052308f - FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analyses for informed debate’ Compiled by Şanlı Bahadır Koç U.S. / Britain / Turkey / Magazines / Think-tanks / Blogs / Misc /Books / Quickread / Numbers / Reports - Subscribe to FPR FPR Table - H4 NYT WP GU H7 ME Isr H10 CSM IHT Eur FSU Asia H13 Times WSJ FT LAT H16 USP DT Ind H19 Mil Int Ter Wonk H21 Misc

H1 Sistani Issuing Fatwas Against US Troops in Iraq Powerful Iraqi cleric flirting with Shiite militant message ...Sistani has been quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad (see also Kevin Drum Sistani's Fatwas )

New York Times As Race Wanes, Talk of Clinton as No. 2 Grows Friends say that former President Bill Clinton has begun privately musing about the prospect of his wife as Senator Barack Obama’s running mate

Georgia Ruling Party Cements Power

Joshua Landis Can a Syrian-Israeli Peace Agreement Be Reached? - Council on Foreign Relations

Ha’aretz – Israel-Syria talks 'put the Iranians in shock' Olmert says Israel made no promises to Syria, pledges renewed negotiations won't harm Palestinian front

Sources: Israel never pledged full withdrawal from Gaza

Bradley Burston: The Palestinians' time is running out

Olmert: Israel has made no promises to Syrians

Syrians: Talks focusing on '67 border, timetable

Melman Is an attack on Iran a big risk?

Olmert's Syrian lifeline?

Eldar Without upsetting the president

Bar’el The mirage of a Shi'ite threat

IDF seeks American approval to buy 25 F-35 stealth fighters

Analysts: Syria-Israel Peace Deal Requires Shift in U.S. Policy

Rosner's Guests: Peace with Syria now? not very likely

Jerusalem Post Obama to 'Post': I'll back Syria talks Democratic candidate's statements contrast with tepid reception offered by Bush administration

The Economist The world economy Inflation's back Double-digit price rises are about to afflict two-thirds of the world's population

Inflation in emerging economies An old enemy rears its head Emerging economies risk repeating the same mistakes that the developed world made in the inflationary 1970s

Israel, Syria and the Palestinians Two-track tango Peace on the horizon? Or just a mirage?

At peace talks, no sign of US

ISRAEL'S PRIME Minister Ehud Olmert has called his government's peace talks with Syria a "historic breakthrough." It remains to be seen whether these talks, mediated by Turkey, lead to the genuine breakthrough of an Israeli-Syrian peace agreement. But the negotiations in Istanbul already qualify as historic for at least one reason: They are not being conducted under American auspices. (Boston Globe)

A new report from the Carnegie Endowment looks at several ways in which a Syria-Israel peace deal could reshape Middle East politics.

Pan-Arab Paper Ponders Syria's Willingness to Pay Price for Peace With Israel.

Al Awsat Wrong Signals from Washington : Amir Taheri
With Iraq fading as an election issue in the United States, Iran is moving up to ...

Petraeus: Attacking Iran 'Last Resort'

Pelosi Denies Olmert Proposed US Blockade of Iran

Independent Oil supplies: Running on empty? As evidence emerges of dwindling oil reserves, and the price of crude hits $135 a barrel, is the world about to be running on empty?

Hamish McRae: High prices won't stop the world going on growing

Chatham House International Affairs – May issue

CRS “Syria: Background and U.S. Relations,” updated May 1, 2008.

Remember the Black Swans By: David Howell | The Japan Times
If there is one certainty amid all the rival forecasts and predictions, it is that they will mostly all prove wrong. This is because most forecasts, however expert, tend to concentrate on aspects about which the experts know — the more expert the greater the concentration. Yet it is the unforeseen events that nearly always shape the future.

Newsweek Joe Biden: Obama’s Secretary of State?

Guardian Living with costly crude Leader: Devise policies assuming oil is going to remain expensive for a long time

A new cold war? We're yet to adjust to the old one ending

Jonathan Steele: Bad-tempered relations between Russia and the EU cannot be allowed to stymie a new partnership deal: both sides need it

Iran calls for uranium enrichment on its soil, with the world's help

Government proposes creation of international consortium to defuse tension over its nuclear programme

IHT EU defense spending may clash with military goals European Union countries may have been deploying more troops abroad in recent years, but a new analysis questions whether the EU's goal of becoming a major defense and security player can be met when military spending among the 27 declined from 2001 to 2006.

Food insecurity By PETER MANDELSON In the global age, food security can only make sense at a global level

Poland and Sweden try to direct EU attention eastward

Jolted by French plans for new European Union ties with countries on Europe's southern border, the two EU members have put forward rival proposals to focus more political effort on eastern neighbors, including Ukraine.

Washington Post Petraeus Expects to Recommend Troop Cuts in Iraq This Fall

In Iraq, a Surge in U.S. Airstrikes

Military Says Attacks Save Troops' Lives, but Civilian Casualties Elicit Criticism

Thinking Through Doomsday

By David Ignatius, Meet the people who are paid to assume the worst.

Obama's Metastatic Gaffe By Charles Krauthammer How a campaign missetep grew to become a foreign policy cornerstone.

A Phenom With Flaws By Michael Gerson Is Barack Obama a weak presidential candidate or a strong one? The answer is: yes.

Editorial Talking With the Enemy It was irresponsible for President Bush to try to restrain Israel from pursuing a settlement that it judges as possibly

Obama's Outreach to Foes Questionable Obama might not be as keen to meet US foes as his rhetoric suggests

Cobban Clawson & Eisenstadt preparing public for an attack on Iran?

Middle East: US losing 'Control'?

The Building BRICs of a New International System? By: Adam Wolfe | World Politics Review
Last week, the BRIC nations took their union out of the realm of analyst reports and formed a political alliance to challenge the dominance of the economic institutions created in the aftermath of WWII.

Mythmaking for the Next War By: Steve Chapman | Reason
But if Iran is the Soviet Union, I'm Shaquille O'Neal. There is nothing reckless in soberly distinguishing large threats from small ones, and there is something foolhardy in grossly exaggerating the strength of your enemies.

The Economist Diplomacy Speaking to the enemy Sometimes it makes sense; sometimes it doesn't; sometimes not talking can be appeasement

Wall Street Journal Them 2 – U.S. 1
Feckless or firm: U.S. Mideast policy loses while winning.

WSJ Divisions Surface Between U.S., Israel Dramatic shifts in Middle East diplomacy are exposing significant strategic divisions between the U.S. and its closest regional ally, Israel. The most profound split concerns Israel's engagement of Syria

Republicans and Our EnemiesBy Joseph R. Biden Jr. The obsession with the 'war on terrorism' ignores the larger forces shaping the world.

We Still Need a Larger Army
By Thomas Donnelly
And Frederick W. Kagan
Sen. McCain wants to prepare for the long war. Sen. Obama is OK with the Bush trajectory

Oil Is Up Because the Dollar Is Down
By David T. King
Leave Exxon alone. Our currency is the problem.

Petraeus Will Turn His Attention to the Hunt for Bin Laden by Eli Lake

RFE/RLMedvedev Confirms Kazakh Regional Dominance

The new Russian president's visit to Astana shows that Kazakhstan has left Uzbekistan behind in the two countries' long-running competition to be the region's dominant player

Daily Telegraph Nuclear power worries the Middle East Not all the overseas investment deals being made on the back of rising oil prices are welcome in the West, says Con Coughlin

Hizbollah veto boosts Iran influence

The Free-Trade Paradox - James Surowiecki, The New Yorker

Obama's Right, Iran is a Small Threat - Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune

As Bush Policy Crumbles, Allies Pick Up Pieces

WINEP The US-Israel-Egypt Trilateral Relationship: Shoring Up the Foundation of Regional Peace

EurasiaNet US-Iranian Relations: Could Fluoridated Water in the White House Be Fostering Strangelovian Visions
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN Tension is escalating between the United States and Iran, amid reports that the Bush administration is once again mulling air strikes against its long-time nemesis. While Iran is taking defensive precautions, the country’s leaders have not sought to match the Bush administration’s belligerent rhetoric. Meanwhile in Washington, an influential array of officials and experts are opposing presidential efforts to widen the Gulf War

Iran's surprise package tests waters Iran's new package offering to negotiate on a range of issues with key nations reveals an attitude of compromise and flexibility on its nuclear activities. The initiative offers encouragement to those who seek a peaceful resolution of the perceived "Iran nuclear crisis". And Tehran, in a quest for what it calls a "tangible result", may even be open to the idea of a temporary suspension of its uranium-enrichment activities. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi

INTERVIEW How Tehran wants to fix the world Seyed Abbas Araghchi,
Iran's envoy to Japan
Iran's new negotiation proposals establish exactly where Iran stands on some of the most important problems in the world, Araghchi tells Kaveh L Afrasiabi. He also reacts to skeptics who brand the package a propaganda tool and speaks on what he calls an "arrogant, Western-centric" approach

History in the making for Hezbollah Somewhere in Beirut, the head of Hezbollah, the resilient Hasan Nasrallah, is a happy man. Resolutions were hammered out in Doha on Wednesday giving Hezbollah and its backers long-coveted veto power in the Lebanese government - and the group gets to keep its arms, no questions asked. Syria and Iran were also winners and Saudi Arabia's proxies, defeated militarily last week, were beaten politically in Doha. Nasrallah is writing history, his way. - Sami Moubayed

CER What Arab countries think of democracy

Carnegie Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy

A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East

Forward Will Syria Talks Stall Palestinian Peace Process?

Der Spiegel Controversial Strategy: Germany Plans to Centralize Intelligence-Gathering Activities

The State of Libertarianism, 2058 - James Pinkerton, Reason

H2 Cold Turkey Oxford Analytica

Daily Star How to get to a more homogeneous Turkey By Christina Bache

CEPS What is happening in Turkey? Party Closure and Beyond Download PDF for free

The Economist Turkey and the Caucasus A Caucasian cheese circle The secret diplomacy of cheesemaking

Ha'aretz Turkey hoping Syria talks will ease domestic turmoil

Diplomat, professor mediating talks

PKK bizim sigortamız

Terörle Mücadele Yüksek Kurulu toplanıyor

Iraqi Kurds reject partition plan Kurdish lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament Thursday rejected a proposal to divide Kirkuk province into four constituencies

'Operasyonların bir parçasıyız'

ISN Turkey and the power of water Is Turkey's quest for water power aimed a modernization control over two contentious issues: Syria and the Kurds?

İsrail-Suriye görüşmeleri Ankara'nın aracılığıyla periyodik şekilde sürecek

EDM GOVERNMENT AND JUDICIARY FACE OFF AS TURKEY PREPARES FOR THE POST-AKP ERA

Opposition says AKP declared jihad on Turk judges

Portrait of a country on the verge of a political breakdown

İsrail'den Türkiye'ye 'Golan Tepeleri' güvencesi

'Operasyonların bir parçasıyız'

Kurds' call for mediation draws ire from Ankara

Sami Kohen Neden görüşüyorlar?

İBRAHİM KARAGÜLTürkiye dostlarına ihanet mi ediyor?

Hüseyin Gülerce AK Parti'nin Amerika'daki hasımları

Dünyayı dinî kamplara ayırmak çok yanlış

İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası Dış Basında Türkiye - BBC Turkish 0700 VOA TSİ 06:30 Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey TurcoPundit

Google News Fırat News Agency KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect Dış Basında Irak BBC Monitoring Inter-national

PKK bizim sigortamız

'Operasyonların bir parçasıyız'

Cevdet Aşkın ABD Barzani'ye bastırdı, PKK'ya yeni önlemler yolda

Kurds and Arabs both lay claim to Kirkuk The National

Turkmens end boycott of provincial council

Kurdish institute's ad angers Turkey

Local Kurdish PM extends warm message to Turkey

Haftaya yine aynı yerde

Iraqi Kurds serious about ending PKK attacks on Turkey

DTP’de başkanlık krizi

'PKK’ya izin vermeyiz'

Ailelere terör markajı

Le Monde ilanına yazılı tepki

Karı-koca teröristler teslim oldu

Güvenlik güçleri, terör örgütüne göz açtırmıyor

Beytüşşebap kırsalında çatışma: 2 şehit, 1 yaralı

Experts say Kurdistan's water crisis inevitable

DTP, Öcalan’ın önerileriyle kendini savunacak

Tam sayfa çağrıya Ankara'dan yanıt

DTP'de grup başkanlığı krizi

Iraq aims to increase trade volume with Turkey to $5 bln

Call for a Peaceful Settlement of the Kurdish Question in Turkey

Iraq could have largest oil reserves in the world

Prison censors Kurdish translation

Çukurca�dan Kuzey Irak�a topçu atışı

Le Monde�daki �Kürt� ilanına sert açıklama

Kürt yönetimi teminatını yineledi: Bölgemizi PKK'ya kullandırmayacağız

Kato�da 2 şehit

Sarıkamış, şehidini gözyaşlarıyla uğurladı

Kurdish leaders uneasy about Kirkuk issue

Irak Gaziantep'te başkonsolosluk açıyor

Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri Günlük Haftalık

Ferai Tınç Yargıtay’ın tepkisi ve Avrupa havailiği

Barçın Yinanç 'Katılımsız' Ortaklık Konseyi toplantısı

Fransa, referandum ve Türkiye

Zeynel Lüle Fransa'ya ne yapmalı?

Rauf Denktaş Hristofyas'a göre (3)

Ankara�dan Paris�e rest

Greek Finance Minister Speaks at CSIS

Erdoğan�a asimilasyon iğnesi

AP raporunda, �Türkiye hükümeti vatandaşlarının kültürel kimliklerini geliştirmelerine olanak sağlamalıdır� ifadesi yer alıyor

Gazeteciler Türk-Alman ilişkilerini masaya yatırdı

KKTC leader in Ankara for talks as momentum wanes

Rights Group: Gays in Turkey Face Climate of Violence

Talat ve Hristofyas biraraya geliyor Kıbrıslı Türk ve Rum liderler Talat ve Hristofyas bugün bir araya geliyor. Görüşmede, kapsamlı müzakerelere hazırlık amacıyla oluşturulan komitelerin faaliyetleri değerlendirilecek.

Demir Lady AK Parti için Türkiye’ye geliyor

Diyasporanın �hüsranı�

G. Kıbrıs�ta 35 Türkün kemikleri bulundu

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

'Gülen İzmir'de'

Ergenekon belgeleriyle iltica aldı

Şemdinli’nin ‘iyi çocuğu’ cezaevinde

Çavuş yine sahnede

Ölümlere karşı sihirli formül yok

Tersaneler taşınmayacak peki ne olacak?

Tuzla'ya büyük gözaltı

Turkey's youth seen as a cushion against uncertainties

Metin Münir AKP neden Kamu İhale Yasası’nı elli defa değiştirdi? (2)

Keneler büyük şehirlere iniyor

'Kene teorileri'

Okul servislerinde uyuşturucu alarmı

Hangisi asparagas?

Başbayanlar niye küs? İşte o diyalog

Cengiz Aktar

Gençlik haftasında gençlik manzaraları

Beril Dedeoğlu Üniversite matematiği

9 yeni üniversite yasasına onay

YÖK�ten rektör adaylarına sınav

Nuriş'ler Ergenekon'da ifade verdi

Serdar Turgut Erdoğan, Türklere etnik temizlik yapıyor

YÖK Kurulu’nda ‘İlahiyat’ çatlağı

Ece Temelkuran Yetersiz silahlanmış kadınlar

23 Mayıs 2008 Basın Özeti

H3 Artık susun

Türban davası haziranda

Gerilimin 5 nedeni

Bildiri tartışması büyüyor

Yargıtay'ın şahidi Danıştay

Bahçeli’den Gül’e ‘devreye gir’ çağrısı

Gül, MHP'nin önerisini inceliyor

Four parties face risk of automatic closure

Muhalefetten bildiriye destek

Yargıtay’ı asıl rahatsız eden reform paketi

Taarruz emrini emekliler verdi

Erdoğan yargıya cihat ilan etti

İşte ipleri koparan konuşma

CHP: Bahçeli'nin çağrısı fantezi

Vekillere 'etik kurul' geliyor

Danıştay’dan Yargıtay’a ‘tam destek’ bildirisi

Yargıtay hegemonyayı korumak istiyor

Demirel: Başsavcı’yı gagalamanın anlamı yok

Olağan görüşmenin fotoğrafı güncellendi

Erginekon

Keşke ne bu bildiri ne de cevap olsaydı

Gül, Büyükanıt’la görüştü

Anayasa Mahkemesi iltica etse yeridir!

'Doğru zaman değil'

MHP’nin kriteri ülkücü değil mazisi temiz aday

Görüş paylaşmak siyasi değildir

Mahkemeyi etki altına almaktan herkes kaçınmalı

CHP solculuğunun sosyolojik bir karşılığı var mı?

Nuri ve Vedat Ergin'e Ergenekon sorgusu

Afları doğru bulmuyorum

Köşk, yargıdaki gerilimi düşürmek için devrede

Yargıtay, üç ay önce farklı düşünüyordu: Hakimler, politikacılar gibi konuşmamalı

Mahalle baskısı yeniden tanımlanacak

‘Mahalle baskısı’ 1 yaşında

'Eşimden mozoleye çıkmamasını ben rica ettim'

Türkiye �mahalle baskısı�nı tartışacak

'Kedi' karikatürüne işlem yapmayan savcılar, 'baykuş'a 2 yıl hapis istedi

İzmir'de ortaya çıktı!

Herkesin Amerika'da olduğunu düşündüğü Fethullah Hoca'nın izine İzmir'de rastlandı

Günün gazete manşetleri için tıklayın

Son Dakika Milliyet Hürriyet Zaman

Cengiz Çandar Başbakan'a, 'muhtıralar'a karşı pratik bir öneri

Ahmet Taşgetiren AB ve bizimkilerin farkı

Ruşen - Çakır

Taha Akyol Yargı sorunu

Fikret Bila

Hasan Cemal Demokrasi dersinden yargıya kırık not!

Murat Yetkin Gül, krizi nasıl yönetecek?

İsmet Berkan Her sorunun çözümü kuvvetler ayrılığında

Fehmi Koru Tuzu da kokutursak halimiz harap

Taha Kıvanç Daha neler olacak

Şamil Tayyar Vatan’ın derdi hangi vatan?

Tayfun Devecioğlu Başbakanlık Yayın Holding

Mümtazer Türköne AK Parti artık kapatılamaz

Ali Bayramoğlu Konuşan yargıçlar ve darbe meselesi…

Jüristokratik bir bildiri
HASAN CELAL GÜZEL

Yasemin Çongar

Ertuğrul Özkök AKP’nin gizli uçuşu

Ahmet Hakan Karşı bildiri

M Ali Birand Dağa çıkışları durduramadıkça...

Serdar Turgut S-muhtıra

TAMER KORKMAZ

“Y-Muhtıra”nın Arka Planı

Mehmet Altan Yargıtay Şemdinli’de ne yaptı?

YASİN DOĞAN

Yargı siyasallaşıyor!

Mustafa Karaalioğlu Evet, tehlike gerçekten büyük

Eser Karakaş Yargıtay ve 90 milyar YTL

Yargı rejim savunmasında
MEHMET ALİ KIŞLALI

[YORUM - Dr.Bekir Çınar] Hukukun üstünlüğü ve yasama

Erdoğan ve Obama
HALUK ŞAHİN

Hayır, ulusalcı değilim
NAMIK KEMAL ZEYBEK

Mustafa Ünal Bu kavganın galibi olmaz

İhsan Dağı Neden bildiri, neden şimdi?

Etyen Mahçupyan Greatest obstacle before democracy

Nasuhi Güngör Hukukçunun ağzından çıkan her söz hukuk mudur?

‘Social contract’ through judiciary: a response to Köksal Toptan’s ‘third way’ proposal by ŞABAN KARDAŞ*

Cüneyt Ülsever

Enis Berberoğlu

Gülay Göktürk Güdümlülük

Mehmet Metiner Yargıtay muhtırası

Hakan Aygün Yargı Versus hükümet...

Bülent Keneş How is justice possible with this judiciary?

Sabahattin Önkibar Bir tarafta yargı ve TSK, diğer tarafta yeni devlet kurmak isteyen AKP

Oktay Ekşi Haklı olmayınca

Tufan Türenç Uçurum kenarında politika yapmak

Yalçın Doğan Bölünmenin ruh hali

Melih Aşık Yargıtay’ın yetkisi

Özdemir İnce Biraz daha ekonomi

Mehmet Y Yılmaz Hoca Efendi kuş misali!

Yılmaz Özdil Yargıtay falan...

Yalçın Bayer ’Kara cüppeliler’den ’Dam üstünde saksağan’a

MUHARREM SARIKAYAGül'ün hakemliği

ERDAL ŞAFAKYargı reformu

ENGİN ARDIÇBatıyoruz

ERGUN BABAHANDemokrasi sancısı

EMRE AKÖZSak üstünde damdağan!

Umur TaluGarabet şu ki...

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN

Hukukun hukukla imtihanı

Serpil Yılmaz Çiller: DP liderliği için doğru zaman değil

NAZLI ILICAKYargıya dair...

MEHMET BARLAS
Ne olacak bu memleketin hali ve bu kimin umurunda?

MAHMUT ÖVÜR'Tayyip Bey diskalifiye olmaz'

YAVUZ DONATEtlik... Sokağın gündemi

Reşat Petek Yargı artık taraf olmuştur

Murat Aksoy Neden şimdi?

SHP’de tek aday Murat Karayalçın

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM

Kredi kartı faizi yarı yarıya düşerse neye yol açar?

Ercan Kumcu Hangi ülke daha riskli yarışması

Erdal Sağlam

Güven Sak Sağcı Erdoğan ile solcu Lula arasındaki fark nedir

Hasan Ersel Para politikası ve enflasyon

Hurşit Güneş Dünyada durgunluk hızla yayılıyor

Finans çılgınlığı bizi yönetmemeli

TUSIAD urges haste in Turkey's energy privatization

Uğur Gürses Seçim ve popülizm ufku!

9 ildeki çiftçi borçları 1 yıl erteleniyor

Former CB head: Turkey needs a new economic program

Turkey in a bid to defer farmer's debts due to drought

UPDATE 1-Turkey says plans no more grid sales in 08

Turkey now a base for auto exports

Deniz Gökçe
2008 ilk çeyreğinde dünya değişiyor, biz ise koptuk!

Gila Benmayor Çinlileri ikna etti sıra Türklerde

H4 New York Times As Race Wanes, Talk of Clinton as No. 2 Grows Friends say that former President Bill Clinton has begun privately musing about the prospect of his wife as Senator Barack Obama’s running mate

H5 Washington Post Petraeus Expects to Recommend Troop Cuts in Iraq This Fall

In Iraq, a Surge in U.S. Airstrikes

Military Says Attacks Save Troops' Lives, but Civilian Casualties Elicit Criticism

Thinking Through Doomsday

By David Ignatius, Meet the people who are paid to assume the worst.

Obama's Metastatic Gaffe By Charles Krauthammer How a campaign missetep grew to become a foreign policy cornerstone.

A Phenom With Flaws By Michael Gerson Is Barack Obama a weak presidential candidate or a strong one? The answer is: yes.

Arbiters of Clinton's Fate? By E. J. Dionne Jr Clinton's defeat may be sealed not by her enemies but by her friends.

Obama, McCain Begin Running-Mate Searches News of a Vetting Pick and a Weekend Gathering

What Hillary Wants By Eugene Robinson She isn't positioning herself for anything but the presidency. The Clintons don't do moral victories

Editorial

Arkin In This Case, Rumsfeld Was Right

Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran David H. Petraeus, President Bush's nominee to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, supports continued U.S. engagement with international and regional partners to find the right mix of diplomatic, economic and military leverage to address the challenges posed by Iran.

Senate Passes $165 Billion Measure to Pay for Wars In Defiance of Bush, Bill Adds to Veterans' Benefits

Farm-Bill Veto Overridden Despite Glitch 35 Republicans Join Vote Rebuking Bush

More Anti-Lobbyist Than Thou The McCain and Obama campaigns' tit for tat sheds little light on the real problem.

In U.S., a Multitude of Forces Drains the Spirit of Giving

Obama as You've Never Known Him! By Dana Milbank Here are some things we can look forward to learning about Barack Obama

Bush Takes the High Road By Dan Froomkin

H6 Guardian Living with costly crude Leader: Devise policies assuming oil is going to remain expensive for a long time

A new cold war? We're yet to adjust to the old one ending

Jonathan Steele: Bad-tempered relations between Russia and the EU cannot be allowed to stymie a new partnership deal: both sides need it

Iran calls for uranium enrichment on its soil, with the world's help

Government proposes creation of international consortium to defuse tension over its nuclear programme

Petraeus says more US troop cuts likely in Iraq US commander reveals surprise prospect of further American troop withdrawals in autumn

To CAP it allDavid Cronin his is no time for the EU to contradict itself over climate change and the common agricultural policy: we need far-reaching measures, now

Russia's old enmityWilliam Harrison The country's antisemitism cannot be blamed on the ruling elite: it is deeply entrenched within the population, impeding democracy

Islamism's false narrative Ali Eteraz: A new book challenges the idea that Islamists are the authentic representatives of the earliest Muslims

What a liberty Richard Norton-Taylor: Lord Carlile's claim last night that 'national security' is a civil liberty is truly frightening: it opens the door to almost limitless state surveillance

Obama on the hunt for a running mate Democratic party officials say Barack Obama has sanctioned hunt for vice-presidential candidate

Profile: David Axelrod, Barack Obama's strategist

Afghan anti-US protest leaves three dead Two Afghans and Nato soldier killed in protest against US soldier who used the Qur'an for target practice

Food prices to stay high, says UN

Global food import bills are expected to total more than a trillion US dollars in 2008

Strikes over pension reforms grip France Workers march against raising of retirement age on 'Black Thursday' but Sarkozy stands firm

United Nations chief views cyclone-hit areas of Burma

Ban Ki-moon embarks on tour of Irrawaddy delta where estimated 134,000 cyclone victims have died

Chinese quake displaced 3m children Sichuan earthquake biggest disaster for children in seven years, as death toll jumps above 51,000

H7

The Building BRICs of a New International System? By: Adam Wolfe | World Politics Review
Last week, the BRIC nations took their union out of the realm of analyst reports and formed a political alliance to challenge the dominance of the economic institutions created in the aftermath of WWII.

Mythmaking for the Next War By: Steve Chapman | Reason
But if Iran is the Soviet Union, I'm Shaquille O'Neal. There is nothing reckless in soberly distinguishing large threats from small ones, and there is something foolhardy in grossly exaggerating the strength of your enemies.

The Economist Diplomacy Speaking to the enemy Sometimes it makes sense; sometimes it doesn't; sometimes not talking can be appeasement

Geopolitics and America The rise of the rest

Spreading the atom Stopping the wrong sort of chain reaction The spread of civilian nuclear technologies brings the risk of nuclear proliferation—and attempts to stop it may backfire

Kuwait's parliament It just slows things down An experiment in democracy fails to inspire the neighbours

Lebanon Peace for a while An agreement stops the fighting but has by no means settled things for good

U.N. Human Rights Council: Still a Sham By: Frida Ghitis | World Politics Review The UNHRC emits poisonous moral radiation, quickly depleting the U.N.'s authority by focusing almost all its energy on one country, Israel, while allowing murderous regimes to take elegant diplomatic cover

Something Radically New After Doha By: Michael Young | The Daily Star Party officials have recklessly downplayed their armed occupation of Beirut two weeks ago, but no one, least of all the Sunnis, will soon forget what happened. So even if genuine politics return, those of compromise and shifting calculations, the structural inability of Hizbullah to coexist with a sovereign Lebanese state will not disappear

Time Straw-Man Diplomacy McCain is trying to brand Obama as soft on Iran. He should get his own facts straight first

An interview with Matt Taibbi, author of The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire (and a review).

Qatar: The Rand Corporation looks at higher education in Qatar and the country's attempt to set up a need-based scholarship system.

Tribe helps al-Maliki win control of south Of all the tactical moves Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made in March to wrest control of southern Iraq from Shi'ite extremists, none was more important than his government's meetings with tribal sheiks.

The Syrians Are Clever… And You're Not! : Tariq Alhomayed

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

More Iraq US troop cuts 'likely' The top US commander in Iraq expects to be able to recommend further cuts in US forces before September

New hope?
Syrians examine prospects for peace with enemy Israel

Powerful Iraqi cleric flirting with Shiite militant message ...

Make or break
Iraq's government faces test of authority in Sadr City

Decoding Bin Laden
Do internet messages reveal al-Qaeda problems in Iraq?

On Capitol Hill, Much Said, Little Changed on Iraq

Pan-Arab Paper Ponders Syria's Willingness to Pay Price for Peace With Israel

(Corr) Syrian Envoy Comments on Talks With Israel, Iranian Angle

Syrian, Chinese Foreign Ministers Meet on Fringes of Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum

Syria TV Says Peace Talks With Israel "Strategic Choice"

Iraqi Premier Meets Supreme Shi'I Authority; Other Update 22 May

Iranian Press Menu 22 May 08

Syrian Journalist Says War "Only Alternative to Peace" With Israel

Israeli Academics Disagree on Motives, Chances of Peace Deal With Syria

Al-Jazeera TV Reports on Syrian Reaction to Israeli Peace Talks Conditions

Analyst Says Peace Hangs Between Syrian, Israeli "Impossibilities" on Golan

Albanian Daily Sees Serbia Influencing Arab States Against Kosovo

Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran

CFR A Long Road for Iraq's Refugees

US Welcomes Lebanon Deal, but Admits Hezbollah Gains

A fresh start
Lebanon's bitter rivals reach deal as fears of civil war recede

Kuwait Elections Won't Deliver Economic Changes, Analysts Say By: Fiona McDonald and Will McSheehy | Bloomberg News Kuwait's new government is unlikely to deliver long-delayed economic changes after parliamentary elections left the Gulf state's power balance virtually unchanged, analysts said.

Iraqi military resilient against al-Qaida MOSUL, Iraq, May 22 (UPI) -- The Iraqi armed forces' taking on Sunni insurgents in Mosul was a show of strength in one of the last remaining al-Qaida strongholds, officials say.

Why Reform is an Urgent call to Secular Arabs:

H9 Ha’aretz – Israel-Syria talks 'put the Iranians in shock' Olmert says Israel made no promises to Syria, pledges renewed negotiations won't harm Palestinian front

Sources: Israel never pledged full withdrawal from Gaza

Bradley Burston: The Palestinians' time is running out

Olmert: Israel has made no promises to Syrians

Syrians: Talks focusing on '67 border, timetable

Melman Is an attack on Iran a big risk?

Olmert's Syrian lifeline?

Eldar Without upsetting the president

Bar’el The mirage of a Shi'ite threat

IDF seeks American approval to buy 25 F-35 stealth fighters

Analysts: Syria-Israel Peace Deal Requires Shift in U.S. Policy

Rosner's Guests: Peace with Syria now? not very likely

West backs Lebanese gov't capitulation to Hezbollah

McCain rejects pastor's support after 'God sent Hitler' remark

Yossi Sarid: Applauding Bush while the peace process fades away

Tidings from a leper Suppose the renewal of talks with Syria is meant to be a distraction from the investigations - does this detract from the importance of the step, from its legitimacy and necessity, from the precedent it sets?

Avoid all delays As Israel returns to the Syria track, it must consider the situation in the south and release the prisoners needed to conclude a deal for Shalit and let the tahadiyeh take effect.

Marcus Five comments on the situation

Romancing EuropeWhatever the reasons - Islamist terrorism, Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza, the Iranian nuclear threat - Europe is more open than ever to Israel, and vice versa

Jerusalem Post Obama to 'Post': I'll back Syria talks Democratic candidate's statements contrast with tepid reception offered by Bush administration.

Israel-Syria - now the arguing begins By HERB KEINON

Analysis: Bush wondering whether PM knows what he's doing

Syria: We won't cut off Hizbullah, Iran

Likud Won't Honor Syria Deals if Elected

Livni, Mofaz set terms for Syria

bound by any peace agreement

Yedioth Ahronoth The day after a dealGuy Bechor says Golan to become terror base, home to million Syrians in wake of Israeli pullout

Will US back Syria talks? Syria represents everything Bush opposes; America sitting on fence for now

Analysis: Bush wondering whether PM knows what he's doing

Hello, Damascus? This is Israel calling We can't talk to you, say Syrians on phone, 'til we see what gov't does.

Rabbis: We pushed Talansky to talk in bid to oust Olmert

Exclusive: Leading rightist Israeli rabbis say they gave NY financier "halachic approval" to testify; PM to be questioned at 10 p.m.

Meridor: Iran is winning the nuke race Israeli envoy tells 'Post' world must act in a much more decisive way to avoid Iranian bomb

Israel-Syria - now the arguing begins Olmert booed when speaking of Golan at "Masa" event; PM says talks with Abbas to go on unabated

'PM has no moral right to talk to Syria'

Netanyahu: Syria "inseparable part of axis of evil"; Sa'ar: Likud won't be

Beware the spinologists

The Phenomenon of Islamist National Suicide - Amnon Rubinstein (Jerusalem Post)

Daily Alert.org – Hebrew Press Editorials (2008) - Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine

Obama Promises 'Unshakable Commitment' to Israel if Elected President

ANALYSIS-Peace or PR? Olmert pressed on Syria talks

Israel-Syria indirect talks to continue in future: Turkish FM

Israelis express skepticism on Syria peace talks

West Bank seeks investors As a truck bomb exploded at a Gaza border crossing, Palestinians yesterday held a conference in a gleaming convention center to encourage investment in spite of the political and security risks

CFR.org's new Crisis Guide on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lays out, among many other features, the complicated history of the Golan Heights region

Lawyer of Accused Ex-Aipac Official Says Community Forsaking Its Own

'Microsoft Is Israeli Almost as Much as It Is American' by Marty Peretz

H10 Christian Science Monitor

Petraeus: More troop cuts likely in Iraq Top US commander in Iraq said Thursday he is likely to recommend further drawdowns before leaving his post in the fall.

A worthy Obama-McCain clash Both aren't consistent on talking with US enemies. But then, that isn't the real issue.

Why Qatar is emerging as Middle East peacemaker It was uniquely positioned to broker a deal this week between warring factions in Lebanon.

Detainee treatment: new details A Justice Department audit concludes that overall, the FBI didn't engage in harsh treatment.

ASIA

The Economist Afghanistan How the “good war” could fail America needs to lean much harder on Afghanistan's President Karzai

Afghanistan A war of money as well as bullets The Americans are learning the tricks of the Great Game quicker than the British, who invented it. But a weak and corrupt Afghan government is hobbling them

India and Pakistan Lost momentum Talks resume, but get nowhere

CRS “China’s Economic Conditions,” updated May 13, 2008.

“U.S. Nuclear Cooperation With India: Issues for Congress,” updated May 20, 2008.

Quake shakes Beijing's grip on media Public demand for news after the earthquake in Sichuan has forced the Chinese government to relax its controls over the flow of information online and in traditional media — a concession that has weighed in its favor but which analysts say is unlikely to last

India/Pakistan: In an editorial, the paper says the India-Pakistan peace process has reached a critical juncture, following Islamabad's decision to strike a deal with jihadists

Rice Price Surge is Defying Asia's Ingenuity By: Andy Mukherjee | Bloomberg It will be unconscionable for Asian governments to pass on the full international cost of rice to their people. On the other hand, as governments in Asian rice-growing regions try to shield their urban poor through price controls or export bans, the risk is that the signal to farmers to boost production will either become weak or even be lost completely.

Medvedev Goes to China on First Presidential Visit By: Lubya Pronina and Dune Lawrence | Bloomberg News Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrives in China tomorrow for a two-day mission to persuade the world's fastest-growing major economy to buy more than just energy from his country.

Ten Years After Suharto, Indonesia is a Glass Half Full By: Fabio Scarpello | World Politics Review Ten years after the fall of Dictator Suharto, is Indonesia's democracy a glass half full or half empty? If one looks only at the news headlines that often portray the country as a hotbed of terrorists, radical Islamists and corrupt politicians, the outlook might seem dire. But Indonesians can be proud of the significant democratic progress the country has made in only a decade

'China's New Confucianism' by Daniel A. Bell

Japan: The Diet approved military use of outer space (Yomiuri) in a decision that could hold ramifications for the future of Tokyo's military policy.

Earthquake and Hope By: Nicholas D. Kristof | The New York Times
In the aftermath of the great Sichuan earthquake, we’ve seen a hopeful glimpse of China’s future: a more open and self-confident nation, and maybe — just maybe — the birth of grass-roots politics here.

H11 IHT EU defense spending may clash with military goals European Union countries may have been deploying more troops abroad in recent years, but a new analysis questions whether the EU's goal of becoming a major defense and security player can be met when military spending among the 27 declined from 2001 to 2006.

Food insecurity By PETER MANDELSON In the global age, food security can only make sense at a global level

Poland and Sweden try to direct EU attention eastward

Jolted by French plans for new European Union ties with countries on Europe's southern border, the two EU members have put forward rival proposals to focus more political effort on eastern neighbors, including Ukraine.

Italy signals turnaround on nuclear powerThe newly elected government said it plans to resume building nuclear plants, despite a 20-year ban.

French unions protest Sarkozy's plan to change retirement system

Schengen countries move to limit detention of illegal migrants

The countries inside Europe's free-travel zone agreed Thursday that illegal migrants should be detained no longer than 18 months in a move that will force several countries to put a legal ceiling on detention periods.

EUROPE European press review

Poland and Sweden to Pitch 'Eastern Partnership' Idea By: Phillipa Runner | EU Observer
Poland and Sweden are to unveil joint proposals for a new eastern Europe policy at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels in a mini-version of France's "Mediterranean Union."

Der Spiegel Controversial Strategy: Germany Plans to Centralize Intelligence-Gathering Activities

Spain's Dream of the Alhambra: A Multicultural Model for Europe

Curbing the Crisis: Food Price Explosion 'Should Be a Wake-Up Call'

The Economist Charlemagne Let them eat cake European farm ministers are wrong to defend the notorious common agricultural policy

France Says Weak Dollar May Fuel Protections By: Katrin Benhold and Steven Erlanger | The New York Times
France’s finance minister on Wednesday urged central bankers to reduce the “misalignment” in the world’s major currencies, warning that a low American dollar was feeding an increasing trend toward protectionism in the United States and elsewhere

Down but not out

David Mathieson Key Eta leaders may have been captured, but the organisation is likely to remain dangerous - particularly in its current, desperate state

Show of force
French unions rally support in protest against pension reform

Sarkozy, the new Berlusconi

Jessica Reed The French president likes to pose as a champion of press freedom. In reality, he has wooed media magnates and bullied their journalists

Europe is a Geopolitical Dwarf By: Kishore Mahbubani | Financial Times
The paradox about the European Union’s position in the world is that it is both a giant and a dwarf. It stands tall as a giant because it has reached one of the peaks of human civilisation. Yet, even though it has an economy comparable with America’s, it stands as a political dwarf in responding to the rapidly changing geopolitical environment

Persian Pipelines By: Roger Howard | The Guardian Only one supplier could now make Nabucco commercially viable - Iran. Iranian natural resources could play just as important a strategic role for the EU as they did for Britain in the wake of the great discovery a century ago.

A review of Dawn, Dusk, or Night: A year with Nicolas Sarkozy by Yasmina Reza.

UK Labour Party suffers heavy defeat The Conservative opposition wins an easy by-election victory in Crewe, creating more headaches for PM Gordon Brown.

H12 RFE/RLMedvedev Confirms Kazakh Regional Dominance

The new Russian president's visit to Astana shows that Kazakhstan has left Uzbekistan behind in the two countries' long-running competition to be the region's dominant player

Think Tank Defends Move To U.S.

Critics say the first Russian think tank based in the U.S. is little more than a new propaganda tool for the Kremlin. But the head of the New York branch says he and his colleagues intend to study U.S. democracy -- not criticize it

A Potentially Lucrative Thaw In Relations Following talks in Baku, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan could be closer to agreeing on how to divide up the Caspian energy resources located between them -- and on a pipeline to send them west.

Google News Azerbaijan

Democracy test
Georgia's leader faces daunting divisions after nation votes

Path Is Cleared For Talks With EU By: Anna Smolchenko | The Moscow Times
In a double dose of good news, the European Union agreed Wednesday to start long-delayed partnership talks with Russia, and the next EU president, France, said it was keen to improve relations.

Russia's old enmity

William Harrison May 22 08, 05:30pm: The country's antisemitism cannot be blamed on the ruling elite: it is deeply entrenched within the population, impeding democracy

Uzbekistan: A briefing from EurasiaNet argues that Uzbekistan is pushing to distance itself from Moscow given improving relations with Europe.

EDM A GEORGIAN CHARM OFFENSIVE IN MOSCOW

- RUSSIA'S ROSNEFT CLAIMS MARKET LEADERSHIP

- - POLICE FACED WITH NEW KYRGYZ “THIEF IN LAW” AFTER A TWO-YEAR BREAK

Observers Give Cautious Thumbs-Up to Georgia’s Vote International election watchdogs have given a tepid endorsement to Georgia’s May 21 parliamentary election, a poll in which President Mikheil Saakashvili’s governing United National Movement party looks set to secure a clear victory.

Border Attack Spurs Fresh Tension Between Georgia, Abkhazia For many Georgians, May 21 was as much about a mysterious armed incident near the border with the breakaway region of Abkhazia, as it was about electing a new parliament. While details remain murky, the incident is stoking tension between Georgia and the renegade territory

H13 The Times 10,000 Iraqi troops bring calm to Sadr City Iraqi Government seeks to stamp its authority on 'no-go slum' city after weeks of fighting in which at least 1,250 people die

We ignored corruption, Bulgarian leader admits EU threat to halt funds over organised crime as Bulgaria's reputation hits hopes of other Balkan nations wanting to join

Nicolas Sarkozy catches the dithering bug The French President is mired in a swamp of indecision, a dreadful position for someone whose only clear mission was change Bronwen Maddox

Voters just don't trust Hillary

There's no Vast Misogynist Conspiracy against Senator Clinton, she's simply not suitable

Gerard Baker

Abramovich, Lugovoy and Putin - the background Roman Abramovich prospered under Vladimir Putin's rule at a time when other oligarchs were jailed or exiled

Wall Street Journal Them 2 – U.S. 1
Feckless or firm: U.S. Mideast policy loses while winning.

Republicans and Our EnemiesBy Joseph R. Biden Jr. The obsession with the 'war on terrorism' ignores the larger forces shaping the world.

We Still Need a Larger Army
By Thomas Donnelly
And Frederick W. Kagan
Sen. McCain wants to prepare for the long war. Sen. Obama is OK with the Bush trajectory

Oil Is Up Because the Dollar Is Down
By David T. King
Leave Exxon alone. Our currency is the problem.

Sex and the Sissy By Peggy Noonan Declarations: For Mrs. Clinton, whining is the next best thing to winning.

Oil and the Fed
Lessons learned from the recent easy-money bender.

The Death of Conservatism Is Greatly Exaggerated
By Fred D. Thompson
Smaller government will always appeal.

Oil Industry Seeks More DrillingThe oil industry and some U.S. lawmakers want to end longstanding bans on domestic drilling put in place to protect environmentally sensitive areas amid mounting concerns about global energy supply

International Competition Policy and the WTO Peterson Institute A US paper examining the prospects for a multilateral agreement on competition policy

OPEC strangling American economy

By Robert Zubrin

As oil prices continue to top $120 a barrel, it is time for Congress to take definitive action to break the OPEC cartel, which is taxing the United States into a depression.

H14 Financial Times Friends or foes: a world through different lenses

When Mr McCain looks at the world, his gaze alights on his country’s enemies. But the same world is replete with allies. Mr Obama cannot afford to ignore the enemies, but he is right to think as much about how to mobilise America’s friends, writes Philip Stephens

Israel and Syria try talking peace again But this must not become an excuse simultaneously to give up on discussions with the Palestinians on a two-state solution

Israel calls on Syria to cut ties with Iran Jerusalem will demand as part of a peace deal that its adversary end all support for anti-Israel militant groups and make a clean break with its closest ally in the region

Petraeus set to withdraw more troops

The top US commander in Iraq told Congress that he expected to recommend further troop withdrawals this summer following the unwinding of the military “surge

Growth challenge The ‘Washington Consensus’ – stabilise, privatise and liberalise – is dead. Long live the new pragmatism, says a new report on growth and development

Oil: Key players and movements Interactive map: The world’s largest oil producers, consumers, proved reserves, and how oil flows around the world

Globalisation and the west’s workers Economists’ Forum: Martin Wolf and Jagdish Bhagwati weigh into the debate on Larry Summers’ proposal for dealing with western opposition to globalisation

Saakashvili’s party wins Georgia election Georgia’s pro-western president declares victory in parliamentary elections that observers judged generally fair, though not perfect

France warms to sovereign wealth

A finance ministry report concludes there is no need for special controls on funds and that more should be done to attract their money

Running mate speculation gathers pace Barack Obama’s campaign says it will not comment on leaks that he has appointed the former CEO of Fannie Mae to head a secret committee to look at potential running mates

Auguries for a ‘vile’ decadeNo monetary policy can halt the changes in relative prices that are altering the balance of world real income, writes Samuel Brittan

The many benefits of sovereign funds

SWF investing is good for the global markets and for our global community. Corporate leaders, market participants and politicians should resist the temptation to adopt a bunker mentality, writes Peter Weinberg

Czechs set to host US anti-missile base Prague will sign an agreement with the US to allow part of an anti-missile shield to be built on its territory, despite public opposition to the project

A new beginning In his 22 years as prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad presided over a rapid modernisation of the Malaysian economy. Now it is time to modernise the country’s politics

China’s aftershock

A swift response has saved lives but rebuilding them will test Beijing

Investors eye Palestinians' $2bn projects Bethlehem appears an apt choice of location for the miracle the organisers of the first Palestine Investment Conference hope to pull off. In a gleaming new convention...

US Congress subpoenas Rove to testify Move comes after the former political adviser’s attorney said his client would not voluntarily appear to answer questions about the prosecution of a Democratic governor

H15 Los Angeles Times Further cuts in U.S. forces in Iraq are likely, Petraeus says

The general says he expects to seek additional reductions before he gives up command in September, but they may be small.

Editorial ISRAEL: Olmert's peace offensive

The power of Hezbollah Though a political deal in Lebanon may avert civil war, it codifies the group's growing clout

Obama tries to win over Jewish voters in Florida The Democrat talks about his support for Israel and acknowledges a strain between Jews and blacks

Israel prime minister fighting for peace and his political life

Ehud Olmert says he is hurrying talks with the Palestinians because Bush is leaving office soon -- not because of the bribery probe he's facing.

Iraq police chief says U.S. killed 7 civilians

The military's account of the helicopter strike differs: It says it killed five terrorists and a suspect, but also two children

So wrong, but so what? Rosa Brooks: Despite the fact that McCain has been consistently wrong on Iraq, Americans trust his ability to handle the war more than Obama.

House aims at Pentagon 'propaganda' on Iraq war

Survivor unrest prods China to act Beijing embarks on a $10-billion rebuilding effort as it curbs media reports amid growing survivor discontent.

H16 American Politics

Karen Tumulty / Time: What Does Hillary Want? A graceful exit is never easy in a business as fraught with ego and ambition as presidential politics. Which is why in recent days, quiet calls have started going out to key supporters of Hillary Clinton who are showing signs of wanting to jump ship.

Officials say Obama starts search for running mate

Quietly, Obama Begins The Quest To Find A Running Mate

realclearpolitics memeorandum ABC’s The Note – US News Political Bulletin Early Bird GovExec Swamp Gas The Swamp

Senate passes $165 billion Iraq war funding bill, Bush vows veto

Internet politics
How Obama used the web to overtake Hillary in the primaries

CNN: McCain rejects Hagee endorsement. "The Huffington Post had published a recording of Hagee saying that Adolf Hitler had been fulfilling God's will by hastening the desire of Jews to return to Israel in accordance with biblical prophecy."

An interview with Sidney Blumenthal, author of The Strange Death of Republican America.

Ex-Bush adviser Rove must testify in case that could shame White House

Jonah Goldberg responds to George Packer's New Yorker article, "The Fall of Conservatism"

Time The Keys to McCain's VP Pick

H17 Daily Telegraph Nuclear power worries the Middle East Not all the overseas investment deals being made on the back of rising oil prices are welcome in the West, says Con Coughlin

Hizbollah veto boosts Iran influence

Sarkozy's reform battle The French president has been much criticised for procrastinating but, one year into his mandate, he appears to be winning the battle over reform

Rampant Tories crush Labour in by-election

Exeter bomb suspect named Mentally ill man targeted by Muslim radicals, say police.

Minister: We face economic crisis Britain was facing "the first real economic crisis" in a generation, a senior Government minister has admitted.

McCain considers Asian running mate The Republican nominee is considering putting the first Asian American on a US presidential ticket, to broaden his appeal to minorities and conservative voters.

Israeli fighter jets confront Blair's plane

H18 Independent Oil supplies: Running on empty? As evidence emerges of dwindling oil reserves, and the price of crude hits $135 a barrel, is the world about to be running on empty?

Hamish McRae: High prices won't stop the world going on growing

McCain and Obama size up potential running mates The running-mate guessing game erupted in earnest yesterday as John McCain prepared to welcome a trio of potential Republican contenders to his Arizona ranch this weekend while Barack Obama was reported to be seeking help with his own search for a possible vice-presidential partner

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

The Principles of War: 2. Maintenance of Morale

Indian intelligence fails to deliver The heat is on India's intelligence and security apparatus after this month's deadly serial bombing of Jaipur. Terrorist strikes occur in India with regularity and they have been carried out with similar methods and tactics. This casts doubt on the ability of Delhi's networks to adapt and infiltrate known terror cells. - Siddharth Srivastava

Agent Says FBI Not Prepared to Deal with Middle Eastern Terrorists - Richard B. Schmitt (Los Angeles Times)

CRS “Nuclear Weapons: The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program,” updated May 19, 2008.

“Suits Against Terrorist States By Victims of Terrorism,” updated May 1, 2008.

HPSCI: Classification of Cyber Security Program is “Excessive”

Gitmo Glitches
Why the US says it cannot close Guantanamo Bay

'Standard Operating Procedure' by Philip Gourevitch and Errol Morris

Echelon: The NSA's Secret Program for Spying on Americans

H20 Slate

US Leadership in the Global Food Crisis Peterson Institute

Carnegie Press Release: Rising Food Prices and the Doha Round

How to Think About the World's Problems By: Bjorn Lomborg | The Wall Street Journal The pain caused by the global food crisis has led many people to belatedly realize that we have prioritized growing crops to feed cars instead of people. That is only a small part of the real problem. This crisis demonstrates what happens when we focus doggedly on one specific – and inefficient – solution to one particular global challenge.

Getting Sugar Right By: Philip Bowring | International Herald Tribune The world is short of food, we are told, due to increased bio-fuel production, global warming, rising incomes in China and India, and many other reasons. If this is so, why has the price of sugar just slumped 20 percent, making a 35 percent drop since the beginning of this year?

Rethinking Aid by Force By: Chad Hazlett | Los Angeles Times The problem with nonconsensual aid to the Burmese isn't about numbers or neo-imperialism, it's about logistics.

The Case Against Aid at Gunpoint By: Timothy Garton Ash | Los Angeles Times The responsibility to protect has to be exercised responsibly; that is, with a careful, informed calculation of the likely consequences. I conclude that we should use every means except that of military-backed unilateral (or Western "coalition of the willing") action, which has few reasonable prospects, is arguably not the last resort and would not have right authority

Muslim Americans: Enriching or Threatening American Democracy

H21

Remember the Black Swans By: David Howell | The Japan Times
If there is one certainty amid all the rival forecasts and predictions, it is that they will mostly all prove wrong. This is because most forecasts, however expert, tend to concentrate on aspects about which the experts know — the more expert the greater the concentration. Yet it is the unforeseen events that nearly always shape the future.

Cognitive enhancement All on the mind Prepare for drugs that will improve memory, concentration and learning

Religious Faith and Human Rights Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury

The first chapter from Guesstimation: Solving the World's Problems on the Back of a Cocktail Napkin by Lawrence Weinstein and John A. Adam (and test your estimability).

So this Aristotle guy hops a boat from Athens, goes into the library at Alexandria, grabs some books, returns home and puts his name on them... more»

The Popularity Gap: A new study reveals that for teens, it's not whether you're really popular — it's whether you think you are.

Join the club

Open Thread: The elite Carlton Club, established in 1832, has just changed its rules of membership. But what are clubs good for, exactly?

With Phoenix mission, water hunt to resume on Mars

“What is a journalist?” Dwight Macdonald asked. “Alas, an ignorant and superficial fellow, a kibitzer.” Maybe we need more like him... more»

Google News Slate Today's Papers SWJ Blog Media Roundup CFR Daily Brief CFR Daily Opinion Roundup memeorandum antiwar.com book forum FBIS University Channel DocuTicker Arts & Letters Daily PolicyPointers cursor raw story fora.tv

realclearpolitics Drudge Report

Current News Early Bird OpinionSource truthout Dayan Current Contents Blogometer Wikipedia technorati Slate's Today's Blogs ABC’s The Note eurointelligence The Page First Read

IraqSlogger Global Power Barometer Juan Cole - Kevin Drum - Gideon Rachman - Belgravia Dispatch - washington realist - Tom Barnett - democracy arsenal - - Josh Marshall - Daniel Drezner - Laura Rozen - the washington note - David Corn - SyriaComment - Israel-Syria Peace Society - William Arkin - Phil Carter - Helena Cobban - MatthewYglesias - Oxblog - Brad DeLong - coming anarchy / Wonkette William Arkin Tom Hayden -

PostGlobal - AmericaAbroad -The Corner - Passport - huffingtonpost / Pajamas Media / Open University / CounterterrorismBlog Today in Iraq / OutSide the Beltway - InstaPundit - winds of change Kausfiles - Becker Posner-andrewsullivan.com - Registan - armscontrolwonk - IsraPundit Regime Change Iran – Martin Kramer - Dani Rodrik