| H1 New York Times Russia Expands Support for Breakaway Regions in Georgia Asia Times The Rise of the New Energy World Order By: Michael T Klare This is the beginning of the final stage and age of petro power, geopolitically speaking. A new world order is emerging that will be characterized by fierce international competition for dwindling stocks of oil, natural gas, coal and uranium, as well as by a tidal shift in power and wealth from energy-deficit states like China, Japan and the United States to energy-surplus states like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela
‘The Absence of Grand Strategy’ Jerusalem PostIsrael considering large Gaza incursion after Bush visit Security sources predict operation would end with deployment of Egyptian or international force, say idea would be to "clean Gaza out." Yedioth AhronothIDF vulnerabilities exposed Hamas adopts Hizbullah modus operandi as it learns from recent fighting, says Ron Ben-Yishai Back to Jordanian option/ Eiland Four reasons why final-status agreement with Palestinians is unfeasible An Ominous Rift Grows in the Arab World By: Rami G. Khouri | The Daily Star As oil income to Arab producers continues to rise, we are witnessing sharper polarization between the wealthy, energy-producing states of the Gulf with their small populations on the one hand, and the more populous, energy-importing Arab countries in the Levant, the Nile Valley, and North Africa on the other William Arkin Beware Military Calls for 'Balance' Guardian 20 dead after Gaza fire fight Heavy fighting at Nahal Oz fuel crossing leads to Israeli tank and aircraft strike Financial Times Preparing for the age of peak oil Russia has much to gain by exploiting western expertise and technology. Foreign firms will compete fiercely for opportunities. But if it drives them out, Russia will be unable to revitalise its decayed supply network Russia accused of annexation attempt Georgia accused Russia of seeking to annex parts of its territory after Moscow said it would establish official links with separatist Georgian regions A modest proposal for preventing world famine Victor Mallet on why leaders must focus on policies Tehran delivers gas ultimatum Iran’s oil minister warns Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Repsol to finalise their multi-billion dollar natural gas contracts by mid-June or lose the deals to other groups Michael Mandelbaum Democracy`s Good Name: The Rise and Risks of the World`s Most Popular Form of Government CFR Kurtzer: Next US President Must Give Priority to Arab-Israeli Talks - Council on Foreign Relations
What Will They Really Do About Iraq? - Mark Benjamin, Salon Guardian We need a benign European hydra to advance the cause of democracy Timothy Garton Ash: Our continent's diversity should let us promote freedom without the taint of Bush's neocon project imposed by force McCain: Hard to Convince US to Attack Iran Obama Would Do 'Everything' to Help Israel Defend Itself Could Israel Use Submarines Against Iran? From the latest issue of Policy Review, Amitai Etzioni on Religion and Social Order: Filling the gap when autocrats fall Salon The rubes and the elites By calling small-town Americans "bitter," Obama has deepened a long-standing rift in the Democratic base. The party's success in November depends on healing it. By Michael Lind Iraq: The ten commandments In honor of Charlton Heston, here are 10 lessons we should engrave on our foreign policy tablets as we prepare to leave Iraq. By Gary Kamiya What Will They Really Do About Iraq? - Mark Benjamin, Salon Handicapping the Next Superpower By: Neil C. Hughes | The American Interest
Handicapping the Next Superpower Comparisons of China and India tend to oversimplify the complex relationship between political change and economic growth NPQ Kenichi Ohmae: THE COMING BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: EURO VS. THE DOLLAR Time Bush's Toothless Climate Plan Roubini Video Interview with the Financial Times on the Global Slowdown
World Economic Outlook: Housing and the Business Cycle Source: International Monetary Fund Download in sections or as full report (PDF; 6 MB). Rising food prices: Policy options and World Bank response (Word; 175 KB)
Source: World Bank Jamestown Iran Charged with Infiltration and Sabotage of Iraq’s Awakening Councils Iraqi Shiite Factionalism and Iran’s Role in the Basra Fighting Washington Institute U.S. Foreign Policy and Israel's Qualitative Military Edge: The Need for a Common Vision In this Policy Focus, two U.S. military planners argue that a clearer definition of, and approach to, Israel's military advantage is needed in light of Iran's emergence as a regional threat. American decisionmakers need new guidelines to help enhance partnerships with Arab allies and deter Iranian ambitions without endangering Israeli security. By William Wunderle and Andre Briere An Arab Cold War By: Huda Husseini | Asharq Alawsat
The situation in Lebanon continues to escalate with no signs of a resolution. What is happening today is larger than Lebanon; it is an Arab cold war not unlike the one that took place in the 1950s and 1960s U.S. Reaching Out to Sadr Supporters in Iraq: A Strategy That Worked With Sunni Militias Hits a Hurdle With Shiites As Cleric, Government Resist Compromise IHT The price of the surge By STEVEN SIMON Washington must return to the kind of diplomacy that Bush has largely neglected. Speculators and soaring food prices By WILLIAM PFAFF The myth of the benevolent and ultimately impartial market prevails against Iran homes in on the Caspian
With United States and United Nations sanctions escalating the pressures on Iran, particularly in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Tehran is seeking an outlet for trade and investment in the Caspian region, luring potential partners with lucrative production-sharing agreements. If only the littoral states could agree among themselves. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi Daily Star Hizbullah's guns are a symptom, not a cause, of what ails Lebanon Does Asia exist? Rivals, by Bill Emmott, suggests we are witnessing its creation. General: Documents Reveal al-Qaeda Plot to Divide Iraq Why Is America Still in Iraq? Pride. by Gwen Richardson Warlordism 'Is Winning' Versus Democracy A correspondent for Radio Free Afghanistan says the ordinary people he talks to in his travels have one main complaint -- the dominance of the central government by warlords and their private militias Sunni-Shiite Divide in Baghdad Worsens Al Qaeda Documents Reveal 'Surprisingly Bureaucratic And Persistently Fractious' Organization Jamestown An Online Terrorist Training Manual - Part Two: Assassinations and Robberies Mullen: Balance needed for the military (UPI) -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he is trying to keep U.S. forces ready for future threats while adjusting the realistic capacity of the military. Scientists say US missile defense system can't work White House: US Needs More War Funds by June Drezner A random elitist question | H2 London Review of Books The Divisions of Cyprus by Perry Anderson Global Terrorism Analysis Improved Intelligence Behind Turkish Success in Latest Anti-PKK Operations
[NEWS ANALYSIS] How Rice ignored elephant in the room?
Turkey Strikes PKK in Northern Iraq Washington Times Kurdish leaders reach oil-law deal with Baghdad Iraq's central government and the Kurdish region have reached a deal on an oil law, including a method for weighing the validity of the oil deals the Kurds have signed with foreign firms, the top government spokesman said yesterday. IsraPundit The Road To Iran Runs Through Kurdistan - And Starts In Syria Thus, the next move in this geopolitical chess game must focus on optimizing legitimate Kurdish interests in Syria - not withstanding the Turkish-PKK conflict - for it promises incremental isolation of Iran’s mullahs. Analysis: Iraq oil law a deal -- spokesman
Lale Sarıibrahimoğlu New air raids in the midst of internal uncertainty Irak'ta petrol arama şoku Iraq's NOC lets contract for Kirkuk-Banias oil line repair Oil & Gas Journal Sami Kohen Barzani’nin yeni tavrı ERDAL ŞAFAK Kerkük ve petrol
Boston Globe Editorial Tremors in Turkey TURKEY has entered an ominous new phase in a power struggle between a moderately Islamist governing party and the military, judicial, and educational elites who jealously guard the principles of a secular state. Turkey's Constitutional Court inserted itself into this conflict late last month, when it agreed to hear a case filed by the chief public prosecutor against the Justice ... TURKEY BROADENS REGIONAL SECURITY DIALOGUE Eurasia Daily Monitor
Iran: Turkey’s next door, but far-away, neighbor (1) by MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ* TURKEY: 'Secular Fundamentalism' Fights 'Moderate Islam' Inter Press Service ISN Sarkisian to stay foreign policy course Turkish Airstrike 'Neutralises' PKK Forces on Border - London Times No Casualties From Turk Bombing of Iraq: PKK Wilson: "Kapatma davasını yakından izliyoruz" İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası Dış Basında Türkiye - BBC Turkish 0700 VOA Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey TurcoPundit Google News Fırat News Agency KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect Dış Basında Irak BBC Monitoring Inter-national AFP: Turkish jets strike Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq: army Cevdet Aşkın Genelkurmay'dan sınıra baskı, Kandil'den Erbil'e lobi jesti Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. DTP'li Tuğluk, Kürt devletine karşı çıktı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Diyarbakır'da şüpheli araçta bomba
Discussion on the formation of Kurdish nationalism Türk işgal harekatı ve Kürd ulusal güçleri arasında iplerin gerilmesi(4) Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
TSK dağdakilerin aileleriyle temasa geçti Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Barzani: Halkın yarın ‘Kerkük’ü neden sattın’ demesine tahammül edemem !
PKK’ya çifte darbe Küpeli dağında çıkan silahlı çatışmada 1 asker şehit oldu Gulf financial firms target Turkey Turkey “not worried” about Armenian Genocide discussions in Knesset Iran and Turkey hold counter-terror talks Taking Kurdish activism online Turkish general laments some allies have helped PKK Tibet and Kurdistan, Parallel Persecution Diyarbakır'da canlı bomba yakalandı Kurdistan Region vital to solving PKK issue - Kurdish Globe
Turkish police seize 27 tons of terror-linked drugs in 24 years Turkish Army strikes PKK bases in northern Iraq NATO mistaken in Afghanistan, warns Minister Babacan Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri Günlük Haftalık Yorum - Eser Karakaş] Değişen Türkiye'yi AB üzerinden okumak Semih İdiz AB, CHP’yi muhatap görmüyor
AKPM’de bildiri kavgası UN says Cyprus to start peace talk preparations BM Kıbrıs Görüşmelerine Olumlu Bakıyor Rauf Denktaş Selamet mi, felâket mi? Kapatma davasına bildiri
Kıbrıs Rum yönetiminden müzakere uyarısı AKPM kürtaj yasağının kaldırılmasını istedi Kıbrıs�ta müzakere süreci resmen başlıyor Söylemediğim sözü manşet yapmışlar, özür bekliyorum Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
'Almanya terör yasasını sadece imamlara uyguluyor' Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Kapatma davasına karşı AKPM de devrede
Fransa'da Ermeni kavgası Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
301 tümüyle kaldırılmayacak
AK Parti kapatılırsa müzakereler durur 68 bin kişi sevindi Moscow mayor’s office frustrating Armenian Genocide commemorative ... CAPITOL HILL SCREENING OF FILM DEPICTING EVENTS OF ARMENIAN ... More countries join South Stream pipeline project Almanya imamları izleyecek European Mps Of Turkish Origin To Gather In Northern Cyprus Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop DHKP-C'de Erdoğan'ın evinin krokileri Asker de devreye girdi Vatansever'e Ergenekon'dan belge Turkey’s strange Fareli Bush anısı 624 memur çeteci 17 Nisan 2008 Basın Özeti | H3 Demokratikleşme paketini çantasına koyan Erdoğan kampa çekildi Seyfettin Gürsel Düşük büyüme, yetersiz istihdam, artan işsizlik Türkiye Başbakanı arıyor! Anayasaya alternatifli paket ’Ismarlama’ bildiri Ankara’yı karıştırdı
AKP davası için kulis kavgası 'Darbecileri siviller yargılayabilir!' 'Türk milleti' tanımına Kürtler girer; Azeriler, Kırgızlar girmez Başbakan 'Savunma' için ortadan kayboldu Başörtülü hakim ve spiker görmek istemiyorum AKP M.Görüş gömleğini cıkaramadı
’Türklüğe’ MHP boykotu Söylemediğim sözü manşet yapmışlar, özür bekliyorum Açıklamada bir fark göremedik Milliyet Son Dakika Cengiz Çandar Küçük Katalan kız, İspanya'da büyüyünce Ahmet Taşgetiren Ulusalcı çizgi ideolojik boşlukta... Ruşen - Çakır Taha Akyol Paralarda Atatürk resmi Fikret Bila Terörü kabul edilebilir düzeye indirmek Hasan Cemal Mapuslar Sarayı’nda darbe tertipleri... SOLİ ÖZEL Hat
Murat Yetkin Avrupa'nın kapatma davası tutumu ve AK Parti İsmet Berkan 1 Mayıs'ta Taksim, temel insan hakkıdır Fehmi Koru Seçime doğru Amerika... Just my luck Taha Kıvanç Şamil Tayyar Ali Bayramoğlu Devletin sarsılmaz görüşü… Yasemin Çongar Hasan Celal Güzel - Özal yaşasaydı... Ertuğrul Özkök Kimmiş bu bildirici arkadaş Ahmet Hakan Türklüğe hakaret M Ali Birand 301'i kaldırmayalım, hatta idamı başlatalım Cüneyt Ülsever AKP’nin kapatılma davası: Batı kaynaklı iki görüş ve Anayasa Şahin Alpay Otoriter ve demokratik laiklik Enis Berberoğlu Oktay Ekşi Babacan’ın yanlışları Güneri Civaoğlu Yargıya AB sopası mı?
Bilal Çetin AKP türban kararına göre rotasını netleştirecek... İsmet Berkan - 1 Mayıs'ta Taksim, temel insan hakkıdır Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Türker Alkan - Açlık ve çokluk Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Nuray Mert - Avrupa, Ortadoğu ve Türkiye Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Murat Yetkin - Avrupa'nın kapatma davası tutumu ve AK Parti Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Hakkı Devrim - Cennetten çıkma dayağa dair Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Tarhan Erdem - YSK'nın açıklaması EKREM DUMANLI - Tekzipler nerede? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
MÜMTAZ'ER TÜRKÖNE - Darbeciler vatanı nasıl satar? Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
HÜSEYİN GÜLERCE - Ergenekon'un sonu Şemdinli gibi olmayacak... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
ŞAHİN ALPAY - Otoriter ve demokratik laiklik Fehmi Koru: Seçime doğru Amerika... Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Ali Bayramoğlu: Devletin sarsılmaz görüşü… Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Tamer Korkmaz: Banknotların üzerine Deniz Baykal resmi konsun… Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
İbrahim Karagül: 'Alman Ergenekonu' ve can alıcı sorular.. Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Akif Emre: Aydınlar '10. Yıl Marşı'nın neresinde? Yasin Doğan: Erdoğan'ın gerçek başarısı (I) Özdemir İnce Mehmet Y Yılmaz Yalçın Bayer Tarikat sakallı şoförler İETT’ye yakışıyor mu Şükrü Küçükşahin Köşk’te dışarıdan hizmet alma dönemi Kerim Balcı The treasure in Qatar Meral Tamer CHP Kurultayı, Türkiye için hayat-memat meselesidir İbrahim Kalın Ready to share power? MUHARREM SARIKAYA ERDAL ŞAFAK Kerkük ve petrol
ENGİN ARDIÇ Devşirme
ERGUN BABAHAN İnsanlığın sınavı EMRE AKÖZ MHP'li de olmuşum! Umur Talu Güvenilmez ülke! HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN NAZLI ILICAK Milletle göbek bağı MEHMET BARLAS Demokrasinin sağlığı için yeni Özal'ların yolunu açmalıyız MAHMUT ÖVÜR Pippa ve Gebze'deki ürküten tablo! YAVUZ DONAT 301... Yarın Güler Kömürcü
Kilit ve anahtarlar...
Orhan Kemal Cengiz
BURAK BEKDİL Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil. [Yorum - Doç. Dr. Medaim Yanık] Parti kapatmanın psikolojik anlamı Sebahattin Önkibar "Cheney'ye ağlaşan işbirlikçi" (!) ve MHP'nin 301 atağı! Demokratikleşme paketini çantasına koyan Erdoğan kampa çekildi Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Siyasî parti liderlerini 23 Nisan'da öğle yemeğine davet etti Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
Türkiye, Turgut Özal'ı unutmadı Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
CHP'li Kart: Başörtülüler askerî alanlara da girebilmeli Üniversitelere "YÖK terapisi" Öğrenciye terapi yapmak lazım Bilgiler geçici olarak kullanılabilir değil.
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Hukukçular '301'de yetki' konusunda uzlaşamadı ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM Yan etkisi şifa etkisinden çok olan ilaç Ercan Kumcu Dış finansmandaki gelişmeler Erdal Sağlam Bürokrasinin sınav günleri Ergin Yıldızoğlu 'Başlangıcın Sonu' Foreign investments in Turkey plunge Metin Münir İlk defa “kriz” kelimesini duydum Güngör Uras Tarımı IMF ve Dünya Bankası politikaları bitirdi Filipinos love the free market; Turks hate it -- TIME Seyfettin Gürsel Düşük büyüme, yetersiz istihdam, artan işsizlik Investors weigh up Turkish rate hike as lira slips Turkey's investment potential still alluring - Turkish Daily News Apr 16, 2008 Açlık sorunu kapıda...
SABAHATTİN ŞEN - Hurşit Güneş Gıdadaki fiyat artışları sosyal sıkıntı yaratabilir Deniz Gökçe Pirinç fiyatı dramı ne iş? İBRAHİM KAHVECİ Finans canavarının ilginç hedefleri Korkmaz İlkorur - Ferrari satışları, balon ve dengesizlik İBRAHİM ÖZTÜRK - Enflasyonla mücadelenin geleceği (2) Şimşek'ten yabancıların mülk edinmesi için yorum |
Who’s Bitter Now? By LARRY M. BARTELS Small-town people of modest means and limited education are not fixated on cultural issues. Rather, social issues are the opiate of the elites | H5 Washington Post Editorial Mr. Zahar and Mr. Carter The former president, on what he says is a road to peace, embraces Hamas terrorists. The Man to See By Mahmoud al-Zahar What Jimmy Carter's meeting with us means to the leadership of Hamas. Enemy No. 3 in Iraq By Harold Meyerson, Iraq is different from our previous wars because we are occupying a nation at war with itself Iraq's Top Commanders In Basra Are Reassigned Bush's Third Climate-Change Fake-Out By Dan Froomkin 2025 TARGET Bush Seeks Voluntary Curb On Greenhouse Gas Emissions Editorial Warmed Over President Bush delivers much talk and little action on climate change Fighting Breaks Out in Gaza Strip 18 Palestinians, 3 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Clashes Killing in the West Bank Exposes a Furtive War 'The Subtle Influence of Secularism' Below are excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's remarks yesterday Killing in the West Bank Exposes a Furtive War Hamas Cleric Apparently Tortured to Death in Custody of Rival Palestinian Authority What They're Saying By David S. Broder, In this presidential campaign, Pennsylvania voters are unsure of their own views I Was There 25 Years Ago, a New Kind of War Began in Beirut By David Ignatius, Remembering the blast that killed 63 people at the U.S. embassy in Beirut 25 years ago. Greens, Bush Fuel Food Crisis Swaminathan Aiyar | Biofuel subsidies and bans on bioengineered crops push millions to starvation. Huge Gap Predicted in N. Korea Food Supply Country is facing a humanitarian crisis this year and will likely need large food donations from the international community, the U.N. World Food Program says Pa. Debate Stresses Politics Over Policy Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton defend their handling of recent controversies, even as they criticize each other Obama Pressed in Pa. Debate Gaffes Are a Focus as He Spars With Clinton On the Shield Law, Good News and Bad By Robert D. Novak George Bush doesn't want to protect journalists. John McCain does. U.S. to Expand Collection Of Crime Suspects' DNA Policy Adds People Arrested but Not Convicted China Sees Change In Taiwan Leadership Bringing Closer Ties | H6 Guardian We need a benign European hydra to advance the cause of democracy Timothy Garton Ash: Our continent's diversity should let us promote freedom without the taint of Bush's neocon project imposed by force Tiny province could be new cold war front While Georgia hopes to join Nato, its rebel Abkhazia area is being wooed by Russia PM competes with Pope to woo US Gordon Brown still has much to do to make his mark in the US after challenging first day 20 dead after Gaza fire fight Heavy fighting at Nahal Oz fuel crossing leads to Israeli tank and aircraft strike Carter to meet Hamas leadership in Cairo Ian Black: Egypt grapples with Palestinian dilemma Clinton forces Obama on defensive Hillary Clinton fans controversies over pastor and links to former radical at Philadelphia debate US and Pakistan strike $7bn terror deal US promise to curb air strikes with new strategy offering $7bn in non-military aid to fight terrorism Mission America Leader: Pope Benedict has plenty of reasons to say something of consequence on his US trip Executions resume in US after court ruling Judges rule that lethal injection procedure used in Kentucky is not unconstitutional Sixty years after the universal declaration of human rights was adopted by the UN, attitudes, at least, have change dramatically In praise of ... hydrogen Leader: Hydrogen went out of fashion with the Hindenburg, the giant German airship which burst into flames in 1937 Misplaced military priorities Andrew Exum US elections 2008: Only Obama recognises that it's ground-pounding infantrymen in Iraq who need relief, not the high-tech defence industry Brown: I can bring Europe and US closer together after rift over Iraq |
| H7 A new kind of war: remembering Beirut 25 years on By David Ignatius An Arab Cold War By: Huda Husseini | Asharq Alawsat
The situation in Lebanon continues to escalate with no signs of a resolution. What is happening today is larger than Lebanon; it is an Arab cold war not unlike the one that took place in the 1950s and 1960s U.S. Reaching Out to Sadr Supporters in Iraq: A Strategy That Worked With Sunni Militias Hits a Hurdle With Shiites As Cleric, Government Resist Compromise Iran homes in on the Caspian
With United States and United Nations sanctions escalating the pressures on Iran, particularly in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Tehran is seeking an outlet for trade and investment in the Caspian region, luring potential partners with lucrative production-sharing agreements. If only the littoral states could agree among themselves. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi Daily Star Hizbullah's guns are a symptom, not a cause, of what ails Lebanon Quick Thoughts On Promising To Nuke Iran* New Republic Biggest Grain exporters Halt Foreign Sales By: Javier Blas, Isabel Gorst, and Lindsay Whipp | Financial Times
The global food crisis intensified on Tuesday as Kazakhstan, one of the world’s biggest wheat exporters halted foreign sales and rice prices shot to a record high after Indonesia stopped its farmers from selling the grain abroad Outlook and Options for U.S. Policy Towards Iran – Counterterrorism Arab Public Opinion Survey - Abu Aardvark The Middle East Consciousness Hazem Saghieh - The Middle East has never been as divided as it is today. In addition to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Turkish-Kurdish conflict intensifies, Arab fears of Iran increase, and Iraq provides a vivid and tangible picture of Hell. Al-Hakim's Iraq and Sadr's Iraq Mostafa Zein - When Democratic Senator Joe Biden embraced a plan in September 2007 to partition Iraq, and Congress approved the measure, Shiite leader Muqtada Sadr and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi were at the forefront of the opposition. Al-Qaeda in Iraq: Not Done Yet – Time Basra: Echoes of Vietnam When Sons of Iraq Grow Up - The Long War Journal Understanding the Fight Against Iran Inside Iraq - The Belmont Club Ayatollah Rising? Iran, Iraq, Sadr and Qom - Threats Watch
Nonproliferation experts Jacqueline Shire and Joseph Cirincione propose how to disarm Iran on bloggingheadstv | H8 IraqSlogger Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq Basra security leaders removed
Iraq's government replaces the heads of the army and police forces in Basra after a failed assault on militias Iran Putting Its Children on Death Row By: Niusha Boghrati | World Press For murder (among other crimes such as rape, blasphemy, and adultery), Iran's judiciary follows the Islamic Penal Code, which recognizes 15 Islamic lunar years for males and 9 for females as the age of mental maturity and legal responsibility Iran Nuclear Talks in China Fall Short of Agreement – Blow to British Troops as Iraq Pulls Commanders out of Basra Iran Nuclear Talks in China Fall Short of Agreement Iraq's Biggest Aid Agency? Muqtada al-Sadr
Iraq Removes Police Chief after Basra Crackdown –
US Hopes Saudi Arabia, Others to Offer Iraq Help –
Despite bombing, Iraqi leader says al Qaida nearly beaten Apr 16 SD# 1899 - Iranian Regime Instructs on Press How to Report on Nuclear Issue and Iraq EU says closing on Iraq energy accord Der Spiegel The Not-So-Fertile Crescent: Climate Change Threatens Cradle of Civilization
| H9 Ha’aretz – UN calls for disarming of Hezbollah, Israel-Lebanon solution Israel strikes Gaza after 3 soldiers killed, 3 wounded in Hamas ambush Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel Olmert to Haaretz: Iran won't gain nuke capability PM says in holiday interview he is convinced int'l pressure will be effective in pre-empting nuclear program Arrow successfully simulates intercept of mock Shihab missile Let the debate begin: what's a "pro-Israeli" position? A lot more on the J Street project (WTR) China: Int'l talks on Iran end with 'some' agreement on incentives Barak: Our suffering is more important than that of Gazans The Gulf is not Persian Just say no to Carter Carter, once the exaggerated attention is stripped away, is nothing but a nuisance. A painful reminder of the electorate's failure Jerusalem PostIsrael considering large Gaza incursion after Bush visit Security sources predict operation would end with deployment of Egyptian or international force, say idea would be to "clean Gaza out." Clinton says US would massively retaliate to Iranian attack on Israel; Obama: Israelis' security paramount Analysis: 'Hot Winter's' lost deterrence By YAAKOV KATZ
Since the last large IDF incursion into Gaza, Hamas has dramatically fortified its positions Hadley lays groundwork for Bush visit US nat'l security adviser stops over in J'lem to discuss negotiations with PA, sanctions against Iran Obama on Israel, all over again? Jews in America love Israel but they vote on America. New US lobby group to counter AIPAC 'J Street' seeks to push "pro-Israel, pro-peace" agenda in Washington. Yedioth AhronothIDF vulnerabilities exposed Hamas adopts Hizbullah modus operandi as it learns from recent fighting, says Ron Ben-Yishai Back to Jordanian option/ Eiland Four reasons why final-status agreement with Palestinians is unfeasible Obama: Carter visit wrong Slams former president's meeting with Hamas, says US should engage in direct talks with Iran Gaza on verge of eruption Hamas faces unprecedented crisis, as Israel, Egypt prepare for flare-up Daily Alert.org – Hebrew Press Editorials (2008) - Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine Day of Gaza unrest leaves 22 dead At least 22 people are killed in the worst day of violence across the Gaza Strip for more than a month. FEATURE-Could Israel use submarines against Iran? Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel Israel Says Syria Arming Hizbullah Despite UN Resolution Forward For Israel’s Sake, Moderate American Jews Must Find Their Voice Jeremy Ben-Ami | Tue. Apr 15, 2008 In just a few short years, the “two-state solution” has gone from presumed conclusion to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an increasingly distant hope. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has himself said that without such a deal, “the State of Israel is finished.” Helena Cobban reports, having interviewed him, on Khaled Meshaal. THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL Hamas has adopted a multi-tracked approach: steadily amassing weapons for a war with Israel several years from now while fielding a guerrilla-warfare infrastructure to fight the Israeli military if it invades during the next few months. Israel's Paramount Prism Is the Iranian Threat By: Yossi Alpher | The Daily Star Currently, relations between Israel and Syria are very tense. Any deterioration in the situation -- or for that matter, any improvement -- could have far-reaching ramifications for Israeli-Palestinian relations. But from Israel's standpoint, there is more to the picture than just Syria and Palestine Hizbullah's guns are a symptom, not a cause, of what ails Lebanon Carter's Hamas Meeting Comes at Bad Time - Lt. Col. Rick Francona (MSNBC) Good to talk? Should Israel change tack with Hamas to end Gaza deadlock?
New voice Liberal US Jews challenge conservative establishment
In Simulated Test, Israeli Anti-Missile Intercepts Iranian Missile with Multiple Warhead - 17 Palestinians, 3 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza Clashes - Voice of America U.N. calls for permanent cease-fire UPI) -- The United Nations is calling for greater progress to be made by leaders of Hezbollah and Israel to reach a cease-fire and end hostilities
Hamas says Carter Visit a Boost to Militants' Legitimacy - Associated Press
Legitimizing Hamas - Weekly Standard
Hamas -- No mas? - The Belmont Club
Islamic Jihad: We Refused Carter’s Request for a Meeting – Contentions The Controversy Surrounding Carter and Meshaal's Meeting : Tariq Alhomayed War for Israel's history
Efraim Karsh. Tony Karon Jimmy Carter and the Art of Growing Up AIPAC Defendants Say Testimony from ISOO’s Leonard is Crucial An Inter-Fatah War in Lebanon? - |
| H10 Christian Science Monitor Chinese vent anti-Western fury online Bloggers are now calling for boycotts and stoking death threats over perceived insults from Westerners who have criticized China's human rights record ahead of this summer's Olympic Games. Bush sets greenhouse-gas emissions goal for 2025 The president says the level will stabilize by that year, but he sets no cap. New hope for U.S.-South Korea ties From free trade to North Korea's nuclear threat, both sides must move past years of missteps China bends on Taiwan, why not Tibet? If Beijing can talk with Taiwan about ties, it can talk with the Dalai Lama about Tibet's future. ASIA Does Asia exist? Rivals, by Bill Emmott, suggests we are witnessing its creation. Warlordism 'Is Winning' Versus Democracy A correspondent for Radio Free Afghanistan says the ordinary people he talks to in his travels have one main complaint -- the dominance of the central government by warlords and their private militias Handicapping the Next Superpower By: Neil C. Hughes | The American Interest
Handicapping the Next Superpower Comparisons of China and India tend to oversimplify the complex relationship between political change and economic growth “Harmonious” In China The ancient sources of modern doctrine John Delury Asia's New Axis? Europeans View China as Biggest Threat to Global Security Der Spiegel China may have been hoping to garner positive global attention in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, but the issue of Tibet has shattered its image. A new poll shows that Europeans now see China -- not the US -- as the biggest threat to global security Focus on Iraq seen hurting Afghan mission (By Sara A. Carter) News In an editorial on a renewed proposal by President Musharraf for gas and oil pipelines to China, the paper says this in many ways makes sense, but adds that Pakistan’s leadership needs to consider why what appears to be a viable scheme has failed to move beyond the stage of broad-based talks. China tries to tackle inflation as growth exceeds 10% for 5th year Overall price level remains high despite the global downturn, severe winter weather and tighter lending Weekly Standard Carrying a Torch for China Skip the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, Mr. President. by Ethan Gutmann India is about to create what may be the biggest mass eviction of indigenous people ever. All in the name of conservation... more» Hindu In an editorial on rising food prices, the paper says the pernicious influences of climate change on food production can be countered only with the active participation of the developed countries. The paper believes that in particular the developed world should be persuaded to rethink their biofuel policies. Man at Work: Rudd Walks Asian Tightrope By: Tanja Vestergaard | Asia Times As seen by his recent trip to Beijing, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd faces a balancing act as he integrates new ally China into Canberra's foreign policy while seeking to define just how Australia fits into Asia UN fears for North Korean food shortage 6.5 million people short of food as kilo of rice rises to around one-third of worker's monthly salary How China should rebrand , James A Millward
Olympic Boycotts Make Casualties of Sacrifice By: Scott Soshnick | Bloomberg News
The next time some politician or activist suggests an Olympic boycott I want you to think of Craig Beardsley. And then tell me that countries suddenly outraged at China's record on human rights shouldn't send their athletes to Beijing Reason Lost in Angry Voices on Tibet By: Dinah Gardner | Asia Sentinel Never mind the Tibetans, the media war between China and the West has been so furious that editors appear to have forgotten what the protests were all about Ruling Coalition Split on Nuclear Deal By: David R. Sands | The Washington Times India's ruling coalition faces severe internal disagreements over a far-reaching nuclear deal with the United States, and forcing a vote too soon could prove a "gesture in futility," a top spokesman for the Indian government's leading party said yesterday Pakistan Change Creates New Opportunities | H11 IHT The price of the surge By STEVEN SIMON Washington must return to the kind of diplomacy that Bush has largely neglected. Speculators and soaring food prices By WILLIAM PFAFF The myth of the benevolent and ultimately impartial market prevails against Dimitri Medvedev: Who is he? Will Dmitri Medvedev ever be his own man? That question, which arose immediately after President Vladimir Putin named Medvedev as his successor, has yet to be settled. Despite her popularity, Merkel has ceased to set the agenda Senior party members in Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union say the "grand coalition" of conservatives and Social Democrats has run its course. Gordon Brown visits the U.S. While in the United States, Brown, who is under fire at home, plans to discuss an array of issues, from African matters to Iraq and Afghanistan, at meetings at the United Nations on Wednesday and at the White House on Thursday. EUROPE European press review Is Italy still a democracy? Martin Jacques: What the election of Silvio Berlusconi represents is the conquest and occupation of the state by private interests Different League?
Why Italy's resurgent right-wing party may adopt a new focus
Fresh jump in eurozone inflation Surging food and fuel prices push up annual inflation in the eurozone to a record 3.6% last month. Italy Swings to the Right The Economist Two years after being voted out of office, Silvio Berlusconi won a decisive victory in Italy's general election on April 13th and 14th that should allow him to govern Italy for the full, five-year term of the next parliament The Prague-Washington Swindle By: Jeremy Druker | ISN Security Watch
The idea of a new Cold War makes headlines and petty parliamentary math does not, but the latter will likely derail US missile defense plans for the Czechs EU Leader Sees Lack of Coordination As Energy Security Handicap French Complicity in the Rwandan Genocide: An Interview With Jean-Paul Gouteux By: Vivien Jabouef | World Politics Review This month marks the 14th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, which is commonly considered to have begun on April 6, 1994. One aspect of the genocide that has received little attention in English-language media is the close relations that existed between the French military and the armed forces of the "Hutu Power" Rwandan government Italy: The Economist’s Europe blog has a new audio interview with a former Italian finance minister looking at the country’s economic turmoil and possible policy fixes. Newsweek International examines how the reelection of billionaire businessman Silvio Berlusconi’s party could reshape Italy. WORLD NEWS: Bulgaria struggles to topple gangsters Walker's World: France's food fight By MARTIN WALKER (UPI) -- France has fought a stubborn and increasingly desperate rearguard action for the past 30 years to protect its farmers against the competition of world markets through the mechanism of Europe's Common Agricultural Policy. But the answer to food shortages is fewer tariffs and more competition for farmers everywhere to sell wherever they can. The Berlusconi Show: Italy's New Leader Is Up to His Old Tricks | H12 RFE/RLA New And Improved Single-Party State Vladimir Putin becoming head of Unified Russia suits almost everybody. Plus, the Kremlin gets what it sought all along -- Russia's transformation into a Soviet-style single-party state Georgia: Could More Dialogue, Fewer Demands, Be Ticket On Abkhazia? Google News Azerbaijan Carnegie A Regional Shift in Moscow
Georgia angered by Russian move Georgia says Russia is trying to annex two of Tbilisi's breakaway republics by seeking closer ties. Abkhazia in independence appeal Q&A: Russian-Georgian ties The West should encourage Turkmenistan's tentative opening
By Kimberly Marten OSCE: Efforts to Thaw Frozen Conflicts Growing More Complicated In his first public appearance as chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Finland’s new foreign minister, Alexander Stubb, called for enhanced efforts toward resolving the Soviet-era conflicts of Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and the Transdniester region Iran homes in on the Caspian
With United States and United Nations sanctions escalating the pressures on Iran, particularly in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Tehran is seeking an outlet for trade and investment in the Caspian region, luring potential partners with lucrative production-sharing agreements. If only the littoral states could agree among themselves. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi Success in Bucharest: The Half-a-Loaf Doctrine By: Alan W. Dowd | World Politics Review
The reviews from NATO's Bucharest summit are all in, and they generally conclude that the United States -- and more specifically, President George W. Bush -- failed. An Early Assessment of Putin's Foreign Policy By: Fyodor Lukyanov | The Moscow Times
President Vladimir Putin's participation in the NATO summit in Bucharest and his talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Sochi marked the final foreign policy episode in his two terms Azerbaijan: It’s Back to the Drawing Board for Karabakh Talks Tensions have subsided between Azerbaijan and the mediation group charged with overseeing talks with Armenia over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Even so, any progress that had been made toward a lasting peace settlement appears to have been lost. New Armenian President Takes Office, Keeps Up Repression By: Emil Danielyan | Eurasia Daily Monitor Serzh Sarkisian was sworn in as Armenia’s new president on April 9 amid a lingering political crisis triggered by his extremely controversial victory in last February’s presidential election Georgia's Democratic Stalemate By: Jonathan Wheatley | Open Democracy The so-called "Rose Revolution" in Georgia, when peaceful street protests against falsified parliamentary elections sparked in November 2003 eventually forced out the incumbent president, Eduard Shevardnadze, created optimism that the country would move towards full democracy. More recent events suggest that the path remains elusive NATO "Deeply Concerned" by Russia's Georgia Move – EDM HAS THE TRANSNISTRIA CONFLICT GONE FROM DEAD END TO WRONG TURN?
- CAN THE UKRAINIAN COALITION HOLD TOGETHER?
- THE CONTOURS OF PUTIN’S DE FACTO THIRD TERM COME INTO FOCUS Chechnya Tense after Pro-Russia Rivals Fight – Vladimir Putin 'to wed gymnast' Olympic hopeful half the President's age. U.N. extends mandate in Georgia
(UPI) -- In a move to maintain the current cease-fire and ensure future security, the U.N. Security Council Tuesday extended its mission in Georgia Kazakhstan: Grain Export Ban Stokes Inflation Fears Elsewhere in Central Asia Kazakhstan has slapped a ban on wheat exports in a bid to stem domestic inflation and stave off a repeat of last year’s bread shortages, which caused widespread dissatisfaction. While possibly fostering greater tranquility in Kazakhstan, Astana’s decision could have a destabilizing impact on the rest of Central Asia by generating a new burst of inflationary pressure Le Monde Pourquoi la Russie a peur de l'OTAN, par Marie Jégo |
| H13 The Times Mandelson turns Olympic row to his advantage EU Trade Commissioner is right to probe China's prickly ambivalence to try to extract more from their desire to stage a glorious Olympics Bronwen Maddox Bush's environment plans criticised US president criticised by environment groups after calling for halt to emissions growth without suggestions on how to achieve it Gordon Brown goes to Washington Britain's standing has declined in America. The Prime Minister must reverse this Voters' trust: collateral damage in Clinton's war Latest polls record that Hillary Clinton now has her worst ratings since she entered the White House as First Lady in 1992 Wall Street Journal Democrats Meet in Feisty Debate Obama and Clinton argued over who would have the best chance against McCain, even as their attacks against each other spotlighted vulnerabilities that Republicans could use to defeat either Democrat in the fall. The rivals disagreed over raising capital-gains taxes to pay for middle-class tax relief. Video Obama and Economic Opportunity By Jack Kemp
Any 'conversation' about race needs to include talk about access to capital.
We Need a Science White House
By David Baltimore and Ahmed ZewailThe candidates are leaving important questions unaddressed
Membership Has Its Privileges
By Fredrik Erixon and Brian Hindley Business Europe: Europe should work to bring Kazakhstan into the WTO. What's Causing China's Inflation?
By Michael Pettis
Hint: It's not spiking pork prices Asia Times US power failure a 'dismal' turning point The failure of neo-liberalism to develop a sound and sustainable US economy is now self-evident. The way forward requires rejection of the notion of economics as a science; it is a cultural system. The political then has to be put back into the economy. - Joe Costello | H14 Financial Times Preparing for the age of peak oil Russia has much to gain by exploiting western expertise and technology. Foreign firms will compete fiercely for opportunities. But if it drives them out, Russia will be unable to revitalise its decayed supply network Russia accused of annexation attempt Georgia accused Russia of seeking to annex parts of its territory after Moscow said it would establish official links with separatist Georgian regions A modest proposal for preventing world famine Victor Mallet on why leaders must focus on policies Italy’s bitterness could blight Berlusconi He will rely on Lega Nord support, says Erik Jones Tehran delivers gas ultimatum Iran’s oil minister warns Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Repsol to finalise their multi-billion dollar natural gas contracts by mid-June or lose the deals to other groups Army and police chiefs removed from Basra The Iraqi government removed its top army and police commanders in Basra, three weeks after the beginning of an offensive in the southern port city widely seen as a military fiasco Bush targets 2025 in move on emissions President George W. Bush proposed a target of stopping growth in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, delivering his opening shot in negotiations with the US Congress and international community over climate change Brown urges US banks to be open on losses The UK prime minister urged the heads of some of America’s biggest banks to be ‘expeditious’ and open in declaring losses in order to restore confidence to the world economy Clinton finds an ally in McCain The 2008 presidential race has boiled down to a fight of two against one – John McCain and Hillary Clinton versus Barack Obama Bleak Fed survey points to US recession The US economy weakened in the six weeks to April 7, according to the Federal Reserve’s beige book survey, providing further evidence of a slide into recession Carter to meet Hamas officials Jimmy Carter, the former US president and winner of the Nobel peace prize, is set to meet two top Hamas officials in Cairo, defying appeals from the Israeli government and the US administration to shun the Islamist group Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas gunmen The ambush by the Islamist rebels left three military men dead and three injured, providing further evidence of the growing prowess of Gaza-based militants Nigeria warned on oil spending An internal report seen by the Financial Times warns that production of oil, on which Nigeria depends for more than 90 per cent of its export earnings, will fall by a third unless the government boosts investment US mortgage clock ticking, Dodd warns There are only a few weeks left for Congress and the Bush administration to agree on large-scale government intervention in the mortgage market, according to Chris Dodd, one of the most senior lawmakers overseeing US economic policy India says US ties will survive N-impasse Indian government officials say relations with the US will prosper no matter the fate of their landmark nuclear co-operation agreement, which at present is blocked by the leftist parties on whose votes India’s coalition government depends Clearing the way European and US regulators should co-operate to ensure futures competition. If tearing down ‘vertical silos’ is to happen, it needs to happen in tandem Bankers seek help It is certainly time for public intervention to improve liquidity, but after a long boom the UK needs tighter credit markets and intervention should not try to stop that | Barack Obama, the yuppie candidate By Jonah Goldberg Barack Obama is finally coming into focus. Editorial |
| H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism Al Qaeda Documents Reveal 'Surprisingly Bureaucratic And Persistently Fractious' Organization Jamestown An Online Terrorist Training Manual - Part Two: Assassinations and Robberies Mullen: Balance needed for the military (UPI) -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he is trying to keep U.S. forces ready for future threats while adjusting the realistic capacity of the military. Scientists say US missile defense system can't work Gates seen reversing rivalry with State (By Nicholas Kralev) Training Requirements for U.S. Ground Forces Deploying in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, April 9, 2008 (PDF; 458 KB) Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General Newsweek article - A Gun in One Hand, A Pen in the Other HTS and Newsweek Beyond Iraq and Afghanistan What Foreign Fighter Data Reveals About the Future of Terrorism by Clinton Watts Download interim version of article as PDF Counterinsurgency? Or Counterterror? - Abu Muqawama Nuclear attack on D.C. a hypothetical disaster UK CT & COIN Features - 16 April 2008 - Insurgency Research Group Iraqi IDPs, COIN & ‘Competition in Government’ - Insurgency Research Group Selling Terror - Weekly Standard
When al Qaeda Could Cool Off - Contentions
Do Radicals Dominate Islam? – Contentions Rumsfeld's Memoirs: Fact or Fiction? - Intel Dump Introducing the other Guantanamo
The huge US air and naval base on Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean between Africa and Indonesia, has been a major launch pad for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US has improved it to the point of its use in a possible attack on Iran, and it's suspected of being a part of the US's secret "rendition" program for terrorist suspects. And all the while, the original inhabitants - unceremoniously kicked off the island - still fight for the right to return Al Qaeda Officially Hates The Counterterrorism Blog | H20 Slate Clinton Wins, But Barely She looked competent. He looked tired. John Dickerson I Don't Know. Go Ask Petraeus. McCain's appalling answer to a question about national-security policy. Fred Kaplan Obama Takes the Lead A new poll defies conventional wisdom and shows Obama ahead in Pennsylvania. Alex Joseph 2007 Report Card on American Education Source: American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Nieman Reports: 21st Century Muckrakers Global-warming chutzpah IF President Bush had unveiled his goals for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at the beginning of his administration instead of in its waning months, he might have actually played a role in linking the United States to global efforts to curb climate change. But the proposals he made yesterday, which in 2001 could have been a starting point for ... (Boston Globe) THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL President Bush's speech yesterday outlining the goal of halting the growth of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States by 2025 runs the unusual gauntlet of promising something the private sector will probably deliver on its own. Economic policy for humans IN THE past 20 years, there has been a growing interest in cutting-edge research that has come to be called "behavioral economics." In behavioral economics, the robot-like creatures who populate standard economic theories are replaced with real human beings. (By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, Boston Globe) The US's secret plan to nuke Vietnam, Laos
Recently declassified US Air Force documents reveal top-secret plans to use nuclear weapons against communist forces in Vietnam and Laos in 1959, 1961 and 1968. The plans to "cripple the insurgents and their supply lines" were scrapped due to a lack of suitable targets and the possibility of spreading war to China and the Pacific. - Richard Ehrlich NPQ Louise Arbour: IMPLEMENTING THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION Clock Running Out on Irreversible Climate Change – Part I | H21 Okay, so Isaac Newton didn’t get bonked on the head by an apple. But he did have weird ideas about sex, gold, and religion... more» Is the Renaissance scholar dead? Adrian Monk and AC Grayling debate. Google Book Search Gets Traffic Boost Jurgen Habermas has spoken in support of the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject of Shariah A review of Superclass: The Global Power Elite and the World They Are Making by David Rothkopf. From classics and sci-fi to poetry, biographies and books that changed the world: Here's The Perfect Library of 110 books The Big Question: Why is the world so slow to produce environmentally-friendly cars? Incest in Nature It's not all bad, apparently. Iran Offers Addicts Condoms, Syringes From Vending Machines |
