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| H1 Washington Post More Troops Headed to Afghanistan Obama Boosting U.S. Force by Nearly 50% to Address 'Deteriorating Situation'
Swift, Steep Downturn Crosses Globe Economists See Hope Dry Up --- Markets around the world plunged Tuesday as evidence mounted that the global economic crisis is worsening. Guardian Rebuild diplomatic road to Damascus, Assad urges US In rare interview, Syrian leader calls on Obama to restore envoy and fulfil promise of dialogueExclusive interview: Bashar al-Assad
Assad responds Editorial: What Syria calls the 'steadfast' position has for some time been less monolithic than it once appeared
It's time to rethink Zionism Daphna Baram: The desire for ethnic purity that drove out Palestinians and bars the way to democracy in Israel is the rotten fruit of an old debate
Ha’aretz – It's possible to live with Iran The cabinet will have to choose one of four options for addressing the Iranian threat, or a combination: active defense, passive defense, attack and deterrence.
The Times CIA secretly using Pakistan base for drone raids Pakistan and US have repeatedly denied Washington runs military operations, covert or otherwise, on Pakistani territory
ANALYSIS: a dangerous double game
Obama's Iran policy still unclear
New York Times Putting Stamp on Afghan War, Obama Will Send 17,000 Troops The order will add nearly 50 percent to the 36,000 American troops already there
Obama’s War on Terror May Resemble Bush’s in Some Areas
Jerusalem Post 'Syria building chemical weapons plant'Jane's reports extensive construction has taken place at al-Safir site, based on satellite images. Lewis: Conflict seen as mainly religious Moderate countries "looking to Israel for help" in dealing with Iran, seen as region's "major threat."
Guardian Obama has reached for the tsars Simon Tisdall: Advisers abound, and conflict could follow, in the US president's multi-layered government
Crisis over Kosovo Ian Bancroft: Escalating tensions are compounding EU division over recognition of Kosovo a year after it declared independence
It's time to rethink Zionism Daphna Baram: The desire for ethnic purity that drove out Palestinians and bars the way to democracy in Israel is the rotten fruit of an old debate
Financial Times Japan’s lessons for a world of balance-sheet deflation How far is that experience relevant to today? Japan was able to rely on exports to a buoyant world economy. This crisis is global: the bubbles and financial mania spread across much of the western world, writes Martin Wolf
Bank nationalisation gains ground with Republicans Nationalisation, long regarded in the US as a folly of socialist Europeans, is gaining rapid acceptance among US opinion-formers. Stranger still, many of those talking about nationalising US banks are Republicans
Asia Times SPENGLER Obama, an economic unilateralist Claims that the financial crisis will dethrone the United States as the dominant world superpower are merely silly. The crisis strengthens the relative position of the US and exposes the far graver weaknesses of all prospective competitors, China included. It also positions President Barack Obama as a unilateralist president far beyond Ronald Reagan's dream
US and Russia see common cause The United States and Russia have taken an unceremonious plunge into a marriage of convenience. Moscow is warming to US President Barack Obama. But detractors ranging from hardliners in the US to "New Europeans" and Iranians have reason to worry. They dread that if Obama pursues his "contextual intelligence" approach to its logical conclusion, he and the Kremlin leaders might enter into trade-offs at their expense. - M K Bhadrakumar
Christian Science Monitor From Iran's hard-liners, tough talk – but pragmatism as well Positions that suggest little flexibility may simply be a strong opening bid by those who have the ear of Iran's leaders.
Turkey could furnish a safe way home as US departs Iraq The Habur Gate – a dusty two-lane checkpoint – may be one of the best routes out.
Independent Kosovo faces new realities On its first birthday, Kosovo is coping with widespread unemployment and massive corruption.
Ukraine's leaders bicker as economy burns Not long ago, they were Orange Revolution allies. Now, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko despise each other Foreign Policy Obama Must Prepare to Strike North Korea BY PHIL ZELIKOW Salon This war is our war Democrats fought the surge and the surge -- sort of -- won. Now what do we do in Iraq? By Joan Walsh
A More Powerful NSC? National Journal
Prepared Testimony on the Global Economic Outlook before the Senate Budget Committee
CRS “Thousands of Congressional Reports Now Available Online” Alphabetical list of reports. Chronological list of report
US estimate muddied Iran's nuclear intent Conflicting statements recently issued by the White House and the Pentagon reflect the confusion left by the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's intentions regarding nuclear weapons. This disconnect can hardly be overestimated. If Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, the United States must choose between coercive diplomacy or accepting Tehran's status as a nuclear power and seeking to deter it. - Gareth Porter
Iran's hope for changeMohammad Khatami's presidential bid is the best hope for Iranian human-rights defenders and democratic activists. (Boston Globe)
Much at stake for Lebanon in US opening to Syria Daily Star –
West Must Understand Islamism to Win - Melik Kaylan, Forbes MESH Inconclusive election in Israel? Not at all
Washington Post Is Mullen Clueless? Planet War | Is Mullen so isolated that he can't see we're losing the battle of hearts and minds because we're losing the battle?
Clinton Says U.S. Seeks Unity With Muslim World Secretary of State Clinton says the administration will make "a concerted effort" to restore the image of the U.S. in the Islamic world and "enlist the help of Muslims around the world against the extremists."
| H2 VOA Editorial PJAK Designated Terrorist Group
CSM Turkey could furnish a safe way home as US departs Iraq The Habur Gate – a dusty two-lane checkpoint – may be one of the best routes out.
Gazze krizinden kim kazançlı çıktı? ÖZDEM SANBERK Türkiye’nin bölgede nüfuz ve etkinliğini koruyabilmesinin olmazsa olmaz koşulu, hükümetin, tarihi ve kültürel bağlarımız bulunan komşularla mazlum ve mağdur halklarla dayanışma sergilenirken, Türk dış politikasının çok boyutlu dengesini ve geleneksel yaklaşımını muhafaza etmesidir
Strategic ties must be established between Turkey, Iraq: Talabani
US must resolve Kurdish issues before pullout: Barzani
Al Awsat The Kurds: Love for America is Not Enough : Tariq Alhomayed
Obama call raises questions in Ankara about Afghanistan
Turkey and Russia Developing a New Economic and Strategic Partnership
’Turkey to purchase weapons from Russia’
Turkey's growing influence in the Middle East EurActiv
Europe's World: Turkey’s route to the EU may be via the Middle East
Israelis ambivalent about Turkey trips Jerusalem Post
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
The Case for Kurdish Independence. By Joseph Puder
US must resolve Kurdish issues before pullout: Barzani
Iraq: Imprisoned PKK leader 'seriously ill' - Adnkronos Security
Iraqi president agrees to share power in his Kurd party
Resignations roil prominent Kurdish party in Iraq
Four-Party Negotiations
VOA Editorial PJAK Designated Terrorist Group
Strategic ties must be established between Turkey, Iraq: Talabani
A new jihad? — Turkey witnesses some of the most passionate demonstrations in support of Gaza
Barzani warning of war spurs major reactions
Jalal Talabani and His Two Deputies, Kosrat Rassoul and Barham ...
Al Awsat The Kurds: Love for America is Not Enough : Tariq Alhomayed
Kurdish Lawmaker Denies Describing Maliki as 'New Saddam'
Kurds.. America's love is not enough - Investor's Iraq Forum ...
When parties fossilize … PUK for example
Anniversary of Öcalan's arrest stirs unrest in Iraq
Protesto notası ilişkileri gerdi
Agreement to halt Iranian shelling on Iraqi Kurdistan border villages
German foreign minister in Baghdad for talks Steinmeier is also slated to open a German consulate in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, in the north of the country
Is there a 'firewall' between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel?
Kurdish leader denies reports of party disputes
Armenian Genocide debate likely in Knesset
Turkish and Syrian ministers attend business forum in Damascus
Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dış Basında Türkiye-AB İlişkileri Günlük Haftalık
Europe's World: Turkey’s route to the EU may be via the Middle East
Turkey and Russia Developing a New Economic and Strategic Partnership
’Turkey to purchase weapons from Russia’
Cooperation between Turkey, US crucial
Former Italian President Cossiga says Turkish Gladio was unique
’Turkey should not see Croatia as a rival’
US senator offers help in Cyprus peace talks
Almanya'dan KKTC'ye Tarifeli Uçak Seferleri
No end in sight Nagorno-Karabakh refugees still in limbo 16 years on Armenia: Does Russia�s $500 Million Loan Come with Strings Attached for Yerevan? A $500 million "stabilization" loan from the Kremlin is stoking debate in Armenia about the potential political ramifications of Russian assistance. Armenian leaders, however, are denying reports that Russia has set certain conditions in exchange for the financial assistance.
Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop
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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
Taha Akyol
Fikret Bila
Hasan Cemal
Murat Yetkin
İsmet Berkan
Şamil Tayyar
Ekonomi
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| H4 New York Times Putting Stamp on Afghan War, Obama Will Send 17,000 Troops The order will add nearly 50 percent to the 36,000 American troops already there
Obama’s War on Terror May Resemble Bush’s in Some Areas
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN No Way, No How, Not Here The defiance of Islamist terrorists by Indian Muslims stands out against a dismal landscape of Sunni Muslim suicide murderers who have been treated by Arab media as “martyrs.”
Saudi Arabia: Change We Can Believe In? New cabinet appointments made by King Abdullah may mark a real shift in governing.
MAUREEN DOWD Cheney and the Goat Devil One of the great mysteries of the Bush presidency is whether W. ever had an epiphany when he realized that he had been manipulated by Dick Cheney, and if it ever hit him that he trusted the wrong father figure
The Bailout Is Robbing the BanksBy JOHN C. COATES and DAVID S. SCHARFSTEIN The Troubled Asset Relief Program has channeled aid to bank holding companies rather than banks. But this is not a good use of scarce capital.
Editorial An $80 Billion StartThe energy spending in the stimulus package should not be confused with a global warming bill. Dealing with climate change will require a much broader strategy. But this is a useful down paymen
Memo From Cairo: Egypt’s Critics Have a Voice, but Never the Last Word
Afghan Civilian Deaths Rose 40 Percent in 2008
8 Go on Trial in London for Second Time in Plot to Bomb Flights to U.S. and Canada
Sudan and Darfur Rebel Group Agree to Peace Talks
Iraq Says It Is Interrogating 4 Men Returned by U.S. From Guantánamo Prison
World Briefing | Europe: Belgium: NATO Objects to Pakistan Truce With Taliban
Minister Quits at Bad Time for Japan’s Economy
Clinton Offers Words of Reassurance While in Japan
Automakers Seek $14 Billion More in AidBy BILL VLASIC and NICK BUNKLEY General Motors and Chrysler promised to make further cuts, in hopes of lightening their bloated cost structures amid a dismal market for new car sales.
A Bailout Aimed at the Most Afflicted HomeownersBy DAVID LEONHARDT A key to understanding the housing bailout is that two very different groups of homeowners face foreclosure
U.S. Accuses Texas Financial Firm of $8 Billion Fraud
| H5 Washington Post More Troops Headed to Afghanistan Obama Boosting U.S. Force by Nearly 50% to Address 'Deteriorating Situation'
Swift, Steep Downturn Crosses Globe Economists See Hope Dry Up --- Markets around the world plunged Tuesday as evidence mounted that the global economic crisis is worsening.
Is Mullen Clueless? Planet War | Is Mullen so isolated that he can't see we're losing the battle of hearts and minds because we're losing the battle?
Clinton Says U.S. Seeks Unity With Muslim World Secretary of State Clinton says the administration will make "a concerted effort" to restore the image of the U.S. in the Islamic world and "enlist the help of Muslims around the world against the extremists."
Obama, Gates at Odds Over Proposed Protections for National Security Whistleblowers
Iran Accuses Seven Bahai Leaders of Espionage
Editorial Rough Road Ahead With a nudge from the Obama administration, GM, Chrysler and the UAW make progress.
China and the United States - the Dysfunctional Duo By Harold Meyerson, Why the unemployment picture doesn't look worse.
GM, Chrysler Seek Billions More in Aid Firms to Cut 50,000 Jobs, Drop 6 Brands
Be Calm and Prosper By Kathleen Parker, President Obama points out that things have been worse -- and gotten better.
Chevy of Yesteryear By Jeanne McManus, If ever there was a good idea gone bad, an American icon destroyed, a trust betrayed, it has to be Chevrolet.
A Bad but Necessary Stimulus Bill By Michael Gerson, Beneath its excess, the stimulus does have a hidden virtue.
The Party of No By Ruth Marcus, The stimulus vote may have been the high-water mark of GOP unity.
| H6 Guardian Rebuild diplomatic road to Damascus, Assad urges US In rare interview, Syrian leader calls on Obama to restore envoy and fulfil promise of dialogueExclusive interview: Bashar al-Assad
Assad responds Editorial: What Syria calls the 'steadfast' position has for some time been less monolithic than it once appeared
Obama has reached for the tsars Simon Tisdall: Advisers abound, and conflict could follow, in the US president's multi-layered government
Crisis over Kosovo Ian Bancroft: Escalating tensions are compounding EU division over recognition of Kosovo a year after it declared independence
It's time to rethink Zionism Daphna Baram: The desire for ethnic purity that drove out Palestinians and bars the way to democracy in Israel is the rotten fruit of an old debate
A risky deal in Swat Stephen Tankel: As sharia law returns to Malakand, many people may find themselves unhappy with the results
Obama signs $787bn stimulus bill US president signs into law 'most sweeping economic package in US history' during visit to Denver
Preparations for a European army Letter: Why does the EU want an operational planning HQ and a commitment to 'deploy 60,000 men in 60 days'?
Sharia law brought to troubled regionSufi Muhammad, who fought alongside the Taliban, is hailed as local hero in Pakistan's Swat region
Show us the moneyEditorial: There are moments when even determined egalitarians wonder whether Jesus had it right when he suggested that the poor will be always with us
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| H7 US estimate muddied Iran's nuclear intent Conflicting statements recently issued by the White House and the Pentagon reflect the confusion left by the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's intentions regarding nuclear weapons. This disconnect can hardly be overestimated. If Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, the United States must choose between coercive diplomacy or accepting Tehran's status as a nuclear power and seeking to deter it. - Gareth Porter
Iran's hope for changeMohammad Khatami's presidential bid is the best hope for Iranian human-rights defenders and democratic activists. (Boston Globe)
Much at stake for Lebanon in US opening to Syria Daily Star –
West Must Understand Islamism to Win - Melik Kaylan, Forbes
The Path to Extremism: The Islamist Mindset 'Is Very Comfortable 'Ghaffar Hussain was once a radical Islamist with the group Hizb ut-Tahrir. Now he is part of the Quilliam Foundation, a British think tank seeking to combat extremism. He spoke with SPIEGEL ONLINE about the Islamist world view and the pleasant feeling of omniscience.
A Rebalancing Act on Foreign Policy - Joe Klein, Time
MEMRI Feb 17 IA# 498 - Rethinking "Resistance": Arab Liberal Perspectives
Who's Telling the Truth About Iran's Nuclear Program? by Muhammad Sahimi
George Mitchell's task of negotiating peace between Israel and the Palestinians will be complicated by the rivalry of key Arab players
Hard Times, Soft Power - Joseph Nye, Globe & Mail
Matthew Yglesias & Daniel Drezner: It Takes a Village of Pigs
Al Hayat Everyone Is against Centralization in Iraq Mostafa Zein - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has achieved for himself a prominent political presence and now represents, despite the modest size of his party (the Islamic Dawa Party), the center of competition of large movements, such as the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), led by Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, and the Sadr Movement, in addition to "liberal" and "secular" movements.
Gulf Arabs Fear US-Iran Diplomacy at Their Expense
Russia Unlikely to Sell S-300s to Iran
Future of Public Diplomacy Unsettled at State
Foreign aid: An introduction to U.S. programs and policy (PDF; 938 KB) Source: Congressional Research Service (via OpenCRS)
| H8 Iraq Updates IraqSlogger Google News Iraq Iran Syria Mideastwire.com - NPR Iraq
Trade at Iraqi port highlights problems
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Weakens Grip of Islamic Hard-Liners
German FM begins first Iraq visit Germany's foreign minister arrives in Baghdad, the first such visit since Berlin opposed the US-led invasion in 2003.
German official's visit highlights Iraq's interest in reaching abroad
Iraqi speaker row destabilizing BAGHDAD, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The ongoing dispute in the Iraqi Parliament over candidates for the position of speaker threatens the stability of the Iraqi political system, observers say.
Iraq expects election results Thursday BAGHDAD, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Iraqi election officials said Tuesday they expect to announce the final results of the Jan. 31 Iraqi provincial elections by the end of the day Thursday.
Barzani statements ruffle feathers ERBIL, Iraq, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Reactions were mixed among Iraqi lawmakers concerning statements from top Kurdish officials warning the Kurdistan region could erupt in war without U.S. action.
Final Iraqi Elections Results Due on Thursday
Iraqi curfews to end in 2009; Iraq no longer an American proxy, Zebari says; number of Iraqi detainees in American custody drops
Iran seeks transfer of PMOI members TEHRAN, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Iraq should hand over members of the People's Mujahedin of Iran to Tehran to face prosecution for crimes against the Islamic Republic, officials said.
| H9 Ha’aretz – It's possible to live with Iran The cabinet will have to choose one of four options for addressing the Iranian threat, or a combination: active defense, passive defense, attack and deterrence.
Ex-envoy: Netanyahu-Lieberman is 'bad combination' for U.S. Former ambassador Daniel Kurtzer: Rightist government would find it hard to advance peace process
Is Israel assassinating Iran nuclear scientists?
A deal that must not be missed The outgoing government must complete Operation Cast Lead by formalizing relations with the Gaza Strip and bringing back Gilad Shalit.
Benn Bar Refaeli in Gaza The branding project confronts Israel's most difficult problem in the world: the difference in the way Israelis perceive themselves and the way they are perceived abroad.
Cabinet meets on Shalit deal and Gaza truce Olmert: Shalit release top priority of any agreement with Hamas; Meshal: No truce until blockade lifted
Barak tells IDF: Iran nukes are an existential threat to Israel
Fearing anti-Semitism, Jews in Muslim world distance themsleves from Israel's actions
Yitzhak Laor: Left's demise began with support for Barak's war on Palestinians
Why does Hollywood love the Holocaust?
Jerusalem Post 'Syria building chemical weapons plant'Jane's reports extensive construction has taken place at al-Safir site, based on satellite images.
Lewis: Conflict seen as mainly religiousModerate countries "looking to Israel for help" in dealing with Iran, seen as region's "major threat."
Analysis: Amman caught between Hamas and Fatah
IDF begins using 'James Bond' gadgetryEyeball, Eyedrive cameras, Matador shoulder launcher to guide IDF ground troops into the future
IAEA: Iran, Syria must cooperate moreElBaradei: But Iran hasn't added centrifuges since Sept., Syria should be more open on bombed site.
Assad pessimistic about Israeli gov't Syrian president tells 'Guardian' peace talks will resume eventually; urges US to hold talks with Iran
Lieberman's rise 'good for the Jews'It might actually be useful abroad as it positions Netanyahu in mainstream.
The Morality of the Gaza War - David Forman (Jerusalem Post)
Plenty of brakes but no engine All middle-sized parties - Likud, Kadima, Israel Beiteinu and Labor - must join hands and agree on electoral reform
Yedioth Ahronoth Hamas: Israel deceived us
Ben-Yishai/ The Gaza imbroglio
Daily Alert.org – Hebrew Press Editorials (2008) - Middle East Progress - EJC Israeli Press Review – Google News Israel - Palestine
Obama's High-Risk Engagement at the Durban Review Conference - Gerald Steinberg
Netanyahu: Palestinians Should Have Sovereignty, But Not at Israel's Expense
Egypt Cracking Down on Gaza Smugglers? - Ashraf Khalil (Los Angeles Times)
Middle East Peace: In an editorial, the paper comments on a Russian proposal for a Middle East peace conference, and says it deserves support in view of the many developments since the 2007 Annapolis conference.
Netanyahu: Joel Mowbray of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies says Obama administration officials have been complaining about the prospect of working with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, and warns President Obama against criticizing the Israeli people for their democratic preferences.
Article 51: Israel's false claim, Reza Nasri
To Tzipi, the Battle. To Bibi, the War. BY: Brian J. Forest | Diplomatic Courier Despite her party’s surprise victory, Livni faces a steep climb in cobbling together a viable coalition and becoming Israel’s second female prime minister. Hawkish parties secured a solid 65-seat parliamentary majority, far outpacing dovish forces more amenable to Livni’s policies. Most expect Israel’s president to pass over Livni and charge Netanyahu with forming Israel’s next government.
It's Time to Rethink Zionism - Daphna Baram, The Guardian
In Morocco, anger at Arab collusion against Gaza By Anouar Boukhars
Outside View: Hamas' challenge to the PLO (UPI) -- It is Hamas' intention to replace the Palestine Liberation Organization with a new body that serves the Islamist group's agenda of "resistance" against the Israeli occupation. Hamas' efforts to take over or replace the PLO represent a severe challenge to Palestinian moderates who have been weakened by stagnation in the peace process and the Israeli military action in Gaza. The outcome of this political struggle will shape the future of Palestinian politics and the prospects for peace.
Still Waiting on the 'Winner' in Israel - Elliott Abrams, Weekly Standard
Gaza Off-Limits to Activists in Egypt BY: Joseph Mayton | The Middle East Times Egypt has made it clear to activists that Gaza is off-limits.
When the Dust Settles in Gaza FPC A UK article considering how a recurrence of the Gaza war can best be prevented
Israel's society is no longer 'a people dwelling alone' By Elie Podeh
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| H10 Christian Science Monitor From Iran's hard-liners, tough talk – but pragmatism as well Positions that suggest little flexibility may simply be a strong opening bid by those who have the ear of Iran's leaders.
Turkey could furnish a safe way home as US departs Iraq The Habur Gate – a dusty two-lane checkpoint – may be one of the best routes out.
Obama inherited a fiscal disaster. Now what? Without swift action, gargantuan debts could soon destroy Uncle Sam's credit rating.
Mini-surge to test out US strategy in Afghanistan Some 3,000 US troops recently deployed to insurgent-heavy provinces near Kabul.
Kosovo's president: Our country is proving itself On Kosovo's first anniversary, Fatmir Sejdiu says his country can maintain itself as a state.
Independent Kosovo faces new realities On its first birthday, Kosovo is coping with widespread unemployment and massive corruption.
Ukraine's leaders bicker as economy burns Not long ago, they were Orange Revolution allies. Now, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko despise each other.
Why did Sudan make a deal with Darfur rebels? Khartoum has agreed to swap prisoners and talk with Darfur insurgents.
US to boost troops in Afghanistan President Obama authorises the deployment of 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan to "meet urgent security needs".
Afghanistan: A Survey Sends Danger Signals for the Pending American Surge
Obama beefs up troops in Afghanistan In his first big military decision as commander-in-chief, the US president approves the deployment of 17,000 new troops to fight a resurgent insurgency by Taliban and al-Qaeda militants
China, Russia Sign $25 Billion Oil Pact China reached a long-term deal to lend $25 billion to two Russian energy companies in exchange for an expanded supply of Russian oil.
Asia Still Likes America BY: David Shambaugh and Thomas Wright | International Herald Tribune As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tours East Asia this week, her first official trip as secretary of state, she may find something surprising: Respect for the United States remains strong. Unlike in the rest of the world, America's reputation in Asia remains robust.
Afghanistan Strategy: Security analyst Micah Zenko says before introducing more U.S. troops into Afghanistan, Americans should debate whether, or to what extent, U.S. air strikes in Pakistan should continue.
Obama Should Visit India - Soon - Tunku Varadarajan, Forbes
A Rights Agenda for China - David Kramer, Wall Street Journal
Why America Can't Save Asia - Brian Klein, Far Eastern Economic Review
Iran May Get Invite to Join Shanghai Cooperation Organization
NATO 'Concerned' Over Pakistan Truce
Clinton Could Signal U.S.-China RethinkU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's top concern as she heads to Beijing will be U.S.-Chinese trade ties. It is a subject of utmost importance, since that partnership has been one of the growth engines of the world economy
Clinton Pursues Delicate Diplomacy Clinton announced that Aso will be the first foreign leader to visit the Obama White House. But she also met with the head of Japan's main opposition party
Obama orders as many as 17,500 troops to AfghanistanIn his first troop deployment to a war zone as commander in chief, President Barack Obama on Tuesday authorized sending as many as 17,500 additional troops to Afghanistan beginning this spring, a move that appears to mark the formal U.S. troop shift from Iraq to Afghanistan US and Japan build a new Silk Road By helping establish a new Eurasian transport corridor, Japan can honor commitments to its ally Washington in the "war on terror", and revive its long-lost Central Asian initiative. This re-energized role in the region - namely, sending troops to Afghanistan - fits in well with Tokyo's vision for an invigorated Japanese diplomatic strategy in the 21st century
Af-Pak: In an editorial, the paper says clubbing Afghanistan and Pakistan under the single acronym Af-Pak is a belated recognition of reality. Af-Pak is more dangerous than North Korea, it says, and the world needs to develop a strategy to stabilize both countries.
Perhaps a cool hand
China Policy under Obama FPRI
Helene Cooper / New York Times: Obama to Send 17,000 More Troops to Afghanistan — WASHINGTON — President Obama will send an additional 17,000 American troops to Afghanistan this spring and summer in the first major military move of his presidency, White House officials said on Tuesday.
An excerpt from Mark Leonard’s What Does China Think? Obama Must Prepare to Strike North Korea BY PHIL ZELIKOW Drug abuse hampers Afghan police Sixty per cent of police in Afghanistan's Helmand province use drugs, according to British estimates obtained by the BBC
Afghan Surge: In an editorial, the paper notes that President Obama is girding for a war surge in Afghanistan. Let's hope he's willing to see it through when his most stalwart supporters start to doubt the effort and rue the cost, it says.
The Shifting Distribution of World Economic Activity: China and global imbalance
Japan's Politicians Lose Their Way at a Bad Time BY: Gerald Curtis | The Japan Times Not only is Japan’s economy contracting at least twice as fast as its peers, with data on Monday showing the worst quarterly performance for a third of a century, but Japanese politics also seem about to implode.
Implications of Japan's Downturn - Michael Auslin, Wall Street Journal
Stratfor Afghanistan: Hurry Up and Wait As the snow melts in the mountain passes, time is of the essence for launching a new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan
India's Army Ill-Equipped Despite Plans BY: Siddarth Srivastava | World Politics Review In the wake of last November's Mumbai terror strikes, which revealed weaknesses in India's homeland defense capacity, India's inability to fight a full-fledged war is now being increasingly exposed. Years of neglect, corruption and red tape, and problems with New Delhi's defense modernization program, mean that improvements might be further off than anticipated.
A year after China quashed revolt, Tibetans simmer with resentment
| By PAUL D. RYAN The stimulus package threatens a return of high inflation and high unemployment. Combine the two and you have stagflation the kind last seen in the 1970s.
Eradication of Afghanistan’s poppy crop is not just ineffective, but also helps the Taliban.
By DAVID SHAMBAUGH AND THOMAS WRIGHT Unlike in the rest of the world, America's reputation in Asia remains robust.
Papal decisions touch off global firestorm among Catholics Two separate affairs have engendered a storm of criticism of Benedict XVI and the church hierarchy and led to frantic efforts to mollify angry parishioners around the globe.
Kosovo marks 1 year since independence declaration Ethnic Albanians poured into the streets Tuesday to celebrate the first anniversary of Kosovo's independence, as nationalist Serbian lawmakers joined their ethnic kin in northern Kosovo to try to undermine the tiny country.
EUROPE European press review
The EU is coming up short in Kosovo
Look closely at the paradox of Bosnian coexistence
Visit to Iraq Underscores Germany's Shift in Policy Frank-Walter Steinmeier landed in Baghdad on Tuesday for the first visit to Iraq by a German foreign minister in 22 years. The gesture underscores a significant shift in Germany's policies toward the war-torn country
Analysis: What Germany is all about today -- Germany is a Big Brother state; Germany is detaining intellectuals for no reason; Germany let an innocent man rot in Guantanamo -- those are three of 13 directors' opinions included in a film compilation that aims to dissect what Germany in 2009 is all about.
Army Rethinking Plan to Cut US Troops in Europe
One Year After Independence, Kosovo Needs 'A Revolution' BY: Elitsa Vucheva | EU Observer
Panorama of European Union trade — 2007 Edition (data 1998-2006)
The New Serbia: Fast Forward Towards the EU? EPC This 4-page policy brief highlights the stumbling blocks which must be overcome to usher in a new phase in the EU’s relations with Serbia, but argues that the Union should speed up the procedure for granting the country ‘candidate status’ for EU membership, both to encourage the necessary reforms and to prevent a resurgence of the nationalist element in Serbian politics
From Munich - The New World Order - Paul Wells, Maclean's
Coastline spat with Slovenia blocks Croatia's EU bid
Eastern Europe Shakes Banks Growing market concern over the risk of a full-blown economic crash in Eastern Europe slammed the share prices of Western banks with heavy exposure in the region and shook local currencies.
| H12 RFE/RL
US and Russia see common cause
OSCE promotes democratic control of army (UPI) -- Top authorities in Azerbaijan participated in a workshop Tuesday aimed at strengthening democratic control of the country's armed forces.
Obama Administration Adopting New Views on Possible Security Threats in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenia: Does Russia�s $500 Million Loan Come with Strings Attached for Yerevan? A $500 million "stabilization" loan from the Kremlin is stoking debate in Armenia about the potential political ramifications of Russian assistance. Armenian leaders, however, are denying reports that Russia has set certain conditions in exchange for the financial assistance.
Interview with Russian Foreign Minister: Moscow Optimistic about America's New Beginning
Google News Azerbaijan
Geopolitical Diary: A Sign of Russia's Renewed Confidence Russian ballistic missile submarines conducted 10 patrols in 2008, up from three in 2007 -- a sign of Moscow's confidence in its navy
Ukraine's leaders bicker as economy burns Not long ago, they were Orange Revolution allies. Now, Tymoshenko and Yushchenko despise each other.
Is Russia Ripe for Regime Change? - Mary Dejevsky, The Independent
RUSSIA: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has fired four governors and demoted the agriculture minister (Moscow Times). Experts saw it as a sign that Medvedev is asserting his authority as the president and trying to quell domestic unrest over Russia's economic slump (Reuters).
US and Uzbeks in supply route talks General David Petraeus, the commander of US forces in the Middle East and central Asia, met Islam Karimov, the president of Uzbekistan, and senior officials
China, Russia Sign $25 Billion Oil Pact China reached a long-term deal to lend $25 billion to two Russian energy companies in exchange for an expanded supply of Russian oil.
Crisis Dents Russian Leaders' Ratings Russia warned its recession will be deeper than expected as signs emerged the crisis is hurting the popularity of Putin and Medvedev.
Kazakhstan Seeks to Expand Oil Outlets The oil-rich nation of Kazakhstan urgently needs more export capacity to cope with a big uptick in its oil production over the next decade, a Chevron executive said.
Springtime For Lukashenka? Facing a crippling economic crisis, Belarus's authoritarian president is looking West for help -- and offering to soften his grip on his country in return. After releasing political prisoners, allowing opposition newspapers to publish, and moving toward liberalizing the economy, how far will the thaw go?
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H13 The Times CIA secretly using Pakistan base for drone raids Pakistan and US have repeatedly denied Washington runs military operations, covert or otherwise, on Pakistani territory
ANALYSIS: a dangerous double game
BEHIND THE STORY: advantage of a remote airstripUsing Shamsi lets drones observe and attack targets within Pakistan’s borders without disrupting the country’s air defences
Pragmatism and AppeasementPakistan cannot fight extremism while giving in to the militants’ demands Obama to send 17,000 troops to AfghanistanNew troops had been scheduled for Iraq, but have been 're-missioned' to tackle President's 'top foreign policy priority'
We won't pay for one-way betsThe Prime Minister lays out a four-point plan to end the excesses of the bonus culture Obama gambles billions to save homeownersUS President invoked Winston Churchill as he turned attention to stemming flood of home repossessions afflicting millions
Wall Street Journal Obama Signs Stimulus PackageObama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus into law with the aim of pumping money into infrastructure projects, health care and renewable energy. John Steele Gordon: A Short History of the National Debt
Bipartisanship Is a Silly Beltway ObsessionTHE TILTING YARD More Troops to AfghanistanObama will send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the U.N. said that the number of Afghan civilians killed in armed conflict rose 40% last year to 2,118.
GM, Chrysler Ask for $21.6 Billion in AidGM and Chrysler said they may need $21.6 billion more in bailout loans. GM plans to phase out Saturn, shut five more factories and cut 47,000 jobs. Chrysler slated a modest cut to production capacity. Eastern Europe Shakes Western BanksGrowing market concern over the risk of a full-blown economic crash in Eastern Europe slammed the share prices of Western banks with heavy exposure in the region Tuesday and shook local currencies.
Synchronized Boom, Synchronized BustBy Marc Faber There's Virtue In Geithner's Vague Bank PlanBy Matthew Richardson and Nouriel Roubini
Jihad TV in EuropeIt's time to shut down Hezbollah and Hamas broadcasts to the Continent, write Mark Dubowitz and Roberta Bonazzi.
GM to End Brands, Cut 47,000 More Jobs — Saturn, Hummer Could Be History by 2011 as GM Plans to Slash Dealers; Chrysler Mentions Bankruptcy Option for First Time
Greenspan Backs Nationalization
FT Bank nationalisation gains ground with Republicans — Long regarded in the US as a folly of Europeans, nationalisation is gaining rapid acceptance among Washington opinion-formers - and not just with Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chairman.
What other financial crises tell us: The lesson of history is grim — expect a prolonged slump
The end of American capitalism: Has the government "bailout" been so large that capitalism’s founding principle is now irretrievably lost?
Embarrassing Geithner: Commentator Peter Hartcher, pointing out that President Obama was elected to fix the U.S. economy, says that his choice of treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, started as an embarrassment and has now become a glaring liability.
Islamic Banking: In an editorial on the global economic crisis, the paper asks if Wall Street may have lessons to learn from the Islamic banking community
U.S. Protectionism: In an editorial on the Obama administration's plans to rescue the U.S. economy and its banking system, the paper warns that it should take utmost care not to be tempted by protectionism. | H14 Financial Times Japan’s lessons for a world of balance-sheet deflation How far is that experience relevant to today? Japan was able to rely on exports to a buoyant world economy. This crisis is global: the bubbles and financial mania spread across much of the western world, writes Martin Wolf
Bank nationalisation gains ground with Republicans Nationalisation, long regarded in the US as a folly of socialist Europeans, is gaining rapid acceptance among US opinion-formers. Stranger still, many of those talking about nationalising US banks are Republicans
Obama beefs up troops in Afghanistan In his first big military decision as commander-in-chief, the US president approves the deployment of 17,000 new troops to fight a resurgent insurgency by Taliban and al-Qaeda militants
Trade at Iraqi port highlights problemsFinancial turmoil evokes familiar scapegoats Abraham Cooper and Harold Brackman on xenophobia
Obama acts to cut risk of foreclosures Barack Obama will unveil measures to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure a day after signing into law the biggest US job creation programme since the Great Depression
Carmakers say bankruptcy more costly than bail-out Both GM and Chrysler insist that a series of cost-cutting measures will be sufficient to keep them out of bankruptcy protection, provided they receive billions more dollars in aid from the US government.Greenspan says Tarp needs boost The US administration will have to go back to Congress for more money to recapitalise the banking system, Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, saidThis is not the time to attack China It can adjust, but not quickly, warns Michael Pettis
Japan cannot afford to wait Tokyo has been loath to take measures to stimulate domestic consumer demand and reduce its export-dependencyChávez triumphant The Venezuelan president’s referendum scrapping the limits on how long he can remain in power is full of colour and controversy
Serb leaders reject Kosovo’s independence ‘This parliament rejects as non-existent and without any legal validity . . . the institutions of Kosovo as a quasi-state’, proclaimed the union of municipalitiesCurrency dispute exposes Moscow rift A senior Russian official has called for the immediate imposition of exchange controls to ensure the foreign currency spent supporting the rouble is not taken out of the country
Crime-fighters revive Iraqi refinery’s fortunes Ali al-Obaidi, director-general of the Northern Oil Company, and Colonel Adil al-Jamali, commander of the Bayji oil police, have become a formidable crime-fighting duo
Wal-Mart’s global sales break through $400bn Retailer accounts for 50% of 2008 US retail growth
Eastern Europe triggers rush for safety Scramble for US dollar and bonds after warnings
Greenspan backs bank nationalisation Solution may be needed for some lenders
US automakers to seek $21.6bn in funds GM and Chrysler present viability plans
Introduce professional standards for bankers John Kay on the case for more rigorous training
Spain’s recession: After the fiestaGripped by an agonising downturn, Madrid risks losing many of the gains made relative to its neighbours
Moody’s warns of eastern Europe risk Shares in western European banks tumbled after Moody’s, the credit ratings agency, warned of the threat to institutions with exposure to the region, such as Raiffeisen, Erste Bank and UniCredit
| H15 Los Angeles Times Obama orders more troops to Afghanistan The deployment, to total 17,000 soldiers and Marines, will double the number of U.S. combat brigades at a time of tension with Afghanistan's weak government over civilian casualties GM, Chrysler seek billions more in federal loans General Motors asks for $9.1 billion to $16.6 billion and says it might need more in coming years. Chrysler asks for $5 billion.
• Treasury sees modest cutback in bank lending
• Obama signs massive stimulus bill
Civilian deaths roil Afghans The U.S. says those killed have been militants. The issue is seen as a major threat to the military mission
Uighur detainees at Guantanamo pose a problem for Obama The administration, already viewed with suspicion by Beijing, doesn't want to send the soon-to-be-freed ethnic separatists back to China -- which is demanding just that.
Pakistan officials allow Sharia in volatile region The move to allow Islamic law in the Swat Valley is a concession to Islamic militants brokering a cease-fire. It comes against the backdrop of a suspected U.S. missile strike near the Afghan borde
EditorialHugo Chavez's staying powerNow that the Venezuelan president is no longer checked by term limits, he has solidified his role as an autocrat -- and a force that the U.S. must engage.
The 'truth to power' gapJonah Goldberg Journalists seem to be more worried about the reactions of interest groups...
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Newt Gingrich / Human Events:
Headed for Washington: The Populist Wave - Michael Lind, The Daily Beast
White House’s Covert Actions
Politico ABC’s The Note – MSNBC FirstRead – Time ThePage Politico Playbook PoliticsHome fivethirtyeight US News Political Bulletin
Politicking, by David Axelrod — The indispensable Hyde Park Herald just put large portions of its archive online, offering access to some rather wonky Obama columns from the 1990s and early 2000s, and — better reading — to David Axelrod's reporting and columns from his days as a young reporter.
The legend of FDR's first 100 days in officeThe legend of Franklin Roosevelt's famous first 100 days has become so overblown that it may be crippling the ability of leaders to be effective, let alone achieve the instantaneous greatness for which millions are now pining. (By Patrick Maney, Boston Globe)
The New Deal and right-wing revisionismOne of the most diverting aspects of the debate over President Obama's stimulus plan has been the concerted conservative attack on the New Deal. But the New Deal was hardly a failure. (By Scott Lehigh, Globe Columnist)
Republican obstinacy: How's it working?Not even the stimulus bill stimulated the Republican Party into any human feeling. With only three of 219 Republicans in the House and Senate voting for the $787 billion economic recovery package, the party displayed the very obstinacy that lost it the White House. (By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Columnist)
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Britain Can Be Fixed, But Not By Brown - Irwin Stelzer, Daily Telegraph
Archbishop: Christians seen as 'mad' by society
| H18 Independent Boom time in Baghdad: Return of refugees puts heat under property prices As the price of housing collapses in the rest of the world, it is soaring in Baghdad.
OSC Ranks the Ten Most Influential British Commentators
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| H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism
A More Powerful NSC?
CFR War About Terror: Civil Liberties and National Security after 9/11
U.S. Counterterror: CFR adjunct senior fellow Daniel Prieto writes that President Obama has taken the right steps on U.S. counterterrorism policy, but says they mark less of a sharp break from counterterrorism policies under the Bush administration than one might think.
The Coming Swarm - John Arquilla
No mercy for mercenaries Eric Stoner: Blackwater – er, Xe – has been kicked out of Iraq. Now the other private security contractors should be banned as well
India's Army Ill-Equipped Despite Plans BY: Siddarth Srivastava | World Politics Review In the wake of last November's Mumbai terror strikes, which revealed weaknesses in India's homeland defense capacity, India's inability to fight a full-fledged war is now being increasingly exposed. Years of neglect, corruption and red tape, and problems with New Delhi's defense modernization program, mean that improvements might be further off than anticipated.
An American 'foreign legion' emerges The United States military is close to being a foreign legion. Foreign as in being constantly deployed overseas on imperial errands; foreign as in being ever-more reliant on private military contractors; foreign as in being increasingly segregated from the elites that profit most from its actions, yet serve the least in its ranks. And increasingly foreign to Americans. - William Astore
Obama embraces the counter-insurgency era
Face value: Does profiling actually help to catch terrorists?
Al Qaeda, Online - Bruce Falconer, Mother Jones
CRS “Interrogation of Detainees: Requirements of the Detainee Treatment Act,” updated January 23, 2009.
“U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Techniques,” updated January 26, 2009.
“The U.N. Convention Against Torture: Overview of U.S. Implementation Policy Concerning the Removal of Aliens,” updated January 21, 2009.
“The War Crimes Act: Current Issues,” updated January 22, 2009.
“Renditions: Constraints Imposed by Laws on Torture,” updated January 22, 2009.
Air Force chief to ask Gates for more F-22s — The Air Force chief of staff is going to make his case with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the coming weeks for more F-22 Raptor jets
A 'personal tank' for every soldier
National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 Source: National Gang Intelligence Center
Military Robots & the Laws of War - Brookings Institution | H20 Slate
CRS “Thousands of Congressional Reports Now Available Online” Alphabetical list of reports. | H21 Vitamin Pills: A False Hope?
When dreams come true: People interpret dreams in ways that affect their waking lives, especially when those dreams support pre-existing beliefs.
Love, Fear, and Loathing: A Qualitative Examination of Christian Perceptions of Muslims
From New Scientist, born believers: How your brain creates God
The book that changed my life: John Gray chooses The Pursuit of the Millennium by Norman Cohn.
A review of The Numbers Game: The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers in the News, in Politics, and in Life by Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot.
The Roots of Liberal Condescension By William Voegeli From the Claremont Review of Books: Snobbery is the last refuge of the liberal-arts major.
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