerrilla politics A focused attack on the government’s economic record will benefit the UK’s Conservatives, but the leader must be more substantial Sniping at Hillary That corkscrew landing in Bosnia under sniper fire was not quite how Hillary Clinton remembered it. In fact, it did not happen that way at all. She ‘misspoke’ Not yet time for a bail-out of banks Governments must help, but those who caused the crisis must not be rescued by taxpayers from the results of their copious follies | H15 Los Angeles Times Editorial |
| H16 American Politics Gallup Daily: Obama Back Into Lead in Democratic Race Getting Mrs. ClintonBy Peggy Noonan Declarations: Even many of her erstwhile supporters now understand the problem with her candidacy – and with her. Marc Ambinder:
How To Count The Popular Vote Is Al Gore the Answer? Both Democratic candidates are bloodied and losing altitude. This April promises to be crueler than most. Here's an unlikely but not totally implausible solution Still in It To Win It ( Hillary Clinton vows to press on through the summer. But a fight to the convention could damage Democratic hopes for the White House Rice calls Obama's landmark speech on race in America 'important' US secretary of state declined to comment directly on the presidential campaign in interview, but strongly defended the patriotism of African Americans Is the Pentagon Using Guantánamo Trials to Influence Election? American conservatism Opportunity missed Salon Hillary's team crosses the line The Clinton campaign's circulation of right-wing materials to denigrate a top Obama advisor reeks of cynicism.
By Joe Conason NYT A Case of the Blues Congressional Republicans have lost ground on every possible front. Can Tom Cole turn things around? How to avoid a Democratic disaster A DEMOCRATIC disaster in the November election looms, but it can be avoided by a demonstration of true leadership by the two candidates. (By Mario M. Cuomo, Boston Globe) Putting McCain to the Ethics Test
John McCain's political popularity rests on his reputation as a straight-talking, ax-wielding reformer. So how does he explain his own close ties to special-interest lobbyists realclearpolitics memeorandum ABC’s The Note – US News Political Bulletin Early Bird GovExec Swamp Gas The Swamp Bob Casey to endorse Obama, join bus tour — Noam Scheiber / The New Republic: Vice President Casey? Robert Kuttner / American Prospect: Obama v. Krugman Who's talking about poverty? Sasha Abramsky US elections 2008: In fighting for middle class votes, the presidential contenders have forgotten about America's poor Is Pentagon using Guantanamo trials to influence election? by Michelle Malkin The "Seinfeld" character George Costanza famously quipped: "It's not a lie if you believe it." This is how a Clinton — take your pick, Hillary, Bill or Chelsea — makes it through the day. Better living through self-delusion. By Daniel Gallington What should the Bush administration be doing over the next few months before our presidential election, and what should our next administration — whether it's a Republican or a Democratic one — be planning to do in Iraq in 2009 and beyond? | H17 Daily Telegraph We must talk to the Taliban, says Browne Britain must be willing to talk to the Taliban and other extremist groups to try to stabilise the world, the Defence Secretary says Interview: 'We can't do this for ever' Rift between UK diplomats and Army in Basra British forces are facing pressure to intervene in Basra after government efforts to defeat Shi'ite militias ground to a halt Maliki's war on Sadr is a gamble Brown needs the Union...but do we? It has taken Simon Heffer some time to realise what Dr Johnson meant when he observed that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel, but the penny has dropped. | H18 Independent Former defence chiefs reject claim soldiers do not want Iraq inquiry Gordon Brown's claim that an inquiry into the war in Iraq would be a "distraction" for Britain's troops on the ground has been repudiated by some of the country's former defence chiefs. Robert Fisk: Where is our man for all seasons? Leading article: Charm offensive Economic reality bites as Sarkozy returns from royal charm offensive After the royal parade comes the dustcart of grim, economic reality. President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived home yesterday after his glamorous and upbeat state visit to Britain to find most indicators for the French economy turning to red Early release of terrorists prompts policy rethink Ministers were forced into a rethink of a controversial early-release scheme after it emerged that two prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offences had been freed earlier this year. |
