012309f - 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 Obama's Foreign Policy: The Solvency Doctrine - Peter Beinart, Time

Obama sends a message: the United States will not torture On Day 2 of his administration, Obama ordered the closing of the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, outlawed aggressive interrogation techniques such as waterboarding on suspected terrorists and shut down secret CIA prisons. He also named a lawyer who'd objected to the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program to head the Justice Department's national security division.

Kurds Report Iraqi Army Moving North

New York Times Departing U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Quick Withdrawal From Iraq

Appointing Emissaries, Obama and Clinton Stress Diplomacy

Obama's six-problem region, Fred Halliday

Time Can Clinton and Her Envoys Rebuild U.S. Diplomacy?

Asia Times Maliki papers some cracks, opens others Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is attempting to use this month's provincial elections as a platform to consolidate his position by appealing to a broad spectrum of the electorate. In this he has had some success. But his high-handed move to restrict the integration of the Sunni Awakening Councils into the security forces has alienated those who could have been powerful allies. The Kurds, meanwhile, are seething. - Sami Moubayed

Wall Street Journal  Expect the World Economy to Suffer Through 2009 By Ian Bremmer and Nouriel Roubini Political risk is a bigger factor than ever.

How Government Looks at Pundits By Eliot A. Cohen
People in the idea business do sometimes make a difference.

The World Won't Buy Unlimited U.S. Debt

By Peter Schiff We're asking others to sacrifice for our 'stimulus.'

China's Growth Pains

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Beijing's central planners may not be able to manage its way out of this one.

How Recession Will Make U.S. Stronger - Walter Russell Mead, New Republic

Israel's Role as an Asset for the West - Jonathan Spyer (Jerusalem Post)

Barak sought wider op, Olmert refused

White House Web Site Lays Out National Security Agenda Administration Agenda

Stephen Walt Is the unipolar era over?

Unilateral al-Qaeda ceasefire with the U.S.?

Washington Post Editorial War Planning Iraq will test whether the pragmatic will trump the political in President Obama's administration.

ANALYSIS Bush's 'War' On Terror Comes to a Sudden End

An Old Mission for George Mitchell By Jackson Diehl, George Mitchell already outlined one Mideast peace plan. It was a flop.

The Obama Inaugural: Hail Washington -- Not Lincoln By Charles Krauthammer, How Obama freed himself from the civil rights movement.

Obama Visits State Dept. as Clinton Announces 2 Special Envoys: Holbrooke for Afghanistan-Pakistan and Mitchell for Middle East

Obama Reverses Bush Policies On Detention and Interrogation

The Economist The future of finance Inside the banks Blank cheques, bankruptcy, nationalisation: the options are dire, but governments must choose between them

Global economic imbalances When a flow becomes a flood The deep causes of the financial crisis lie in global imbalances—mainly, America’s huge current-account deficit and China’s huge surplus

A special report on the future of finance Greed—and fear

Iraq's elections A real choice for the people Hold your breath as a year of democracy begins

The Economist Terrorism

The growing, and mysterious, irrelevance of al-Qaeda

NATO Who can unite the allies?

Contenders are lining up for the race to be NATO’s new secretary-general

After the Gaza war Peace now?

Military setbacks and ideological disputes have put al-Qaeda on the defensive

Christian Science Monitor

Iraqi voters show preference for can-do over creed

An emerging backlash against rule by religious parties gives opening to technocrats in Jan. 31 provincial elections.

Financial Times Saudi patience is running out If the US wants a leadership role in the Middle East it will have to drastically revise its policies, writes Turki al-Faisal

Changes that will shape a leader promising change At the heart of Barack Obama’s oration on Tuesday was a rare, if oblique, admission of the limitations of US power: “The world has changed, and we must change with it.” Philip Stephens looks at how the new presidency closes a number of chapters in American history

The right and wrong way to bail out the banks George Soros with advice for the Obama team

Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders President Barack Obama called on Israel to open its borders with Gaza, in a powerful sign of his new administration’s break with Bush-era policy on the Middle East and the world as a whole

UPI Commentary: Geopolitical poker High-stakes geopolitical poker with nuclear chips will be played on President Obama's watch. It is hard to see how the United States can leave Iraq militarily 18 months hence without some kind of geopolitical settlement with Iran, which shares a 1,000-mile border with Iraq.

The Times Gaza: burns victim vows to be suicide bomber Israelis are asking whether the offensive had achieved anything other than spawning a new generation of suicide bombers

Three hurdles for the new President Things are set fair for Obama so long as he can master the economy, terrorism and Congress Gerard Baker

Guardian Obama shuts network of CIA 'ghost prisons' New US president embarks on wholesale deconstruction of George Bush's war on terror

New chapter begins with end to Guantánamo

Secret prisons: Obama's order to close 'black sites'

The nuclear-free dream fades

Simon Tisdall: Barack Obama's pledges on proliferation and securing stockpiles are not as radical as they seem, and face some tough challenges

Quest begins for Middle East peace Clinton promises new shift in US foreign policy, urging diplomats to join her in a 'great adventure'

Independent Obama ready to cut Karzai adrift As support for Afghan leader Hamid Karzai wanes, rivals go to Washington for meeting with the new President.

Patrick Cockburn: Bush's 'puppet in Kabul' will not go quietly

 Mitchell prepares for mission to Middle East as peace envoy

 Fatah fears Gaza conflict has put Hamas in the ascendancy

We'll have to go begging to the IMF, says Cameron Britain risks bankruptcy and a humiliating bailout by the International Monetary Fund because of Gordon Brown's borrowing, David Cameron said yesterday

Change Gaza Can Believe In
by Tony Karon and Tom Engelhardt

Forward Obama’s Selection of Mitchell Hailed by Israel, Doves
New Envoy To Be Sent to Middle East ‘As Soon as Possible,’ President Says

China's Slowdown Sends Out Aftershocks
Three of Asia's powerhouse economies -- China, Japan and South Korea -- are stalling as demand for their goods from the U.S. and Europe wilts

IHT U.S. – JAPAN An alliance in need of attention By RICHARD J. SAMUELS AND JAMES L. SCHOFF The U.S. and Japan need to recalibrate how alliance burdens are shared.

An Alternative Strategy for Afghan War - Carnegie Endowment

The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

The Empire Strikes Back: American and European Responses to a Resurgent Russia

Afghanistan: Examining the Implications of a Central Asian Supply Line for Afghanistan
BY STEPHEN BLANK
The recent US-NATO negotiations with Central Asian states and Russia to establish new supply routes to Afghanistan underscore the profound connections between Afghanistan and Central Asia, and the immense repercussions of the Afghan war for the latter. US intentions aren’t surprising, given the intensifying Taliban attacks on the supply route via the Khyber Pass. Clearly the Taliban and its allies have learned from Iraq that long and vulnerable supply lines are the Achilles heel of the US military.

Stratfor U.S.: The Complexities of Closing Guantanamo

Geopolitical Diary: Grim Economic Data and a Grimmer Economy

China's latest official economic data are showing a rapid drop in GDP growth -- and this in a country known for making its statistics look prettier than they really are

Is Obama's Iraq Timetable Already Dead?

MESH Obama and Israel: problems ahead?

Obama May Face 'Rebuff' from Europe on Military Step-Up in Afghanistan - Council on Foreign Relations

H2

Turkey's Waning Appetite for Europe
Washington Institute for Near East Policy By Soner Cagaptay

WSJ Europe Is Turkey Still a Western Ally?
By Soner Cagaptay The AKP's foreign policy is driven by two new factors: Islam and money.

Kurds report Iraqi army moving north (UPI) -- The Iraqi army is allegedly on the verge of deploying to Kurdish territories with the aim of controlling the disputed city of Kirkuk, Kurdish reports say.

'Obama Döneminde Türk Amerikan İlişkileri Olumlu Olacak'

Turkey: Coup Investigation Raises Government-Military Tension

In the wake of the recent controversy over Russian gas exports to Europe, Germany's economy minister accused Turkey (Deutsche-Welle) of abusing its power as a natural gas exporter in order to gain entry into the European Union

Israel-Turkey diplomatic spat worsens, despite end of Gaza fighting

ekathimerini.com | With EU in mind, Turkey seeks to boost role as ...

The Obama Presidency: A View from Turkey SETA

• 'Turkey and the Palestinian Question' by Bulent Aras, SETA

Turkey Tilts Toward Mideast - Sinan Ulgen, Today's Zaman

Turkish-American Relations in the Obama Presidency: What Will Change? - Journal of Turkish Weekly

Dozens More Held in Turkish Coup Plot

The Media Discuss the Idea of Turkish Troop Deployment in Gaza

İç Basında Türk Dış Politikası Dış Basında Türkiye – BBC Türkçe 0700 1800 – VOA Türkçe 0630 1345 2130 DW - (UTC) 0830 1130 1530 Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey TurcoPundit ASAM

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

Kirkuk and Khanaqin on alert

Turkey Tilts Toward Mideast - Sinan Ulgen, Today's Zaman

Cevdet Aşkın

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

Waiting for Obama: Three of Europe's Rising Stars
World Politics Review

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

H3

No Turkish press coverage today

Son Dakika Milliyet Hürriyet Zaman GH Türkiye

Birinci Sayfalar Akşam Birgün Bugün Cumhuriyet Dünya Hürriyet Milli Gazete Milliyet Posta Radikal Referans Sabah Star Taraf Tercüman Türkiye Vakit Vatan Yeni Şafak Zaman Arşiv

Video NTV CNNTürk Milliyet

Cengiz Çandar

Ahmet Taşgetiren

Ruşen - Çakır

Taha Akyol

Fikret Bila

Hasan Cemal

Murat Yetkin

İsmet Berkan

Fehmi Koru

Taha Kıvanç

Şamil Tayyar

Ali Bayramoğlu

Yasemin Çongar

Ertuğrul Özkök

Hasan Ünal

Ahmet Hakan

M Ali Birand

Cüneyt Ülsever

Enis Berberoğlu

Oktay Ekşi

Özdemir İnce

Mehmet Y Yılmaz

MUHARREM SARIKAYA

ERDAL ŞAFAK

ENGİN ARDIÇ

ERGUN BABAHAN

EMRE AKÖZ

Umur Talu

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN

NAZLI ILICAK

MEHMET BARLAS

MAHMUT ÖVÜR

YAVUZ DONAT

Ekonomi

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM

Ercan Kumcu

Erdal Sağlam

FT Turkish regulators relax corporate bond restrictions

H4 New York Times Departing U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Quick Withdrawal From Iraq

Appointing Emissaries, Obama and Clinton Stress Diplomacy

Editorial The President Orders Transparency Voters who heeded the president’s campaign message of openness must demand any exceptions to be few and far between.

A Stimulus Package for the World

By ROBERT B. ZOELLICK A vulnerability fund for developing countries could help limit the severity of the international downturn and prevent the contagion of social unrest.

Freed by U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief The emergence of a former Guantánamo Bay detainee as leader of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch illustrates the pitfalls of closing the detention center.

Obama Reverses Key Bush Security Policies

DAVID BROOKS The First Test

President Obama must prove that he meant what he said about bringing change to Washington by not signing whatever bills the Old Bulls put on his desk.

PAUL KRUGMAN Stuck in the Muddle Everyone hoped that President Obama’s Inaugural Address would offer some reassurance. But at least on matters economic, the speech was too conventional.

Geithner Hints at Harder Line on China Trade Timothy F. Geithner stated that the president believed that China was “manipulating” its currency, signaling a more confrontational approach to a delicate issue.

Venezuela Will Push U.S. to Hand Over Man Tied to Plane Bombing

Palestinian Rival Says It Is Under Attack by Hamas

Hamas to Start Paying Gaza Residents Compensation and Reconstruction Aid

Iran Hangs 22 in Executions This Week

For the New Administration, No Delay in Feather Ruffling

For a High-Tech President, a Hard-Fought E-Victory

It’s Not Their Money The financial industry must not be allowed to use the $700 billion federal rescue package as a reward for the havoc it wreaked

Volunteer to Save the Economy

By BRUCE REED and JOHN BRIDGELAND An investment in national and community service could cost the government less than many other stimulus measures, and add hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The End of Ownership Culture

By ERIC ETHERIDGE

H5 Washington Post Editorial War Planning Iraq will test whether the pragmatic will trump the political in President Obama's administration.

ANALYSIS Bush's 'War' On Terror Comes to a Sudden End

An Old Mission for George Mitchell

By Jackson Diehl, George Mitchell already outlined one Mideast peace plan. It was a flop.

The Obama Inaugural: Hail Washington -- Not Lincoln By Charles Krauthammer, How Obama freed himself from the civil rights movement.

Obama Visits State Dept. as Clinton Announces 2 Special Envoys: Holbrooke for Afghanistan-Pakistan and Mitchell for Middle East

Obama Reverses Bush Policies On Detention and Interrogation

Intelligence Pick Calls Torture Immoral, Ineffective

Obamamania in Two Flavors

By Michael Gerson, Some Obama supporters aren't the brightest of bulbs.

Obama in Office: Much to Be Undone

By Eugene Robinson, To restore the country's honor, Obama must go beyond closing Gitmo and ending torture.

Geithner Says China Manipulates Its Currency Comments Suggest Harder Line on Trade

Departing U.S. Envoy In Iraq Sees Risks Ahead - Crocker Warns Against Abrupt Troop Withdrawal Crocker Warns Against Abrupt Troop Withdrawal

No Home to Return to in Gaza

15,000 Still Living In Crowded Shelters

Editorial

Stimulus Plan Meets More GOP Resistance Obama is to reiterate his appeal for bipartisanship after Republicans object that the $825B measure does little to stimulate the ailing economy.

'A Pretty Good Place to Start'
By Dan Froomkin

Many Bush Officials Held Over at DHS

Obama Administration Makes the Unusual Move to Ensure Continuity

H6 Guardian Obama shuts network of CIA 'ghost prisons' New US president embarks on wholesale deconstruction of George Bush's war on terror

New chapter begins with end to Guantánamo

Secret prisons: Obama's order to close 'black sites'

The nuclear-free dream fades

Simon Tisdall: Barack Obama's pledges on proliferation and securing stockpiles are not as radical as they seem, and face some tough challenges

Quest begins for Middle East peace Clinton promises new shift in US foreign policy, urging diplomats to join her in a 'great adventure'

 Old is new. Even Gutenberg's ghost has returned to live in Silicon Valley Simon Jenkins: The neophilia of the boom years is over, and as the recession clouds gather there is a rush for the security of the past

Israel may swap prisoners for soldier Gaza offensive has increased momentum to strike deal for Shalit's return, says Ehud Olmert

The rise of China in Latin America

Rodrigo Orihuela: In response to US neglect, Latin America has asserted its economic independence by fostering commercial ties with China

Hamas' newspeak prolongs this war Uri Dromi: How dare it claim Israel suffered a 'decisive loss' in Gaza since, under its rule, Palestinians will never have their own state?

The end of Guantánamo Ken Gude: Americans are dying right now because of the existence of Guantánamo. Closing it responsibly will save American lives

Why are people not throwing up their hands in horror at an ex-KGB agent buying a British paper?

Marshall Plan for America Nicolaus Mills: Will Obama's economic stimulus plan waste billions of dollars? Not if he learns from history and builds in safeguards

H7

America: From Fear to Hope : Amir Taheri

Can 'Old' Islam Build Bridge to West? - Hisham Hellyer, The National

Will Syria Benefit from Israel’s Invasion of Gaza?

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

Crocker leaving Iraq hopeful but warns against fast pullout Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said Thursday that the greatest error the United States could make in Iraq would be a hurried withdrawal. However, he expressed confidence after talks with President Barack Obama that the new chief executive won't make that mistake

WSJ U.S. Envoy Notes Risks of Earlier Withdrawal From Iraq
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq said that a precipitous withdrawal of U.S. troops could give al Qaeda in Iraq a chance to regenerate and provide an opening for hostile neighbors.

The National reports that local elections in Basra--the first vote in a year that could see elections in ten Iraqi cities--were marred by corruption, intimidation, and power abuses.

Kurds report Iraqi army moving north

ERBIL, Iraq, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The Iraqi army is allegedly on the verge of deploying to Kurdish territories with the aim of controlling the disputed city of Kirkuk, Kurdish reports say.

London hosts leaders from Iraqi Kurdistan

LONDON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Leaders from the three Kurdish provinces in Iraq spoke to British lawmakers in London on developments in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdish government said.

Basra tense ahead of elections

BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on the public to participate in the Jan. 31 provincial elections as the political climate grows tense in the south.

Iraqi military lacks artillery components

BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The fledgling Iraqi army plans to add to its artillery elements in the coming years but lacks some integral components, a review of the Iraqi military shows.

H9 Ha’aretz – Obama: We will aggressively seek lasting Middle East peace U.S. President: Hamas must end rocket fire, Israel will complete withdrawal of forces from Gaza

Hamas: Obama does not represent change

Obama spy chief choice: U.S. intel should try to work with Iran

Postmortem By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff

Bar’el And the winner is ...

With war over, Fatah members say Hamas sees them as the real danger

Richard Falk: Gaza situation evokes memories of Warsaw Ghetto

Yossi Melman: Obama plan to talk buys Iran time for nuclear program

Italian paper: Gazans say Hamas kept them in homes used by gunmen

'Jews should stop being embarassed of Israel,' says Alan Dershowitz

India's Israel envy For many Indians, the temptation to identify with Israel was strengthened by the terrorists' seizure of the Chabad House, and the painful awareness that India and Israel share many of the same enemies

And the centrifuges spin on Obama's speech was a blend of euphoria and realism. With hopes running high and everyone with their own agendas expecting the Messiah to come within a day or two, he was careful about making specific promises, and he was probably right.

Who will finance Israel's heroism? The war in the south was very expensive. The Israel Defense Forces did not hesitate to drop bombs and fire shells, but now it is demanding a huge budget increase to replenish its stocks and compensate for the call-up of reservists.

Jerusalem PostObama vows he'll 'aggressively' seek Middle East peace

Envoy Mitchell to be sent to region soon; president wants Gaza crossing opened, says US "committed" to Israel's security, "hope for Palestinians."

Analysis: This time, Israel got the public diplomacy right

Analysis: Events in Gaza spell the end of the beginning

Yedioth Ahronoth

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

Israel's Role as an Asset for the West - Jonathan Spyer (Jerusalem Post)

Time Gaza's Political Fallout: Israel's Right Strengthened

In the Wake of Gaza, Arab Hard-Liners Gain Upper Hand

Obama Must Choose Which Palestinians to Support - On Palestinian Question, Tough Choices for Obama

Israel's Incendiary Army - Kenneth Roth, Forbes

Who Won the Gaza Battle? - Clifford May, National Review

Egypt Won't End Weapons Smuggling - E. Inbar & M. Kedar, Jerusalem Post

 Israel's Bigger Battle Ahead: It's National Identity BY: Bill Glucroft | The Christian Science Monitor The war, for now, is over. Israel, eager to strike back against thousands of frightening, but largely ineffective, rockets, and apparently sensitive to the blunders made against Hezbollah in 2006, may have very well "won." Ultimately, however, Israel loses by focusing, once more, on external threats rather than internal failures.

 Israel's Mistake BY: Ralph Peters | New York Post The last Israel Defense Forces soldier has left the Gaza Strip. Israel won - for now. But feckless political leadership may have cost Israel a durable victory.

 Hamas' Newspeak Prolongs This War BY: Uri Dromi | The Guardian How dare it claim Israel suffered a 'decisive loss' in Gaza since, under its rule, Palestinians will never have their own state?

EU's Ferrero-Waldner On Georgia's Integration Prospects

Benita Ferrero-Walder, the EU's external relations commissioner, is currently on a tour of the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Speaking January 21 with RFE/RL's Georgian Service in Tbilisi, Ferrero-Waldner talked about the role of EU monitors in the wake of the August war with Russia, as well as Georgia's prospects for Western integration under the new Eastern Partnership plan.

H10 Christian Science Monitor

Iraqi voters show preference for can-do over creed

An emerging backlash against rule by religious parties gives opening to technocrats in Jan. 31 provincial elections.

Newest Gaza fight: Who controls reconstruction aid?

Israel and the US don't want rebuilding homes to become rebuilding Hamas.

Obama's era of responsible citizens

Americans can answer Obama's call to duty by changing their actions and attitudes.

Closing Guantánamo: Will Europeans take detainees?

Blogs, YouTube: the new battleground of Gaza conflict

Both sides used the Internet to rally supporters and shape public opinion.

Obama's first big moves

His first acts – including an order to close Guantánamo Bay – seek to signal change.

Obama moves to overhaul 'war on terror' practices

In three executive orders signed Thursday, he departs sharply from Bush's policies on Guantanamo, CIA prisons, and harsh interrogation tactics.

Closing Guantánamo: Will Europeans take detainees?

With Obama, what change for Mideast? On Thursday he named George Mitchell as a special envoy, and he has already signaled that the US will reengage the region.

Obama's Mideast envoy George Mitchell brings patience, resolve

New refinance boomlet may lift economy, a bit Low mortgage rates act as a gentle spur, but they're not enough to revive the housing market.

ASIA

China's Slowdown Sends Out Aftershocks
Three of Asia's powerhouse economies -- China, Japan and South Korea -- are stalling as demand for their goods from the U.S. and Europe wilts

IHT U.S. – JAPAN An alliance in need of attention By RICHARD J. SAMUELS AND JAMES L. SCHOFF The U.S. and Japan need to recalibrate how alliance burdens are shared.

An Alternative Strategy for Afghan War - Carnegie Endowment

The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

Asia turns blind
eye to facts
Asia's share markets shrugged aside news that China's economic growth in late 2008 was the slowest in seven years, that Japan's exports dropped 35% in December, and that South Korea's economy has suffered its largest decline in over 10 years - a clear indication of willful self-blinding and wishful thinking and indicating that further share-price corrections will be necessary. - Robert M Cutler

India's 'nuke' cruise missile test fails India's efforts this week to test the radar-evading BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as a "precision strike weapon" failed as its configuration to carry a nuclear warhead instead of a conventional one malfunctioned. Undeterred, New Delhi says it will conduct more tests. - Siddharth Srivastava

The way forward for US-Sino ties
President Barack Obama's handling of Sino-US relations will be a crucial factor in ensuring the success of his inaugural pledge to focus on multilateralism to solve global challenges. Taiwan, human rights and trade loom as obstacles, but by displaying sensitivity to China's core interests, the US can consolidate a partnership which has matured well over the past three decades. - Jing-dong Yuan

 China Plays Maritime Chess BY: Brahma Chellaney | The Japan Times The start of Chinese patrols in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden is aimed at demonstrating China's naval role far from its shores and under U.N. rules of engagement.

Beijing Takes Aim at U.S. Aircraft Carriers BY: Michael Richardson | The Japan Times To defend its interests in Asia, the U.S. has been transferring more warships from its Atlantic fleet. The U.S. Pacific fleet now has six of the Navy's 11 aircraft carriers

 Banking on Beijing BY: Paul Cavey | The Wall Street Journal The same factors that have made Chinese banks a policy maker's delight today could make them a policy maker's nightmare tomorrow.

On the Eve of Obama's Inauguration: American Soft Power in Asia Brookings Institution

China Could Test the New President - Ian Johnson, Wall Street Journal

The Economist China's flagging economy Strong as an ox?

A defence white paper in China

White lies

India and Pakistan Diplomatic outsourcing

H11 IHT The subtext on Bin Laden's tape

It’s a mistake to ignore the lethal enmity between Bin Laden and Hamas.

Jeff Jacoby: Presidents come and go

By JEFF JACOBY

The saddest failure of the Bush presidency is the hyper-partisan shrillness of America's national politics.

U.S. - JAPAN

An alliance in need of attention

By RICHARD J. SAMUELS AND JAMES L. SCHOFF

The U.S. and Japan need to recalibrate how alliance burdens are shared.

EU nations divided on taking Guantanamo detainees For years, Europe has been calling on the United States government to close the detention center but now are divided over whether they should help empty the prison.

EUROPE European press review

WSJ There's Safety in the Euro Zone
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Thinking of leaving the single-currency area? Think again.

Waiting for Obama: Three of Europe's Rising Stars World Politics Review

 Czechs and Europe: Uneasy Presidency BY: John Palmer | Open Democracy The European Union's leadership passes to Prague at the very time when its in-tray is overflowing with problems. It will be a bumpy ride.

Obama Needs New Approach to Balkans - Gordon Bardos, National Interes

The Special Relationship: Brown Faces Battle for New President's Ear BY: Andrew Grice | The Independent

Croatia's EU Timetable Threatened by Border Dispute

H12 RFE/RLEU's Ferrero-Waldner On Georgia's Integration Prospects

Benita Ferrero-Walder, the EU's external relations commissioner, is currently on a tour of the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Speaking January 21 with RFE/RL's Georgian Service in Tbilisi, Ferrero-Waldner talked about the role of EU monitors in the wake of the August war with Russia, as well as Georgia's prospects for Western integration under the new Eastern Partnership plan.

Afghanistan: Examining the Implications of a Central Asian Supply Line for Afghanistan
BY STEPHEN BLANK
The recent US-NATO negotiations with Central Asian states and Russia to establish new supply routes to Afghanistan underscore the profound connections between Afghanistan and Central Asia, and the immense repercussions of the Afghan war for the latter. US intentions aren’t surprising, given the intensifying Taliban attacks on the supply route via the Khyber Pass. Clearly the Taliban and its allies have learned from Iraq that long and vulnerable supply lines are the Achilles heel of the US military.

urkmenistan: EU to Expand Contacts with Turkmenistan

Who Won the Gaza Battle? - Clifford May, National Review

Google News Azerbaijan

Russia's Achilles' Heel: Focus on Climate Change Could Depoliticize EU-Russian Debate

Azerbaijan, Trapped Between Palestinians and Israel, Takes a Pragmatic Position BY: Alman Mir-Ismail | Eurasia Daily Monitor

Tough Choices Ahead for Ukraine - Roman Kupchynsky, Kyiv Post

The Moscow Times reports the Russian ruble has made some recent gains against the U.S. dollar following a steep decline in recent months.

H13 The Times Gaza: burns victim vows to be suicide bomber Israelis are asking whether the offensive had achieved anything other than spawning a new generation of suicide bombers

Three hurdles for the new President

Things are set fair for Obama so long as he can master the economy, terrorism and Congress

Gerard Baker

President Obama orders closure of Guantánamo Extraordinary rendition of suspects is also to be reviewed as he restores 'values and ideals' to the war with terrorists

Campaign by the net, govern by the net Jeff Jarvis: Barack Obama has a blog on the new White House website: is this the start of transparent government?

Financial innovation and its costs

Light-touch regulation has not served the wider economy and must be toughened

43½ Nothing in Joe Biden's fleeting presidency became him like the leaving of it

Wall Street Journal  Expect the World Economy to Suffer Through 2009 By Ian Bremmer and Nouriel Roubini Political risk is a bigger factor than ever.

How Government Looks at Pundits By Eliot A. Cohen
People in the idea business do sometimes make a difference.

The World Won't Buy Unlimited U.S. Debt

By Peter Schiff We're asking others to sacrifice for our 'stimulus.'

China's Growth Pains

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Beijing's central planners may not be able to manage its way out of this one.

There's Safety in the Euro Zone

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Thinking of leaving the single-currency area? Think again.

The Jack Bauer Exception

What I Saw at the Inauguration

DECLARATIONS
By Peggy Noonan
And what 4-foot-tall Americans learned.

H14 Financial Times Saudi patience is running out If the US wants a leadership role in the Middle East it will have to drastically revise its policies, writes Turki al-Faisal

Changes that will shape a leader promising change At the heart of Barack Obama’s oration on Tuesday was a rare, if oblique, admission of the limitations of US power: “The world has changed, and we must change with it.” Philip Stephens looks at how the new presidency closes a number of chapters in American history

The right and wrong way to bail out the banks George Soros with advice for the Obama team

Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders President Barack Obama called on Israel to open its borders with Gaza, in a powerful sign of his new administration’s break with Bush-era policy on the Middle East and the world as a whole

Bridges to build The tax cuts and extra spending planned by the Obama team are seen as worthwhile but the extent and timing of the effects are in question

Warning: rating agencies can do you harm They’re wrong again, says Paul De Grauwe

Are UK banks too big to rescue?

Who bears the losses, asks Martin Wolf

Only by spending can Asia save itself

Waiting for world recovery is not an economic policy. To get through this crisis, Asian governments must encourage domestic consumption

Retake the reins Financial regulation must be co-ordinated globally, and tighter EU harmonisation is a first step – without which global co-ordination is unlikely

Milibandiplomacy There is more than outrage in Delhi’s over-reaction to the UK foreign secretary’s tactless remarks on his trip to India. By calling his counterpart by his first name - ‘Pranab’ - David Miliband may have walked into an ‘ambush

Saudi prince urges US to be even-handed A prominent member of the Saudi royal family is warning the Obama administration that failure to alter US attitudes towards the Arab-Israeli conflict radically would threaten the kingdom’s “special relationship” with the US and could force Riyadh to abandon its own support for a peaceful resolution of the dispute

Gaza injuries put focus on phosphorus ‘You should tell everyone about these scandalous acts by the Israelis’, says Sabah Abu Halema, lying on her bed in Gaza’s Shifa hospital, her arms and legs covered in bandages

Obama orders Guantánamo closure

President Barack Obama ordered the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp and Central Intelligence Agency secret prisons, closing the book on the controversial Bush administration ‘war on terror’ policies

Remarks by Geithner ‘will anger China’ Treasury Secretary-designate Tim Geithner’s outspoken comments that president Barack Obama thinks China is manipulating its currency broke a key Bush administration taboo and caught experts and markets by surprise

US says China ‘manipulating’ the renminbi Geithner approved by Senate committee

Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders Clear break with Bush foreign policy

Russia sets new floor under rouble

The trading floor of the rouble has been set 10 per cent lower than its present trading level by the central bank of Russia ending a policy of gradual devaluations

Losers litter battlefield for Europe's gas

ECB rebuffs call to aid non-euro nations The European Central Bank would be reluctant to extend emergency financial help to crisis-hit countries beyond the eurozone, a member of its governing council has said

H15 Los Angeles Times New Gaza battle is over human rights

International groups allege that Israel may have committed war crimes, while Israeli officials deny the charges, saying every effort was made to reduce civilian casualties.

Iraq governor looks back on troubled tenure

Duraid Kashmoula, who survived multiple attempts on his life, is leaving Mosul, the provincial capital, in chaos. Branded a turncoat by militants, he will go into exile when he steps down. >>

U.S. envoy to Iraq warns against abrupt troop withdrawal Ambassador Ryan Crocker says a hasty exit 'could be very dangerous.' Crocker and the U.S. commander of forces in Iraq brief Obama in a call. >>

Obama names Mideast, South Asia envoys Obama picks George Mitchell as special envoy for Israel-Palestinian peace efforts and Richard Holbrooke for Pakistan and Afghanistan

Disputes cloud Afghan 'public guards' plan The Western-backed program to organize volunteer tribesmen to ward off Taliban attacks on their villages has been delayed. Some fear a resurgence of intertribal violence

Lebanon's storied Daily Star shut down

The sometimes controversial outlet for differing opinions, which was read across the Middle East, is lost as the English-language paper is abruptly closed by court order over debt issues

Editorial Israel and Gaza, now

Shaky cease-fire declarations have stopped the killing....

Obama and a lifetime pledge, renewed

By Paula A. Daniels

In a lifetime of allegiance amid observed divisions, Obama's election helps

H16 American Politics

The Politico: What we don't know about Obama

Obama Must Reach Far to the Right to Find GOP Allies
To be a post-partisan leader, Obama must find Republicans with whom he can work on a reasonably regular basis.

realclearpolitics memeorandum

Daily Beast Cheat Sheet

Politico ABC’s The Note – MSNBC FirstRead – Time ThePage Politico Playbook

PoliticsHome fivethirtyeight US News Political Bulletin

H17 Daily TelegraphObama may keep Brown waiting, but he'll need him in the end Sarkozy is the new White House favourite, but only Britain is in a position to deliver front-line troops, writes Con Coughlin

The world will feel China's economic pain Telegraph View: Latest figures show that China's juggernaut is slowing down and perhaps even grinding to a halt

Obama reclaims 'moral high ground' from Bush era President has made a clean break announcing the closure of Guantanamo Bay, a ban on harsh interrogation techniques and the end of CIA prisons

Israel seizes on claims Gaza death toll exaggerated

Israel officials say the number killed during its offensive was less than half the Palestinian figure.

H18 Independent Obama ready to cut Karzai adrift As support for Afghan leader Hamid Karzai wanes, rivals go to Washington for meeting with the new President.

Patrick Cockburn: Bush's 'puppet in Kabul' will not go quietly

 Mitchell prepares for mission to Middle East as peace envoy

 Fatah fears Gaza conflict has put Hamas in the ascendancy

We'll have to go begging to the IMF, says Cameron Britain risks bankruptcy and a humiliating bailout by the International Monetary Fund because of Gordon Brown's borrowing, David Cameron said yesterday

 Obama orders CIA to stop torturing terror suspects

  Mitchell prepares for mission to Middle East as peace envoy

 Fatah fears Gaza conflict has put Hamas in the ascendancy

Fatah fears Gaza conflict has put Hamas in the ascendancy Palestinian party created by Yasser Arafat suffers sharp decline in support

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

The Economist Terrorism

The growing, and mysterious, irrelevance of al-Qaeda

NATO Who can unite the allies?

Interview: Colonel Peter Mansoor On Petraeus And Obama - Marc Ambinder at The Atantic

Jan 22 SD# 2203 - German Al-Qaeda Operative Discusses Al-Qaeda's 'Atom Bomb', Says 'Our Striking Power in This New Crusader War is Reflected in the Mujahideen's Participation in the New Arms Race,' And Warns Germans to Make the Right Choice in September 2009 Elections

"The Bush administration has left in its wake a demoralized national-security press corps, battered by leak investigations, subpoena-happy prosecutors, and a shift in the legal and wider culture away from the previous understanding of journalism's mission and First Amendment protections," writes Laura Rozen in the Columbia Journalism Review. See her story "Hung Out to Dry" along with a series of other articles on openness and secrecy.

Military Recruitment 2008: Significant Gap in Army’s Quality and Quantity Goals
Source: National Priorities Project

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Fred Hiatt and the Washington establishment's bizarre concept of “due process”

H20 Slate

No News Is No News
The president's new press secretary proves adept at an old game: saying nothing. John Dickerson

H21

International News Coverage in a New Media World: The Decline of the Foreign Correspondent

Is religious belief rational?

Jonathan West: The reasons put forward by people of faith for the things they believe don't stand up to scrutiny

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