| H1 • 'The Price of the Surge' by Steve Simon, Foreign Affairs Guardian Secret US plan for military future in Iraq Confidential draft agreement on future of US forces in Iraq shows provision for military presence in the country, but sets no time limit for withdrawal Le Monde Document Shows Tehran Pursued a Military Nuclear Program after 2003 – William Arkin Questions for Gen. Petraeus and the US Military Efraim Inbar An Israeli view of the Iranian nuclear challenge The Iranians’ nuclear strategy is simple: it’s to talk and build Iran Says US Requests More Iraq Talks Salon The Iran boogeyman is back Gen. Petraeus is reportedly going to blame Iran for why we need to stay in Iraq. If he does, it'll be destructive propaganda.
By Gary Kamiya Ha’aretz – Ben-Eliezer: If Iran attacks, we will destroy it U.S., Israel fear Iran has N. Korean nuclear know-how Al-Sadr Considering Breakup of Mahdi Army Militia Independent Robert Fisk: Hizbollah turns to Iran in war on Israel The Shia "martyrs" of this hill village are normally killed in the dangerous, stony landscape of southern Lebanon, in Israeli air raids or invasions or attacks from the sea. The Hizbollah duly honours them. But the body of the latest Shia fighter to be buried here – from the local Hashem family – was flown back to Lebanon last month from Iran. BBC Waiting patiently
Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood bides its time amid crackdown McClatchy Few see Petraeus testimony changing much in Congress With only seven months to go before the election of a new president and Congress, any Democratic effort to change Iraq policy probably won't go far Debka Exclusive: Major row in Assad regime delays Sunday publication of Mughniyeh probe findings Exclusive: Ahmadinejad to respond to Israeli minister's threat on Iranian Atom Day Financial Times The political threats to globalisation Hunger – that most traditional threat to ruling elites – is returning to many countries that have embraced globalisation, writes Gideon Rachman. Along with other mounting pressures, it could come to undermine the free-trade consensus built up over the past 30 years Mind the gapAs Anglo-American capitalism looks tarnished, a period in which rising inequality and stagnant incomes seemed tolerable to voters may be coming to an end Gulf states tighten ties with China Delegations from Abu Dhabi and Qatar are expected to visit Beijing as Middle Eastern funds continue to scour the globe for investment opportunities for their oil revenues Israeli civil defence drill raises tension Israel launches the biggest emergency drill in its history to ready the population for potential bombardment even as the government plays down the risk of conflict Iraq’s Maliki threatens to bar Sadr from vote Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister, warned Moqtada al-Sadr, a militant Shia cleric, to disband his militia or face being excluded from future Iraqi elections Egypt opposition calls for election boycott The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a boycott of local elections in protest at the government’s failure to abide by court rulings allowing its candidates to run A Comprehensive PBS Documentary on the Iraq War Becomes a Big Hit ... Time How Petraeus Will Make His Case Guardian A leadership deficit lies at the heart of the financial storm Joseph Stiglitz: The greatest onus is on the US, where the global gloom began. But can we trust those who got it so wrong to put things right? Los Angeles Times Resist the urge to leave Iraq By Max Boot As Petraeus and Crocker know, the U.S. can win if troops remain. The Times More or fewer troops? The future's not that simple The next US president is likely to inherit 140,000 troops on the ground in Iraq and no clear plan of what to do with them Bronwen Maddox Al-Mahdi army offers to lay down its arms Iraq's most dangerous militia will disband voluntarily if Shia scholars advise its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, to do so Bird flu: solid evidence of human transmission Alarm about a possible global flu pandemic restarted by clear evidence that bird flu can be transmitted person to person Nato general warns of a more ruthless Taleban Commanders killed by the alliance in Afghanistan are being replaced by more radical recruits, says General Dan McNeill Brookings The Future of the Foreign Service Carlos Pascual, Walker's World: Bush's last summit By MARTIN WALKER (UPI) -- Putin got all he wanted from the NATO summit and from President Bush's visit; his guest left empty-handed and diminished World: Governments Take Action To Curb Rising Food Prices, But At What Cost? Iraq Still a Quagmire, Say Experts Gallup Daily: Obama Moves to 9-point Lead Over Clinton
Iraq options by elimination
Steve Rosen, MESH. IHT Return of jihadists: Europe's fears subside As members of a cell suspected of sending insurgents to Iraq in 2005 await a verdict in their case in France, intelligence and law enforcement officials say their fears of young would-be fighters from Europe traveling to Iraq and returning more radicalized and better trained were overblown. Are NATO promises backed by anything? By JOHN VINOCUR You can now file away as "frozen promises" NATO's commitment to two would-be democracies. Asia Times The Taliban's shadow hangs over NATO Following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit and the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George W Bush, the Russians say they were "defeated": the US's missile defense shield in Europe and NATO's expansion will go ahead. This is a smokescreen. Moscow, by agreeing to the transit of food and non-military cargo and "some types of non-lethal military equipment" across Russia to Afghanistan, now has a role in NATO's operations in Afghanistan. - M K Bhadrakumar Washington Post Sadr Told to Disband Militia Elections Are at Stake, Premier Says; Attacks Kill Three U.S. Troops Congress To Hear Of Gains In Iraq: Petraeus, Crocker To Face Impatient Lawmakers Obama at the Helm By Peter Beinart If presidents govern the way they campaigned, Obama will be a fine leader. WSJ Cultural Autonomy for Tibet
By David L. Phillips An existing solution to China's problems. Andrew Sullivan Quote For The Day II Wall Street Journal The Petraeus EffectThe surge's success makes a political victory in Iraq possible. Will Washington squander these gains? Officer Questions Petraeus's Strategy After the Fire
By James Taranto The battle of Basra: another Tet, or just a tête-à-tête? Greenspan Defends His Legacy Alan Greenspan was lionized for the economy's performance for much of his 18 years as chairman of the Federal Reserve, but now, he notes, he's being second-guessed for it. Now 82 years old, he wants to set the record straight before the ink dries on the first draft of the current financial crisis' history. Excerpts: Greenspan's Interviews with the Journal Antimissile Milestone
A Bush legacy against rogue threats. The Sergeant Solution
By Robert H. Scales Saddam learned the hard way. Armies aren't effective when they're not flexible at the unit level. China Confirms Human H5N1 Transmission The List: The World’s Worst Religious Leaders Can we survive China’s rush to emulate the American way of life?
| H2 Ankara's Quiet Revolution
Washington Institute By Soner Cagaptay Sami Kohen Batı, tavır almakta zorlanıyor Babacan wants Iraqi Kurds to do more against PKK Barzani’nin Irak’ın sesi Ajansına verdiği özel demecin tam metni... Bakan Babacan'dan Neçirvan Barzani'nin ziyaretine yeşil ışık Babacan'dan Barzani'ye: Söylem ve eylem lazım Fried NATO meselelerinde Türklere danışmayı öğrendim AB 2007 Terör Raporu açıklandı… EDM BUYUKANIT WARNS AGAINST ISLAMISM AND KURDISH SEPARATISM, ATTACKS EU OVER POLICIES ON ESDP AND PKK Google News Fırat News Agency KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect Dış Basında Irak BBC Monitoring Inter – national Kürt sorunu Çankaya'da Iraqi Kurds Not Content With Draft Oil Law Iraqi Kurdish Press Highlights 7 Apr 08 - Arabic Director of Al-Jazeera Kurdistan Office Interviewed By Iraqi Kurdish Paper Barzani: "We are in the union of Iraq" MELİHA OKUR Körfez kaynıyor Türkiye bakıyor! PKK, AB güvenliğini tehdit ediyor PKK’ya karşı yasal yetersizlik var Belçika, 29 kadın teröristi aynı gün serbest bırakmış Cevdet Aşkın Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri Günlük Haftalık Avrupa Birliği'nden üç aşamalı liste geldi 'AB bakanlığı' kurulması gündemde Brüksel'de lobi atağı Hükümet rotayı AB’ye çevirdi ABD'den NATO konusunda Türkiye'ye övgü Ermeni soykırımı iddiası İsrail'in gündeminde Talat: "Lokmacı'nın açılması sorunu çözmüyor" ‘We need to recreate the EU excitement’ Sylvia TİRYAKİ [Yorum - Herkül Milas] AB ve Batı Trakya Türkleri Andrew Finkel The İstanbul Center in Brussels Duff: Laikler de davadan zarar görür
Ariana FERENTINOU
Hasan Kanbolat No go-ahead for Ukraine and Georgia at NATO summit UN political chief discusses Cyprus with officials in Greece and ... German Islamists Suspected of Planning Attack in Afghanistan Der Spiegel Two Islamic extremists from Germany may be planning attacks against targets in Afghanistan, investigators have warned. The men, who share connections to the Sauerland terror cell and suicide bomber Cüneyt Ciftci, are thought to have trained at terror camps in Pakistan Türkiye Belçika’dan bilgi istedi 'Değişiklik yetmez'
Ergin Cinmen 301'nci maddede değişiklik teklifini yorumluyor Postulusal Avrupa'da insan hakları
HALİL TURHANLI - Yargıç, savcı ve sanığın ‘izdivacı’ Töre cinayeti haritası Oray Eğin Galatasaray’daki gizli planın perde arkası Tehcir fotoğrafıyla AKP reklamı Kazim Kazim on mission to complete dream week with double dose of the extraordinary Shock victory unites Turkey Serdar Turgut
29 adımda 2012 yılında Türkiye Turkey's teacher training crisis: a perfect storm Vatandastan MIT’e istihbarat yağmuru
8 Nisan 2008 Basın Özeti | H3 Mutabakat aranacak İşte AKP'nin yol haritası Bütün seçenekler masada Hiç işiniz mi yok vaktiniz mi çok? Genelkurmay'da birileri, basın ve internete bakıp, gazeteci, yazar, işadamı ve akademisyenlerle sivil örgütleri 'AB veya ABD destekli' diyerek listelemiş Ergenekon'un yakın tarihi (4)
İsmet Berkan Erdoğan tam yetkili AK Parti anayasa değişikliğinde muhalefetle uzlaşma arayacak Provokatör MHP’nin maaşlı elemanı AKP, 301 ve 305'te kaçamak yolu seçti, topu Köşk'e attı MHP to AK Party: We’ll part ways if you amend Article 301 İşte o tahrikçi
İşlemediği suç kalmadı, en son üniversitede görüldü... Suikasttan kurtulmuş Ergenekon bombalarına hiç kimse sahip çıkmıyor AKP’ye herkesten fazla katkım var
Yargıtay’da Gülen kararına itiraz Sanığın amacı Şeriat AKP’de Şener sürprizi Askeri Yargıtay’dan tepki Milliyet Son Dakika Cengiz Çandar İçerde 'yargı darbesi'; dışarıda 'demokratik müdahale' çağrısı Ahmet Taşgetiren • Ordu ne düşünüyor? ( 08.04.2008 ) Ruşen - Çakır Selçuk’tan ‘demokrasi kahramanı’ yarattılar!.. Taha Akyol Çatışan gençler Fikret Bila Üniversitelerden gelen tehlikeli sinyaller Fehmi Koru Son karara doğru... Taha KıvançSert olur yumuşak atın çiftesi Murat Yetkin Erdoğan mesajı aldı
CIA’cinin penceresinden laiklik AKP ve Fethullah Gülen Yasemin Çongar Ertuğrul Özkök Bunların niyeti kötü ALİ BAYRAMOĞLU Darbe hamlesi bir Andıç'ın işi mi? Hasan Cemal 2008O alnı dövmeli, eli tabancalı simsiyah adamı hiç unutmayın!
AKP’nin yeni taktiği... Mehmet Altan Ergenekon’un tineri... Mustafa Karaalioğlu Perde arkası Veli Küçük, Aydınlık dergisindeki röportajında Genelkurmay'ı suçlamış Erhan Çelik Aydın Doğan’ın mektupları ile Ergenekon ve kapatma davası Fehmi Koru: Son karara doğru... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Ali Bayramoğlu: Darbe hamlesi bir Andıç'ın işi mi? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Kürşat Bumin: 'Yoldaşlık' Kıbrıs'ta umut olamaz mı? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Taha Kıvanç: Sert olur yumuşak atın çiftesi Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Tamer Korkmaz: Provokasyonlardan fal tutmak... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. İbrahim Karagül: Türkiye'nin neresinde silah depoları yapıldı? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Hakan Albayrak: 1000 yıldır hep aynı hikaye… Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Fatma K. Barbarosoğlu: Kuşlar/Sanki siyasetin kahramanları! Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Akif Emre: İslamsız Avrupa kimliği?
EKREM DUMANLI - Oklahoma'dan görülen acı bir gerçek Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. İHSAN DAĞI - Bugün andıç, yarın yargı: TCK 305 Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. MÜMTAZ'ER TÜRKÖNE - Komplo teorisi Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. LEYLA İPEKÇİ - İktidardan indiriliş öyküleri: Hep aynı kelimelerle Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. ŞAHİN ALPAY - Her kriz bir fırsattır Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. İsmet Berkan - Ergenekon'un yakın tarihi (4) Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Türker Alkan - Altı yıl boşuna geçmedi! Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Hasan Celal Güzel - Parti kapatma üzerine bir bilgeden alıntılar Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Nuray Mert - Yeni 'Düvel-i Muazzama' Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Murat Belge - Kiev'den Ahmet Hakan M Ali Birand AKP, AB'ye sırt dönmenin faturasını ödüyor... Cüneyt Ülsever CHP’ye yepyeni bir aday: Umut Oran Enis Berberoğlu Asıl tehlikelisi 11 Eylül öncesi Oktay Ekşi Bunlar kimin dostu? Bekir Coşkun Baktım, yine o... Özdemir İnce Mehmet Y Yılmaz MUHARREM SARIKAYABakan Günay: 12 Mart gibi...
ERDAL ŞAFAKYa İstanbul kazansaydı? ENGİN ARDIÇ ERGUN BABAHANTürkiye'nin gerçek sorunu muhalefet EMRE AKÖZBiz bu filmi görmüştük Umur Talu HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN NAZLI ILICAK Demokrasi ve laiklik MEHMET BARLASVarmak istediğiniz hedefi bilmeden yol seçmeniz anlamsızdır... MAHMUT ÖVÜRDP'de değişim sancıları... YAVUZ DONATMesaj alındı... Radyo çalışıyor Kerim Balcı Truth, self and identity Hakan Aygün AKP kapatılırsa ne olur? Özcan Yeniçeri Şemdinli Olayları, İtiraf ve Medya! Ali Bulaç Two steps forward, one step back Lale Sarıibrahimoğlu Replay of violence at universities Derya Sazak ‘Hasta adam’ sendromu Yaman Törüner CHP nasıl kaybediyor?
301 Meclis'te anayasa değişikliği için uzlaşma aranacak Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Muhaliflerden 'aidat' suçlaması: Tüzük ihlal ediliyor Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. 'AB bakanlığı' kurulması gündemde Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. DTP, göçebeler için Meclis araştırması istedi Dink Komisyonu: Jandarma yeniden çağrılmadı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. 'Kapatma davası laikliği savunanlara da zarar veriyor' Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Üniversite gençliğini uyardı: Acı tecrübeler yaşadık, oyuna gelmeyin Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Geçmişteki oyun yeniden sahneleniyor Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. CHP, TÜSİAD'a savaş açtı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Anayasa değişikliği için muhalefetle uzlaşma aranacak Rektörler uyardı: Üniversiteleri siyasete itmeyin Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Mutabakat aranacak Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Yargıtay’da Gülen kararına itiraz Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Aranan saldırganın 5 suçtan kaydı var Ulusalcılık, milliyetçiliğin kaçıncı yüzü Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Üniversitelerde yüksek gerilim ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM Artır tasarrufunu kur ve cari açık belasından kurtul Ercan Kumcu Ekonomide perde arkası Erdal Sağlam IMF kararları alınmaya başladı Güven Sak Küresel kriz, rahatsızlığımızı daha da şiddetlendirecektir Seyfettin Gürsel Para politikası etkisizleşiyor Serdar Turgut Halkın gerçek gündemi
Deniz Gökçe Bazı yaklaşımlar ayıp! Hurşit Güneş Kâtip arz-ı halımı yaz yâre böyle… Küresel ekonominin sorunları
Mahfi Eğilmez
İlk çeyrekte enflasyon Ekonomi değerlendirme toplantısı bugün yapılıyor
Büyüme yavaşlıyor dış borç artıyor IMF'nin uyarısı
IMF Başkanı'nın uyarılarını Hurşit Güneş değerlendirdi |
| Back From Iraq, Again Facing Fire With Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker to appear before Congress, three military and diplomatic experts reflect on changes in Iraq of the last seven months. DAVID BROOKS A Network of Truces The grand compromise model would be appropriate if Iraq were a Western country living in the shadow of the Magna Carta. Ouster Opens Opportunity for Obama | H5 Washington Post Sadr Told to Disband Militia Elections Are at Stake, Premier Says; Attacks Kill Three U.S. Troops Congress To Hear Of Gains In Iraq: Petraeus, Crocker To Face Impatient Lawmakers No Closer to Success in Iraq By Dan Froomkin Obama at the Helm By Peter Beinart If presidents govern the way they campaigned, Obama will be a fine leader. Anxiety Rises Over Vulnerable Housing In Iraqi Green Zone The Errors Haunting Clinton By E. J. Dionne Jr The most striking critiques of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign have come from her most loyal friends The Race Issue, Still By Richard Cohen, Despite Obama's speech, questions persist. McCain: Democrats' Stance on Iraq Flawed Editorial The Sin of Speaking Truth Advisers to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton learn that it doesn't always pay to be right. Run, Condi, Run! By Eugene Robinson I know it's undignified to beg, but please let John McCain pick Condoleezza Rice as his running mate FBI Data Transfers Questioned Anxiety over little-known electronic connections between telecoms, FBI informs FISA debate. Protests Halt Torch Relay in Paris The Post Wins 6 Pulitzer Prizes | H6 Guardian Secret US plan for military future in Iraq Confidential draft agreement on future of US forces in Iraq shows provision for military presence in the country, but sets no time limit for withdrawal A leadership deficit lies at the heart of the financial storm Joseph Stiglitz: The greatest onus is on the US, where the global gloom began. But can we trust those who got it so wrong to put things right? Putin may be party leader as well as PM Dominant political party United Russia offers leadership role after he gives up presidency Clinton rethink after strategist resigns Failed tactics and conflict of interest force Penn out, leaving new team to emphasise Hillary's softer side Test of candidates' military mettle with Petraeus Rice 'angling to be McCain's running mate' Clinton: Penned in? Michael Tomasky US elections 08: She may have demoted her chief strategist, but how much of a difference will it actually make to Hillary Clinton's campaign? A dream starts to fade Leader: Mr Penn's innate conservatism is anathema in a post-Bush era where conservatism is discredited Muslim Brotherhood to boycott election Protests in the smog Jack Shenker Disaffection with the Mubarak regime appears stronger than ever, but the Egyptian opposition remains fragmented Still occupied Oliver Miles Israel has announced new construction work in a West Bank settlement. If America will not speak up, then someone else should Childhood, interrupted Rania Al Abdullah: Gaza's children are living under an enormous burden of stress. Only a political solution can bring an end to their suffering Libertarianism's leftward shift James Antle US elections 2008: Opposition to the Iraq war and support for civil liberties has caused many libertarians to quit the Republican party The tip of the iceberg Dean Baker Apr 07 08, 08:00pm: Economies in crisis: Despite the sanguine assurances of the Federal Reserve, the US recessession will be neither short nor mild Act now on climate change Gordon Brown and Kevin Rudd We need a new international agreement that must include all nations - and be effective Policy-makers row over credit crunch Alistair Darling calls for clear plan of action from the G7 to deal with the 'worst crisis since the war' Another winter of discontent Larry Elliott: Economies in crisis The banks can't ignore parallels with the 1970s; they've gained unfettered power and acted with supreme recklessness Let it be Leader: The £7m inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed has finally returned the only verdict that anyone could reasonably anticipate Germany drops biofuel plan for cars Climbdown after discovery too many vehicles unable to run on proposed ethanol-petrol mix Inquest driven by a father's obsession with a plot that never was Fayed refused to accept crash was accident but conspiracy theories crumbled under scrutiny |
| H7 Boston Globe Buying time in Iraq TIME HAS come around again for another Ryan Crocker-David Petraeus show before Congress. They will ask for more time and fewer troop withdrawals, but, being professionals, they will be careful about joining George W. Bush, who sits way out on a limb claiming that the door has been opened to a "strategic victory." (By H. D. S. Greenway, Boston Globe) McClatchy Few see Petraeus testimony changing much in Congress With only seven months to go before the election of a new president and Congress, any Democratic effort to change Iraq policy probably won't go far What to expect from Petraeus? For some, a long wait Gvosdev Sovereignty, Democracy and the Role of Outsiders
MESH Iraq options by elimination Neocons Preparing The Ground For Petraeus Testimony By Hyping Threat Of Iran A strong message from a weak PM GulfNews Fruits of the surge THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL As it has become increasingly clear that the U.S. troop surge has dramatically reduced violence in Iraq, the argument against the U.S. troop presence has shifted. Analysis: It's springtime; war in the air By CLAUDE SALHANI (UPI) -- It's springtime in the Middle East once again, and that usually means that fighting season may breakout soon. Asia Times The general and the trap The George W Bush administration's missteps in Iraq will not be apparent in the shadowboxing among Washington's "best and brightest" when General David Petraeus, the "surge" commander in Iraq, and US ambassador Ryan Crocker testify before congressional committees on Tuesday. And any debate focused on military success or failure is a trap, with Petraeus' testimony as the bait for unwary Democratic presidential hopefuls. - Ira Chernus Yes, it's that 'q' word again
The United States risks getting bogged down in Iraq for a long time to come, the influential experts who advised the bipartisan Iraq Study Group conclude in a new report. They suggest two possible alternatives to the current policy of an "unconditional" US commitment to Iraq, and their views will almost certainly give dissenters ammunition in Tuesday's critical congressional testimony. - Jim Lobe New Yorker Military Conflict by Steve Coll In normal times, when an active four-star general implies in public that the Army is under such strain that it might flounder if an unexpected war broke out, or might require a draft to muster adequate troop levels, he could expect to provoke concern and comment from, say, the President of the United States…
Middle East Atomic Moves By: Dominic Moran | ISN Security Watch The UAE and Egypt make significant moves to develop a nuclear capacity, as Israel drops reactor plans.
Petraeus Likely to Push for Flexibility - Jim Michaels, USA Today
Iraq's Shiite Power Vacuum - Mohamad Bazzi, Christian Science Monitor
Tehran's Murderous Role - Washington Times editorial
Officer Questions Petraeus's Strategy - Yochi Dreazen, Wall Street Journal
The Iraqis Step Up - Ralph Peters, New York Post
Getting the Score Right in Basra - Jack Kelly, Real Clear Politics
Bush a Convert to Nation Building - David Sands, Washington Times
Focus on Iraq and the future (By Tulin Daloglu) Arianna Huffington / The Huffington Post: Petraeus' Call for a Pause is Really Just “Stay the Course 2.0” Mapping Iran’s Online Public: Politics and Culture in the Persian Blogosphere
Source: Berkman Center for Internet & Society (Harvard Law School) | H8 IraqSlogger Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq Al-Sadr Considering Breakup of Mahdi Army Militia Al-Sadr Considering Breakup of Mahdi Army Militia Muqtada al-Sadr must disband his Mehdi Army, prime minister says Ahmadinejad Faces Stormy New Parliament Is Muqtada al-Sadr Doomed? Survey: Iranian Public Sees Reduced US Threat Iraq PM Unfazed by Democrat Vows to Cut US Troops Attacks in Baghdad Spiked in March REFILE-FACTBOX-US presidential candidates on Iraq withdrawal Congress to hear update on Iraq
Top US officials in Iraq are due to deliver a scheduled report on the "surge" to Congress as Shia unrest continues. Egypt opposition boycotts polls
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood urges a boycott of municipal polls after being allowed to field just 20 candidates. Gen. Petraeus Likely to Push for Flexibility Key Facts About Iraqi Shi'ite Cleric Sistani Hezbollah Turns to Iran to Prep for Next War With Israel Waiting patiently
Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood bides its time amid crackdown As Egyptians Go to the Polls, Middle Class Discontent on the Rise By: Sara Bjerg Moller | World Politics Review This election season, most Egyptians are focused less on political issues and more on matters of daily survival. The real story is not the elections themselves but what's been happening in Egyptian society lately. Middle class discontent is on the rise, largely due to a deteriorating economic climate Al Hayat Will Media Escalation Lead to an Unexpected War in the Region? Raghida Dergham - Frightening are recent reports of militias in Iraq and Lebanon being equipped and reinforced, of military preparations and maneuvers taking place, as well as of advanced surveillance installations being set up in a number of countries in the region, primarily Israel, Syria and Iran. Elias Harfouch - If the Israeli military maneuvers are not directed at Syria, Lebanon or even Hezbollah, as the assurances by Minister of Defense Ehud Barak go, then who are they directed at? | H9 Ha’aretz – Ben-Eliezer: If Iran attacks, we will destroy it U.S., Israel fear Iran has N. Korean nuclear know-how U.S. evangelist pledges $6 million in contributions to Israel New Guest: US should revoke support for Palestinian state Arens Judenrein Palestine What kind of a peace can this be when nobody Jewish will be allowed to live within the borders of Israel's neighboring state? Jerusalem Post Barghouti: Cease-fire needed, Palestinians ready for peace Jailed Tanzim leader sends Peace Now a message on its 30th anniversary: Overwhelming majority of Palestinians are ready for reconciliation. The Palestinians are under inner and outer siege By BASSEM EID
The real extent of infighting is often overlooked. Our World: Covering for the enemy [ CAROLINE GLICK The Region: An Abbas of failure [ BARRY RUBIN Creating a culture of peace in Israel and Palestine [ GERSHON BASKIN New IAF brass all Harvard graduates "Now we just have to wait and see what they will do with advanced degrees." Peace Now at 30 By remaining ideologically stagnant, the organization places itself on the periphery of Israeli politics. Head of Syrian Military Intelligence Says Hizbullah Terror Chief's Assassins Came from Syria Fatah Veterans Fear "Young Guard" Coup - Yedioth Ahronoth Barak: We're watching Syria
'We have no interest in fighting, but there is still some tension, maybe because Syria and Lebanon blame us for Imad Mugniyah's death,' Defense Minister says, adding 'fight against terrorism in Gaza not over yet' 'Our people ready for peace' Barghouti to Peace Now: Majority of Palestinians ready for historic reconciliation with Israel Daily Alert.org – Hebrew Press Editorials (2008) - Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine Talk To Hamas? Bad Idea - Robert O. Freedman Hamas Rule Brings Stability to Gaza, But Also Fear Exclusive: Fatah and Hamas reach framework accord in three weeks of secret talks |
| H10 Christian Science Monitor Marines face last insurgent stronghold in Iraq's Anbar Province While the Sunni heartland has largely turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq, insurgents are still doing battle in the 'wild' reaches of the province. Congress to hear Petraeus on Iraq with eye on U.S. elections Democrats hope this week's hearings can shift the war's course. GOP wants Clinton, Obama to acknowledge its gains How green is your presidential candidate? Who they'd appoint as judges may matter most. ASIA Asia Times The Taliban's shadow hangs over NATO Following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit and the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George W Bush, the Russians say they were "defeated": the US's missile defense shield in Europe and NATO's expansion will go ahead. This is a smokescreen. Moscow, by agreeing to the transit of food and non-military cargo and "some types of non-lethal military equipment" across Russia to Afghanistan, now has a role in NATO's operations in Afghanistan. - M K Bhadrakumar WSJ Cultural Autonomy for Tibet
By David L. Phillips An existing solution to China's problems. Inflation: A scholar from the Peterson Institute for International Economics writes that rising inflation across Asia is causing governments there to restrict exports and liberalize food imports (PDF). Afghanistan: Vocal 'Warlord' Critic Seeks To Reverse Her Expulsion From Legislature Voice of Taiwanese Heard Around Asia By: Tom Plate | The Japan Times Although they number only 23 million, Taiwanese have a major voice in the evolution of East Asia because of the cross-strait tensions with mainland monster China.
Beijing's Number One Enemy - Boston Globe editorial
FT How worldwide inflation will aid Japan Reform has represented a meaningless reshuffling of bureaucratic deckchairs and not an attempt to improve growth potential, says Alexander Kinmont China vows to keep torch on track Beijing says no force can stop the world relay of the Olympic flame as it faces new protests on the Californian leg. India's jobs plan goes nationwide Last week, India's government expanded its ambitious program to provide 100 days of minimum-wage employment per year to millions of poor rural farmers. Online papers challenge Japan's mainstream media Citizen journalists, who write articles voluntarily, say they are challenging major news outlets' 'information cartel. In Europe, Many Seek to Rebuke China at Beijing Olympics By: Kim Murphy and Geraldine Baum | Los Angeles Times
The protests highlight Europe's growing unease with supporting the Olympics in the face of the Chinese authorities' brutal crackdown in Tibet last month and its harsh criticism of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Critics also cite China's record of stifling dissent, including the arrests of 31 journalists. | H11 IHT Return of jihadists: Europe's fears subside As members of a cell suspected of sending insurgents to Iraq in 2005 await a verdict in their case in France, intelligence and law enforcement officials say their fears of young would-be fighters from Europe traveling to Iraq and returning more radicalized and better trained were overblown. Are NATO promises backed by anything?
By JOHN VINOCUR You can now file away as "frozen promises" NATO's commitment to two would-be democracies. Laws, not light bulbs Al Gore's latest climate change initiative is not just to change individual behavior by getting people to buy energy-saving light bulbs. Beijing's number one enemy What the Beijing bosses do not understand - what any competent public relations expert could tell them - is that they have become their own worst enemies. Paranoia backed by just cause By JAMES CARROLL Is Washington again pursuing self-defeating policies that make tension with Moscow more likely instead of less? The debate we need to have By HENRY A. KISSINGER The most important challenge the new American administration will confront is how to distill a new international order from three simultaneous revolutions occurring around the globe. Berlin denies it approved training for Libyan police Amid growing criticism of the country's security services, the German government insisted Monday that none of its departments had allowed its personnel to train Libyan police officers between 2005 and 2007 EUROPE European press review Paranoia Backed By Just Cause By: James Carroll | The Boston Globe
When the United States pushes a missile defense system on Europe, locating critical elements in Poland and the Czech Republic, Moscow refuses to believe that Iran is the target German Islamists Suspected of Planning Attack in Afghanistan Der Spiegel
Two Islamic extremists from Germany may be planning attacks against targets in Afghanistan, investigators have warned. The men, who share connections to the Sauerland terror cell and suicide bomber Cüneyt Ciftci, are thought to have trained at terror camps in Pakistan Analysis: German-Libyan security affair (UPI) -- Germany has denied media reports of official involvement in an alleged scheme to provide anti-terrorism training to Libyan security forces, with several elite policemen and an army officer under investigation. | H12 RFE/RL Walker's World: Bush's last summit By MARTIN WALKER (UPI) -- Putin got all he wanted from the NATO summit and from President Bush's visit; his guest left empty-handed and diminished EDM NATO MAKES POLITICAL COMMITMENT TO UKRAINIAN, GEORGIAN MEMBERSHIP
- KREMLIN CRITICS SAY POLITICAL REFORM MUST COME FIRST
- GAZPROM EXPANDS STATE GRIP ON ENERGY ASSETS Moscow Killings Blamed on Racism Non-Slavs Targeted, Rights Groups Say EurasiaNet US-Russia: The Window on Putin’s Soul Has Frosted Over
At their first meeting, in 2001 in Slovenia, US President George W. Bush was famously able to look Russian leader Vladimir Putin "in the eye" and "get a sense of his soul." Bush then pronounced Putin a man he could do business with. "And that’s the beginning of a very constructive relationship," Bush stated. NATO: Putin Is Congenial As He Strives to Keep the Atlantic Alliance At Bay Russian leader Vladimir Putin tried his best to sound disarming during his April 4 talks in Bucharest for discussions with NATO summiteers. Putin’s restrained approach, however, couldn’t conceal a determined effort to enhance Russia’s veto power over Atlantic alliance enlargement. Dominant Russian party to nominate Putin as leader Boston Globe Editorial The Bush-Putin summit Google News Azerbaijan Good and Bad NATO News for Putin By: Nabi Abdullaev | The Moscow Times For President Vladimir Putin, the good news was that Ukraine and Georgia were out for now. The bad news, as Putin arrived in Bucharest on Thursday evening, was that missile-defense systems might be in Central Europe soon Kazak State Tightens Grip on Media By: Marina Baymukhamedova | Eurasianet The Kazak government has moved in to buy up all remaining shares in the country's largest broadcasting conglomerate, in a move that media-watchers have seen as an attempt to reinstate total control over the media |
| H13 The Times More or fewer troops? The future's not that simple The next US president is likely to inherit 140,000 troops on the ground in Iraq and no clear plan of what to do with them Bronwen Maddox Al-Mahdi army offers to lay down its arms Iraq's most dangerous militia will disband voluntarily if Shia scholars advise its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, to do so Bird flu: solid evidence of human transmission Alarm about a possible global flu pandemic restarted by clear evidence that bird flu can be transmitted person to person Nato general warns of a more ruthless Taleban Commanders killed by the alliance in Afghanistan are being replaced by more radical recruits, says General Dan McNeill Tony Blair: articles of faith The former Prime Minister brings needed political experience to the global interfaith dialogue General Petraeus enters presidential battlefield John McCain accuses rivals of backing a reckless Iraq withdrawal on eve of testimony from General David Petraeus The Diana verdict: justice and grief The time has come for Mohammed al Fayed to accept reality Wall Street Journal The Petraeus EffectThe surge's success makes a political victory in Iraq possible. Will Washington squander these gains? Officer Questions Petraeus's Strategy After the Fire
By James Taranto The battle of Basra: another Tet, or just a tête-à-tête? Greenspan Defends His Legacy Alan Greenspan was lionized for the economy's performance for much of his 18 years as chairman of the Federal Reserve, but now, he notes, he's being second-guessed for it. Now 82 years old, he wants to set the record straight before the ink dries on the first draft of the current financial crisis' history. Excerpts: Greenspan's Interviews with the Journal Antimissile Milestone
A Bush legacy against rogue threats. The Sergeant Solution
By Robert H. Scales Saddam learned the hard way. Armies aren't effective when they're not flexible at the unit level. Climate Change Opportunity
By Fred Krupp Business is just waiting for Congress to set the rules of the game. Cultural Autonomy for Tibet
By David L. Phillips
An existing solution to China's problems. The New Liberal Taboo
It's the pact that dare not speak its name. Demythologizing central bankers The exalted status of the world's central bankers, bloated by self-congratulation and the economic boom of the past 25 years, is scheduled for demotion as demands grow for a return to true full employment with diminished income inequality. How we write history really does matter. - Thomas I Palley | H14 Financial Times The political threats to globalisation Hunger – that most traditional threat to ruling elites – is returning to many countries that have embraced globalisation, writes Gideon Rachman. Along with other mounting pressures, it could come to undermine the free-trade consensus built up over the past 30 years Mind the gapAs Anglo-American capitalism looks tarnished, a period in which rising inequality and stagnant incomes seemed tolerable to voters may be coming to an end Gulf states tighten ties with China Delegations from Abu Dhabi and Qatar are expected to visit Beijing as Middle Eastern funds continue to scour the globe for investment opportunities for their oil revenues Israeli civil defence drill raises tension Israel launches the biggest emergency drill in its history to ready the population for potential bombardment even as the government plays down the risk of conflict Iraq’s Maliki threatens to bar Sadr from vote Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister, warned Moqtada al-Sadr, a militant Shia cleric, to disband his militia or face being excluded from future Iraqi elections Egypt opposition calls for election boycott The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a boycott of local elections in protest at the government’s failure to abide by court rulings allowing its candidates to run Experts start to see light in credit gloom Is the worst over? For the first time since financial turmoil began in August last year, some respected experts are beginning to speculate that the worst of the credit... Russia and EU step up satnav race Brussels and Moscow separately announce plans to speed up work on building more accurate rivals to the military-run US global positioning system Clinton move ‘too little too late’ Hillary Clinton’s decision to remove Mark Penn as her chief strategist came too late to save her campaign and amounted to too little to restructure it, Democrat officials have said Vetting of overseas investors stepped up Sovereign wealth funds and other overseas investors will face closer scrutiny by US regulators under changes to the way foreign deals are vetted on national security grounds The Trillion Dollar MeltdownThe first author to treat the financial crisis is right about its scope but does not convey what it actually felt like to see the madness develop Crisis requires large-scale action Only large-scale, unorthodox intervention by the public authorities will help stabilise the more pressing problems, says George Magnus Taxation tremors Just as Tony Blair was emblematic of public mistrust over the Iraq war, so Gordon Brown risks being a magnet for discontent on taxes and the economy Italy needs reform Italy is sinking under a bloated public sector and crumbling infrastructure: it needs structural reform and political renewal but it is unlikely to get them | H15 Los Angeles Times Resist the urge to leave Iraq By Max Boot As Petraeus and Crocker know, the U.S. can win if troops remain. Fighting intensifies in Iraq's capital Three U.S. troops are killed in Baghdad on the eve of Gen. David H. Petraeus' testimony before Congress. Changing the ways we connect By Pico Iyer Globalism today has less to do with countries than with how we choose to define our communities. The presidential race might come down to issues -- or not The Democrats' policies rank high, but polls show a GOP edge on traits like honesty, strength, decisiveness McCain rebukes Democrats' views on Iraq withdrawal A 670-Mile-Long Shrine to American Insecurity By: Gregory Rodriguez | Los Angeles Times
Building a border wall to keep migrants out is an odd act for a nation so proud of its power. Free trade with Colombia urged By James Gerstenzang President Bush says it would open markets for U.S. goods. He has a slim chance of winning congressional approval. Five Americans die in Iraq |
| H16 American Politics Gallup Daily: Obama Moves to 9-point Lead Over Clinton Obama-ism Without Obama realclearpolitics memeorandum ABC’s The Note – US News Political Bulletin Early Bird GovExec Swamp Gas The Swamp Obama May Not Have Fully Contained Damage From Ex-Pastor From HNN, a poll find 61% of historians rate the Bush presidency as the worst ever a review of Are Americans Becoming More Peaceful? by Paul Joseph | H17 Daily Telegraph Fear of Islam ruining our chance for peace Islamophobia is a big question of our time, and one which causes us to dig in to entrenched positions of left and right, says Andrew O'Hagan. Are we hurting our own society by creating a monster? Iraqi Shia leader 'to disband army' Moqtada Al-Sadr, the Iraqi Shia leader, has discussed disbanding his Mahdi army following pressure from Iraq's prime minister Gordon Brown's government in turmoil Political authority is like virginity. Once it is lost, you can't get it back. Slowly but surely Gordon Brown's is slipping away, writes Rachel Sylvester. China's Olympic-sized blind spot The Olympic slogan, "Light the Passion, Share the Dream", has come back to bite China: protesters are displaying the passion, the dream has turned into a nightmare. End this tragic waste of time and money Diana, Princess of Wales's death was never going to be allowed to pass as a mere car accident, thanks to the bloody-minded determination of Mohamed Fayed. 'Bomb plotter in UK on fake passport' The "commanding officer" in a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners flew into Britain under a false passport three weeks before the gang was arrested, claiming he was on his honeymoon, a court has heard. | H18 Independent Robert Fisk: Hizbollah turns to Iran in war on Israel The Shia "martyrs" of this hill village are normally killed in the dangerous, stony landscape of southern Lebanon, in Israeli air raids or invasions or attacks from the sea. The Hizbollah duly honours them. But the body of the latest Shia fighter to be buried here – from the local Hashem family – was flown back to Lebanon last month from Iran. Leading article: It's time for a more nuanced approach to the Kremlin Up in flames The global procession of the Olympic flame stumbled into abject political embarrassment for Beijing and Western governments yesterday as the torch was extinguished four times during its relay through Paris The Big Question: Who wins – and who loses – with the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax? |
| H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism FBI insider How US intelligence is hitting al-Qaeda where it hurts WSJ The Sergeant Solution
By Robert H. Scales Saddam learned the hard way. Armies aren't effective when they're not flexible at the unit level.
Why NATO? - John Derbyshire, National Review
Terrorism has peaked: ex-Mossad boss Officer Questions Petraeus's Strategy Misreading the Surge Threatens U.S. Army's Conventional Capabilities - LTC Gian Gentile, World Politics Review Misreading the History of the Iraq War - COL Peter Mansoor, Small Wars Journal Misreading the History of the Iraq War - Small Wars Council discussion Our Troops Did Not Fail in 2006 - Small Wars Council discussion Mansoor and Gentile on SWJ - Abu Muqawama Two Sides of COIN - Phillip Carter, Intel Dump Military lawyers assigned to defend accused 9/11 ploitters The chief defense counsel for the war crimes court at Guantánamo Bay on Monday appointed four U.S. military officers to defend four alleged co-conspirators facing possible death-penalty charges in the 9/11 attacks Why are We Succeeding in Iraq - or are We? - Herschel Smith, The Captain's Journal Intelligence Community Information Sharing Strategy (PDF; 1.9 MB)
Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence Andrew Sullivan: Bush officials 'will be indicted for war crimes' “A classic Mike Wallace interview: Henry Kissinger's 1958 support of the concept of "limited war" against the Soviet Union.” By Bruce Fein President Bush's signature constitutional idea is that he is the law. The idea is taking hold in a climate of post-Sept. 11, 2001, fear. Under the banner of fighting international terrorism, Mr. Bush claims unchecked powers historically associated with despots. ABCNEWS: Surprising Political Endorsements By Troops... The Emerging Surveillance State
by Rep. Ron Paul Real Roles, Missions Debate - Hoehn and Ochmanek, Washington Times Domestic spy satellite plan triggers House furor | Today, the national civil rights pulpit is largely occupied by second-rate shakedown artists.
Christopher Hitchens Oliver Stone Takes On George W. Bush From LRB, Jeremy Waldron reviews Worst-Case Scenarios by Cass Sunstein Energy, Climate, and Environment - Pt 5 Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Energy, Climate, and Environment - Pt 4 Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Energy, Climate, and Environment - Pt 3 Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Energy, Climate, and Environment - Pt 2 Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Energy, Climate, and Environment - Pt 1 | H21 ‘Wash Post’ Captures 6 Pulitzers, ‘NYT’ Takes 2 Genesis machine poised to end quest for 'God particle' Collider will reproduce conditions that existed an instant after the Big Bang The God Particle Scientists may be on the brink of cracking one of the world's great mysteries The spy who loved it What went on in the often dark sexual world of Bond girls and Ian Fleming Rushdie: I was deranged when I embraced Islam Sir Salman Rushdie has confessed that he pretended to "embrace Islam" in the hope of reducing death threats From New Scientist, a look at why the demise of civilisation may be inevitable; and will a pandemic bring down civilisation? Mapping Iran’s Online Public: Politics and Culture in the Persian Blogosphere Source: Berkman Center for Internet & Society (Harvard Law School) COMMENT: We are seeing a generational literacy shift Italy Takes Open-Door Approach to Prisons When Italy's prison system faced an overcrowding crisis two years ago, the government freed more than a third of the inmates. Although crime rose, the prison population dropped so much that for awhile Italy had more prison guards than prisoners. Biographers says Oliver Stone's 'W' script inaccurate... |
