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H1 Wall Street Journal World Leaders Agree on Global Response G-20 leaders concluded a summit by agreeing to pump up the IMF's financial capacity fourfold, to $1 trillion, to help handle crises in developing nations. Communiqué

Financial Times Summit success reflects a different global landscape The G20 summit’s deeper significance lay in its unspoken recognition of a changed geopolitical landscape. Not so long ago, this would have been a gathering of the Group of Eight rich nations, perhaps with cameo roles for China, India and a few others. Now, as Hu, Singh and the rest take their places as of right, the world is at last catching a true reflection of itself, writes Philip Stephens

The first bricks in a new world order While deficit countries, such as the US and UK, must expand demand, the surplus countries must expand domestic consumption. The world needs to increase demand without increasing its imbalances

What the French revolution can teach America Dominique Moïsi on the dangers of populism

Credibility is key to policy success Commitment to stability is crucial, says Martin Wolf

Nato summit faces Afghan test As members of Nato celebrate its 60th anniversary, many see the summit as a critical test of whether America and its European allies can seriously collaborate on the defence alliance’s Afghan mission

Privileged position

As the US faces ousting from its last airbase in central Asia, Moscow is regaining influence in its former empire

Lucky ‘Bibi’ needs to be kept engaged Benjamin Netanyahu has been a lucky man. His rightwing Likud party came second in last month’s Israeli elections but he is now leading the country, cobbling together an unappealing coalition. His real troubles, though, are just beginning

Obama’s message on security should be candid Europe must step up to the plate, says George Robertson

Making a good start on missiles

Even if the US and Russia manage to do a deal on reducing their their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons, it will leave many tough and divisive questions unresolved

New York Times PAUL KRUGMAN China’s Dollar Trap

China now owns so many dollars that it can’t sell them off without driving the dollar down and triggering the very capital loss its leaders fear.

World Leaders Pledge $1.1 Trillion to Tackle Crisis

Obama’s Star Turn at Summit Gets Mixed Results In his debut on the international stage, President Obama stressed that the United States and the world needed a united front to combat the global economic downturn.

NATO Meeting to Highlight Strains on Afghanistan President Obama’s strategy significantly Americanizes the war effort, putting new demands on the alliance.

DAVID BROOKS Greed and Stupidity Dueling explanations for the financial crisis overlap, but lead to different ways of thinking about where to go from here.

Editorial The Economic Summit

The world’s top 20 economic powers had an urgent responsibility to come up with concrete policies to fix the global financial system. They fell short

Washington Post Nations Craft Hard-Fought Pledge To Repair World Financial System

Plan Aims to Tighten Regulation, Increase Lending, Aid Poor Nations

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative

Splintered Taliban Thwarts Afghan Peace Many Insurgents Seek Settlement; Others Fight On

A Lifeline for Nations Both Rich and Poor U.S. Could Draw Billions From New Fund

· How Do We Save NATO? We Quit BY: Andrew J. Bacevich | Los Angeles Times The alliance has lost its sense of purpose. The way to get it back is for the U.S. to withdraw and let Europe be responsible for its own defense.

The Times Only Obama can save Iran from Israel

Tehran's growing nuclear capability mixed with Netanyahu's military experience - a lethal cocktail Richard Beeston

NATO at 60: Alive and Kicking - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, New York Times

Understanding Russian Foreign Policy - RAND Corporation

McClatchy Here's news: G-20 summit actually achieved something The leaders of the world's major industrialized nations accomplished something at their G-20 summit here Thursday that rarely happens at such gatherings of heads of state. They produced large achievements

For U.S. forces in Afghanistan, shifting mission isn't simple A recent airborne assault illuminated the hurdles the U.S. military is facing as it tries to move from a war focused on killing the enemy to a counterinsurgency campaign based on securing the population — mountain-to-mountain and valley-to-valley — in a land of 40,000 villages

Kashmir Is Root of Pakistan's Jihad - Ramachandra Guha, Hindustan Times Historian Ramachandra Guha says both India and Pakistan need to make sure that mutual animosities do not deepen further. He says India should not gloat over Pakistan's plight, and Pakistan should recognize the direct link between the jihad in Kashmir and the rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan.

Time Israel's Hawkish New Leaders: Still Open to a Syrian Peace?

On Its 60th Birthday, NATO's Future Is Looking Cloudy

The NATO Summit Agenda - CSIS

The Economist The rise and fall of the wealthy The rich under attack Going for the bankers is tempting for politicians—and dangerous for everybody else:

The G20 and the world economy Be bold Despite unprecedented stimulus, the biggest risk is still that governments overall do too little

· The Socialist Solution to the Crisis BY: POUL NYRUP RASMUSSEN | The Wall Street Journal

The effect of the crisis on the Third World is of an entirely different magnitude. While developed countries scramble to save their economies, half of humanity languishes. For many, this means hunger, disease and death.

Guardian G20 summit: London calling

Editorial: The G20 may not be a perfect group, but its ascent marks a new chapter in the era of capitalist globalisation

Nato summit: Europe resists US pressure on Afghanistan 'surge' Nato summit may fail to agree on new alliance secretary and is split over policy towards resurgent Russia

Pakistan region in grip of fear as leader begins to implement sharia law Swat valley descends from Pakistan's favourite honeymoon venue to Taliban stronghold

Can Obama Charm Iran? - Laura Secor, The New Republic

Don't be fooled by Mousavi's reformism By afshin shahi

From The American Interest, Francis Fukuyama thinks about the future of American capitalism.

An interview of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of Black Swans, on the financial crisis.

The introduction to The Godfather Doctrine: A Foreign Policy Parable by John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell

An excerpt from The Myth of American Exceptionalism by Godfrey Hodgson (and a review at Bookforum).

An Economic Catastrophe Looms - Ban Ki-moon, The Guardian

Who's Undermining Obama on Iran? - Matthew Yglesias, American Prospect

Ha’aretz – Editorial / Israel will pay heavy price for Lieberman's mistakes If the new government is seen as reluctant to achieve peace, Israel will find itself increasingly isolated

Arab summit, Iranian agenda Current Arab diplomacy is dominated first and foremost by a growing Iranian encroachment on the politics of the Arabic-speaking world, and the divided Arab response to this.

Jerusalem Post Obama reiterates support for Saudi peace initiative

US president, King Abdullah discuss cooperation against terror on sidelines of G20 summit; US official: We'll go on pursuing 2-state solution.

FT Lucky ‘Bibi’ needs to be kept engaged Benjamin Netanyahu has been a lucky man. His rightwing Likud party came second in last month’s Israeli elections but he is now leading the country, cobbling together an unappealing coalition. His real troubles, though, are just beginning

Daily Star Time to reassess the Arab Peace Initiative in view of Israel's new cabinet

FT Privileged position

As the US faces ousting from its last airbase in central Asia, Moscow is regaining influence in its former empire

Russia: When Kremlin Delusions Can Turn Dangerous A EURASIANET COMMENTARY
What happens when the Kremlin starts to flex its muscles, seeking to impose its will, and the khans who run Central Asia no longer flinch? The early indicators suggest that the outcome is not going to be pretty for Vladimir Putin’s crew.

Daily Telegraph 60 years on, Nato has become the victim of its own success

The alliance needs to adopt a wider peace-keeping mission under the UN, writes John Keegan.

Russia and China have some way to go

'New' powers make the noise, but it's the old ones that make the running, says David Blair

How Obama Is Using The Science of Change (The Well / Nation)
It's more than a campaign slogan. Inside the White House's plan to employ behavioral economics to promote its agenda--and fundamentally alter the way Americans live

Independent A summit that shows the new balance of power

Leading article: An economic giant takes the stage

· Everything you need to know about the G20 deal

H2

The Evolving Turkish Role in Mideast Peace Diplomacy - Council on Foreign Relations Steven A. Cook

Azerbaycan Ermenistan Sınırının Açılmasına Karşı

WINEP Obama in Turkey: Enticing Ankara Westward By Soner Cagaptay

Stratfor Azerbaijan: A Spat With Turkey Over Armenia? Azerbaijan has threatened to cut off natural gas to Turkey if Ankara restores relations with Armenia before Yerevan and Baku make a pact of their own

The Economist Turkish politics A wake-up call from the voters

Time Kurdish Spring? In Turkey, President Obama will ask for help with Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. He'll also find a country struggling to heal itself

Europe's Turkey Problem

By KATINKA BARYSCH

The E.U. and its Muslim-majority neighbor need each other more than ever. So why can't they get along?

Turkey’s Local Elections: Erdoğan’s Miscalculation

Steven A. Cook

FT Turkey pushes for resolution of Armenia dispute Reconciliation with Armenia climbs Turkey's priority list

Transitions Online: Turkey’s Stability Plan

[Middle East Bulletin] Reviving US Turkey Relations

Stratfor Turkey, Armenia and the Global Summits Turkey and Armenia are preparing to restore diplomatic relations, a development that plays into the larger U.S.-Russian geopolitical struggle.

Turkish police detain stockbrokers A regulatory source has told the FT that more than 50 people were taken in for questioning in connection with a probe on suspicious share price movements on the Istanbul Stock Exchange

Ahu Ozyurt: How Obama Will Inspire the People of Turkey

Norway’s Statoil May Bypass Turkey, Imperiling Nabucco Pipeline - Bloomberg.com

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

FT Kurds close in on deal to use oil export pipeline

Local elections highlight Turkey’s contradictions

:TheStar.com | Opinion | Obama wise to court Turkey as partner

Pakistani, Afghani Presidents Meet in Ankara

Afghan, Pakistan leaders pledge cooperation in Turkey talks

Iraq Journal, Part One
City Journal - Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the region’s official ruling body, has complained that the Kurds love America .

Cevdet Aşkın

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

Analysis: Russian-Turkish energy ties to deepen with proposed Blue Stream 2 project - UPI.com

Transitions Online: Turkey’s Stability Plan

NABUCCO PIPELINE NEEDS COMMITMENT SAYS TURKISH NEGOTIATOR
EurasiaNet

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative

Turkey"s Caucasus Platform To Yield Results In Resolution Of Nagorno-karabakh Conflict: German Minister Of State

(DIP) TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT TALAT LEAVES FOR SWEDEN TO MEET BILDT - Turk.Net

Norway’s Statoil May Bypass Turkey, Imperiling Nabucco Pipeline - Bloomberg.com

Erdogan Refuses to Negotiate IMF Deal for Turkey

Turkey needs to accept responsibility for the Armenian Genocide

Turkey May Sell Bonds as Market Conditions Improve (Update3) - Bloomberg.com

TRT'den Ermenice Radyo Yayını

Turkey credit rating should be revised up-c.bank/TV - Forbes.com

· Strikes Halt Operations Across Greece A general strike in Greece over public-sector pay and job losses brought much of the country to a standstill.

Azerbaijan, Turkey hold security workshop (UPI) -- Azerbaijani and Turkish border guards recently conducted a workshop in an effort to strengthen cooperation on countering the trafficking of illicit goods.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: OSCE Wants Civil Society Groups to Help Karabakh Peace Process As the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh remain stalemated, diplomats moderating the negotiations recently called on 40 civil society representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the disputed region to make a difference in the peace process

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

Turkey: The Mediterranean at half the price

Türkiye'de İnternet Özgürlüğü Kısıtlı

International security fair opens in Ankara

Inspired by the “Turkish Schindler” – Young Turks and Jews in G

H3

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

H4 New York Times PAUL KRUGMAN China’s Dollar Trap

China now owns so many dollars that it can’t sell them off without driving the dollar down and triggering the very capital loss its leaders fear.

World Leaders Pledge $1.1 Trillion to Tackle Crisis

Obama’s Star Turn at Summit Gets Mixed Results In his debut on the international stage, President Obama stressed that the United States and the world needed a united front to combat the global economic downturn.

NATO Meeting to Highlight Strains on Afghanistan President Obama’s strategy significantly Americanizes the war effort, putting new demands on the alliance.

DAVID BROOKS Greed and Stupidity Dueling explanations for the financial crisis overlap, but lead to different ways of thinking about where to go from here.

Editorial The Economic Summit

The world’s top 20 economic powers had an urgent responsibility to come up with concrete policies to fix the global financial system. They fell short.

Russia Keeps Some Troops in Georgia, Defying Deal Russia is keeping troops in Georgia’s breakaway regions, despite agreeing to pull out last year as part of a deal that halted the nations’ brief war.

U.S. Seeks $3 Billion for Pakistani Military

By ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER

The Pentagon proposed a five-year plan to equip and train Pakistan’s forces for counterinsurgency.

New Israeli Foreign Minister Questioned by Police

Bloggingheads: G-20-20 Vision

Robert Wright, left, of Bloggingheads.tv and Mickey Kaus of Kausfiles discuss a global bargain on economic stimulus and financial regulation.

H5 Washington Post Nations Craft Hard-Fought Pledge To Repair World Financial System

Plan Aims to Tighten Regulation, Increase Lending, Aid Poor Nations

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative

Splintered Taliban Thwarts Afghan Peace Many Insurgents Seek Settlement; Others Fight On

A Lifeline for Nations Both Rich and Poor U.S. Could Draw Billions From New Fund

Editorial 'We Did Okay' The G-20 summit produces a few useful economic steps -- but misses a big opportunity.

A Good Jihadist Kiser & Owens | Don't let Islamic extremists fool you - the world needs more good jihad.

Ignatius: George Eliot & the Zionist Idea

As Crisis Loomed, Geithner Pressed But Fell Short

Before Timothy Geithner became Treasury chief, he regulated major U.S. banks. Now he says: "We're having a major financial crisis in part because of failures of supervision."

Obama's Ultimate Agenda

By Charles Krauthammer, Presidential car warranties are a sideshow for the president's real plans

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Triumph of Substance at Summit COLUMN | Group's communique, with its promise of a global regulatory crackdown, is an easy win.

Congress Approves $3.5T Budget Both chambers vote along party lines on spending plan that lets work begin on Obama's agenda.

3 Detainees in Afghanistan Can Challenge Imprisonment in U.S. Court, Judge Rules

Habeas Ruling Is a Blow to Administration

Inventory Piles Up With Bursting of 'Car Bubble' Finding the sustainable number of annual auto sales becomes goal, as cars remain on dealer lots.

Obama, Race and What We're Not Talking About By Eugene Robinson, Already, it's easy to forget that that our first black president is, in fact, black.

A Plan to Save Our Free Press

By Benjamin L. Cardin, Page A19

The Maryland senator on his bill to create a nonprofit model for newspapers.

Obama Sends Lobbyists Into the Wilderness By Daryl Owen, Why are we lobbyists being treated like the equivalent of a Gitmo detainee?

H6 Guardian G20: Gordon Brown brokers massive financial aid deal for global economy G20 world leaders agree on $1.1 trillion injection of financial aid into global economy to speed recovery

· G20 summit: London calling

Editorial: The G20 may not be a perfect group, but its ascent marks a new chapter in the era of capitalist globalisation

Nato summit: Europe resists US pressure on Afghanistan 'surge' Nato summit may fail to agree on new alliance secretary and is split over policy towards resurgent Russia

Pakistan region in grip of fear as leader begins to implement sharia law Swat valley descends from Pakistan's favourite honeymoon venue to Taliban stronghold

· How foreign correspondents saw the G20 summit 'Summit highlighted fractures between Anglo-Saxons and continentals', says Marc Roche of Le Monde

· Stockmarkets: signs of recovery

Stockmarkets rise as G20's $1tn boost to world economy adds to growing optimism in dealing rooms

G20 summit: Late night hotel peace talks that rescued deal Measures agreed after Franco-Chinese meeting and intervention from Barack Obama

· Not even Nicolas Sarkozy could deny Gordon Brown did well at the G20 summit, but will it help?

The G20 gathering lived up to at least some of Gordon Brown's advance billing, says Jonathan Freedland

G20 summit recovery package: 'A global plan on unprecedented scale' Reforming banks, restoring growth and boosting trade at heart of historic communique

· G20 summit: Nicolas Sarkozy claims key role in ending 'financial madness'

French president gives himself an important position in brokering a deal between all parties at G20

· Brown won't save our jobs. But he may save his own

Larry Elliott: The G20 deal still leaves fundamental problems, despite the PM's upbeat view - yet any recovery could swing an election

G20: Removing IMF stigma Dan Roberts: Extra money for the IMF could herald its evolution from a body focused on developing countries to one at the heart of the developed world

· All spin and flam: these are trying times for those who treasure words

Simon Jenkins: Our leaders have lost the rhetorical arts at the very moment when I most need to hear a speech of convincing reassurance

· Tax havens: Let in the light

Editorial: G20 discussions about exposing tax havens is a step in the right direction, but still not enough

G20: Spreading the wealth around

Richard Kozul-Wright and William Milberg: Tightening labour markets and investing in productivity can ensure that trade and outsourcing actually help working families

H7 Can Obama Charm Iran? - Laura Secor, The New Republic

Don't be fooled by Mousavi's reformism
By afshin shahi

From The American Interest, Francis Fukuyama thinks about the future of American capitalism.

An interview of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of Black Swans, on the financial crisis.

The introduction to The Godfather Doctrine: A Foreign Policy Parable by John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell

An excerpt from The Myth of American Exceptionalism by Godfrey Hodgson (and a review at Bookforum).

An Economic Catastrophe Looms - Ban Ki-moon, The Guardian

Who's Undermining Obama on Iran? - Matthew Yglesias, American Prospect

The 'Long War' Will Be as Pointless and Bloody as Europe's by William Pfaff

Why the Maghreb Matters - Claude Salhani, Middle East Times

The Time Has Come To Abolish Arab Summits : Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

The New Republic:
An Obama-Kristol Foreign Policy Alliance?

Video: Obama's deep bow to the Saudi king

20 on the G20 IPPR A 28-page collection of ideas which seek to advise the G20 on ways to limit the effects of the recession and restore stability to the financial system by putting the global economy back on course for sustainable and balanced growth

The New Global Crisis Makers: Economic Intervention and the Loss of Strategic Leadership Global Dynamic Systems Centre

This 29-page Australian working paper argues that modern governments have lost the age-old art of strategic leadership, which once facilitated the effective operation of humanity's dynamic life-system

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

Interview: US commander in Iraq Gen. Raymond Odierno outlines the challenges facing US forces as they continue to tamp down violence while working toward a June deadline to withdraw from Iraqi cities.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq 'Infiltrating Pro-US Militias'

Death Toll in Iraq Plummets

Iraqi government releases Sunni paramilitary leader Ten days after arresting him in the middle of the night, the Iraqi government Thursday freed a prominent Sunni Muslim paramilitary leader and dropped all charges against him.

Iraq's Maliki Says Rogue Militia Fighters Face Justice

Odierno Warns Against 'Rush' Out of Iraq Cities

US Army Hands Iraq Control of Pro-US Sunni Fighters

RM: Egypt Knew About Sudan Convoy Strike at the Time

Arrest of Sunni Fighters Sparks Fear in Baghdad

Iraq to Pay Sunni Paramilitaries Despite Clashes

US, Allies Still Holding 12,794 Iraqi Detainees

Iraq Declares Korean Oil Deal With Kurds Illegal

H9 Ha’aretz – Editorial / Israel will pay heavy price for Lieberman's mistakes If the new government is seen as reluctant to achieve peace, Israel will find itself increasingly isolated

Arab summit, Iranian agenda Current Arab diplomacy is dominated first and foremost by a growing Iranian encroachment on the politics of the Arabic-speaking world, and the divided Arab response to this.

US Pro-Israel Lobby Wages Anti-Lieberman Campaign JStreet calls on Jewish community leaders to speak out against new Israeli FM's 'inflammatory rhetoric'

Haaretz exclusive: The man who bribed Indians for Israeli arms sales

Assad: By war or peace, we will liberate the Golan

Israel fears Jewish extremists will avenge settlement murder

ANALYSIS / Settlement attack plays into new government's hands

Jerusalem Post Obama reiterates support for Saudi peace initiative

US president, King Abdullah discuss cooperation against terror on sidelines of G20 summit; US official: We'll go on pursuing 2-state solution.

Is it curtains for the peace process?

[ IRA SHARKANSKY, Netanyahu is known for talking tough and acting like a mouse.

Yedioth Ahronoth Obama backs Saudi initiative

US president, King Abdullah discuss joint efforts against terrorism in their first face-to-face talks

What are you talking about?

According to Eitan Haber, FM Lieberman needs to learn some basic facts before he speaks up

No reason to celebrate/ Bechor Need to strike in Sudan shows that Israel failed to achieve anything in Gaza op

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

FT Lucky ‘Bibi’ needs to be kept engaged Benjamin Netanyahu has been a lucky man. His rightwing Likud party came second in last month’s Israeli elections but he is now leading the country, cobbling together an unappealing coalition. His real troubles, though, are just beginning

Daily Star Time to reassess the Arab Peace Initiative in view of Israel's new cabinet

Text: Roadmap to a Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Text: We Will Honor the Roadmap - Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

No Rejection of Two-State Solution - Eli Lake

The Roadmap Leads to a Two-State Solution - Daniel Pipes

After Gaza, Peace Is Further Out of Reach - Joel Brinkley (San Francisco Chronicle)

· Israel's Other Arabs BY: Khaled Diab | The Guardian Like the Palestinians, Middle Eastern Jews have fallen victim to political forces beyond their control.

Dear Barack Obama, you really need to engage Hamas By Chris Toensing

Backlash for Israel From Lieberman Comments

Israel Is Changing the Rules of War by George Bisharat

Israel's electoral system Make it better
Economist

Khaled Abu Toameh / Jerusalem Post:
PA: Death to those who sell land to Jews

The most important clash in Israel’s brief history took place in 1948, when Israelis battled Arab militias in towns and villages of Palestine... more»

Israel's Government: The Jordan Times is deeply unimpressed by the make-up of the new Israeli government. It is composed of outspoken bigots, in the foreign ministry no less, and of security obsessed little-picture men in the defense ministry, it says.

H10 Christian Science Monitor

Interview: Top US commander in Iraq

Gen. Raymond Odierno outlines the challenges facing US forces as they continue to tamp down violence while working toward a June deadline to withdraw from Iraqi cities.

On eve of NATO summit, Obama's style poses inherent challenge for Europe

As president heads to France, Europeans ask how best to respond to an ally that is suddenly sending all the signals it has hoped for.

NATO at 60: ready for a new role

If it builds on its adaptability, it could be a vital security broker for members and partners.

Obama and Medvedev hit 'reset' on arms control

It makes sense to restart relations by cutting nukes.

G-20 leaders move to tighten regulation

Leaders announced that $500 billion will also be channeled into the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

G-20: Strong hand of Angela Merkel

ASIA

Kashmir Is Root of Pakistan's Jihad - Ramachandra Guha, Hindustan Times Historian Ramachandra Guha says both India and Pakistan need to make sure that mutual animosities do not deepen further. He says India should not gloat over Pakistan's plight, and Pakistan should recognize the direct link between the jihad in Kashmir and the rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan.

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative

For U.S. forces in Afghanistan, shifting mission isn't simple A recent airborne assault illuminated the hurdles the U.S. military is facing as it tries to move from a war focused on killing the enemy to a counterinsurgency campaign based on securing the population — mountain-to-mountain and valley-to-valley — in a land of 40,000 villages

The Rise of ‘Talqaeda’ - Adnan Khan, Macleans

Is Afghan War NATO's 'Graveyard?' - David Paul Kuhn, RealClearPolitics

Rise of the Neo-Taliban - Syed Shahzad, Asia Times

Time Why Pakistan Balks at Taking a Tougher Line on the Taliban

Mullen 'Reasonably Comfortable' Pakistan's Nukes Are Secure

Splintered Taliban Thwarts Afghan Peace

Pakistan Politics: In an editorial, the paper calls on Pakistan, in the context of the G-20 summit, to put its political house in order, as it goes, begging bowl in hand, to what it calls the Friends of Pakistan. In hard times even good friends have to make hard choices, it says.

Pakistan region in grip of fear as leader begins to implement sharia law Swat valley descends from Pakistan's favourite honeymoon venue to Taliban stronghold

· Pakistan Gets Second IMF Loan Pakistan received the second installment of a stabilization package from the International Monetary Fund, a move analysts say may boost investor confidence.

Report Says Pakistan Needs Up to $50 Bln in Aid

For US Forces in Afghanistan, Shifting Mission Isn't Simple Task

Obama, Singh Discuss Pakistan, Affirm Strong US-India Ties

ANALYSIS: Karzai is an inconvenient ally Western leaders put on a show of solidarity with Hamid Karzai in The Hague but there is much tension beneath the surface

The 'New' Sino-US Dialogue

India is a place, Wendy Doniger writes, “where not only the future but even the past is unpredictable.” Just look at the history of Hinduism... more»

WSJ Beijing's 'Legless' Stimulus
By Victor Shih It's not going to help China much, let alone the rest of the world.

U.S. and China: Columnist Hamish McRae writes that keeping global growth moving for the next decade depends first and foremost on the relationship between the United States and China.

Obama struggles to find unity over North Korea test launch

· Despite Problems, Indonesia's Democracy Matures BY: Fabio Scarpello | World Politics Review A veil of skepticism has descended over Indonesia's democracy as the country prepares to vote in legislative elections on April 9. But although votes will be cast under the shadow of serious problems and deficiencies, there is also reason for optimism.

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Detention at Afghan Base Is Subject to U.S. Courts

Obama takes fight to North Korea on eve of summit

As President heads for Strasbourg he warns of 'stern' response should long-range missile launch go ahead

Sen. Carl Levin Questions Pakistan Aid Plan

Afghan law legalizes rape of wife, critics say

The AfPak Paradox by John Prados

Taliban in Policy Shift on Beards and Burqas

Obama's War Strategy -- A Rehash of Bush's Failed Policies BY: Aijaz Zaka Syed | Middle East Times

China's Environmental U-Turn - Russell Moses, RealClearWorld

H11 IHT

EUROPE European press review

Europeans Reluctant to Follow Obama on Afghan Initiative

Working with our friends in Europe European governments need to work harder to convince their publics that they have as much of a stake in facing global threats as we do. (By Nicholas Burns, Boston Globe)

Nato Summit: Cartoon row threatens to derail succession

NATO at 60: Alive and Kicking - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, New York Times

Is the U.S. Turning Away from Europe? - J. Glenn & D. Twining, GMF

Independent France and Germany: In an editorial, the paper comments on the Franco-German intervention in the economic debate on Wednesday, and says the United States and Britain seemed suddenly a little smaller, China a little bigger, and continental Europe a force to be reckoned with.

Global warming forecast says Spain will run dry

European Commission report says climate change could cause rainfall in the Iberian peninsula to fall by up to 40 per cent

Strikes bring Greek cities to a halt Schools and government offices were closed and transport was disrupted when 28,000 people took part in peaceful demonstrations

The Czech embarrassment

Ivana Kottasová: The Czech Republic's presidency of the EU was going so well, but now it will be known only for the fall of its government

· Hungarian Plan Would Freeze Wages Hungarian Prime Minister-designate Gordon Bajnai unveiled a fiscal plan that includes freezing public-sector wages and cutting parts of the pension system.

Euro surges after ECB cuts rates The cut in the central bank’s interest rate, from 1.5 per cent to 1.25 per cent, took official borrowing costs in continental Europe to their lowest level since the second world war

Sarkozy claims credit on tighter regulation Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, claimed credit for ‘immense’ progress towards tighter financial regulation at the G20, saying reforms ‘turned the page’ on Anglo-Saxon capitalism

IRAN: Germans in talks with Tehran for Afghanistan support, says ...

H12 RFE/RL

Google News Azerbaijan

Understanding Russian Foreign Policy - RAND Corporation

FT Privileged position

As the US faces ousting from its last airbase in central Asia, Moscow is regaining influence in its former empire

Russia: When Kremlin Delusions Can Turn Dangerous A EURASIANET COMMENTARY
What happens when the Kremlin starts to flex its muscles, seeking to impose its will, and the khans who run Central Asia no longer flinch? The early indicators suggest that the outcome is not going to be pretty for Vladimir Putin’s crew.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: OSCE Wants Civil Society Groups to Help Karabakh Peace Process
BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN
As the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh remain stalemated, diplomats moderating the negotiations recently called on 40 civil society representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the disputed region to make a difference in the peace process.

Russia Must Also Hit Reset Button - Damon Wilson, Atlantic Council

WSJ Let NATO Settle the Border Wars
By Peter I. Belk and Andrew A. Rosen Disputes from the colonial and Soviet eras are a threat to our security

Russia Says Can Work With US on Afghan Cargo

Russia Warns America Over Arms Supply to Georgia

Obama and Medvedev Press the "Reset" Button on Arms Control

· Women Should Lead Russia BY: David Howell | The Japan Times The oil-price collapse could be the opening for Russia to achieve powerful diversity and build on its true qualities, including the personalities of renaissance-type women.

Kyrgyzstan: Bakiyev Formally Closes Manas Air Base U.S. and NATO operations at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan have taken another blow.

Dmitry Medvedev hails Barack Obama as 'comrade' Russia's leader hailed President Barack Obama as a "comrade" on Thursday and predicted that the two countries would resolve the vexed issue of a missile defence shields in Eastern Europe.

H13 The Times Only Obama can save Iran from Israel

Tehran's growing nuclear capability mixed with Netanyahu's military experience - a lethal cocktail Richard Beeston

New hope as G20 comes up with $1.1 trillion boost Stock markets soar on news of trebling of IMF funds, $250bn for emerging nations and trade finance package worth $250bn

Q&A: the G20 deal

New measures are more about preventing the global crisis from worsening than about pulling the world economy out of the mire

Summit of achievement

Structural weaknesses and policy divisions remain. But the G20 has announced measures that will help to repair the damage inflicted by financial crisis

Obama turns screw in push for Afghanistan Gordon Brown pressured as senior US figures declared Britain and other Nato allies needed to put forward specific proposals

Nato struggles with choice of new leader The 28-nation Nato alliance having difficulties reaching agreement over who to select as the next secretary-general

ANALYSIS: Karzai is an inconvenient ally Western leaders put on a show of solidarity with Hamid Karzai in The Hague but there is much tension beneath the surface

Never mind the G20, votes are homegrown

Gordon Brown has undoubtedly had his moment on the global stage, but domestic politics will put an end to his joy

Right and wrong The laws on women, signed by President Karzai, are a retrograde step

Those G20 protesters do have a point Behind anti-capitalist ranting lie genuine concerns about globalisation that world leaders are ignoring

Camilla Cavendish

Wall Street Journal World Leaders Agree on Global Response G-20 leaders concluded a summit by agreeing to pump up the IMF's financial capacity fourfold, to $1 trillion, to help handle crises in developing nations. Communiqué

Green Movement
Also Fights Itself The modern environmental movement is divided over whether it should chuck old orthodoxies and get practical or follow an old-style moral crusade.

Obama, Brown Strike Similar Notes The G-20 resolved to toughen regulation in some areas, but in general, the summit didn't retreat from much of the economic orthodoxy that has guided policy makers since the 1980s.

Obama's Domestic Agenda Gains Clarity
By Peggy Noonan
A certain grandiosity contrasts with his steady hand on foreign affairs

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· Spain Has No Right to Try U.S. Officials

By Douglas J. Feith
What next? Prosecutions for bad advice on global warming?

· If NATO Didn't Exist We'd Have to Invent It

By Mirek Topolánek
Reflections on one international institution that's still relevant.

G-20 Reality Check

H14 Financial Times Summit success reflects a different global landscape The G20 summit’s deeper significance lay in its unspoken recognition of a changed geopolitical landscape. Not so long ago, this would have been a gathering of the Group of Eight rich nations, perhaps with cameo roles for China, India and a few others. Now, as Hu, Singh and the rest take their places as of right, the world is at last catching a true reflection of itself, writes Philip Stephens

The first bricks in a new world order

While deficit countries, such as the US and UK, must expand demand, the surplus countries must expand domestic consumption. The world needs to increase demand without increasing its imbalances

Making a good start on missiles

Even if the US and Russia manage to do a deal on reducing their their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons, it will leave many tough and divisive questions unresolved

What the French revolution can teach America Dominique Moïsi on the dangers of populism

Credibility is key to policy success Commitment to stability is crucial, says Martin Wolf

Obama’s message on security should be candid

Europe must step up to the plate, says George Robertson

Nato summit faces Afghan test As members of Nato celebrate its 60th anniversary, many see the summit as a critical test of whether America and its European allies can seriously collaborate on the defence alliance’s Afghan mission

Privileged position

As the US faces ousting from its last airbase in central Asia, Moscow is regaining influence in its former empire

Lucky ‘Bibi’ needs to be kept engaged Benjamin Netanyahu has been a lucky man. His rightwing Likud party came second in last month’s Israeli elections but he is now leading the country, cobbling together an unappealing coalition. His real troubles, though, are just beginning

Russia may allow US Afghan military cargo

Russia has offered to discuss letting the US ship military cargo across its territory to Afghanistan in a significant step seemingly aimed at building bridges with Washington

Greek unions stage national strike

Greek trade unions staged a national strike in protest against a public sector pay freeze and rising job losses in the private sector

US Congress approves budget blueprint

The House of Representatives and Sentate have passed federal budget blueprints that embraced most of President Barack Obama’s $3,600bn plan to invest heavily in healthcare, energy and education

Obama brokers pact on tax havens

US president Barack Obama brokered a compromise between his Chinese and French counterparts on an issue so arcane and inconsequential that it is hard to believe failure to have done so would have led to a collapse of the summit

H15 Los Angeles Times Obama the mediator on display at G-20 summit

With a larger accord hung up as France and China squabble over a detail, President Obama talks privately with each side, then both -- and a deal is struck

G-20 summit surprises with a show of unity World leaders meeting in London pledge $1.1 trillion in loans to help poor nations weather the crisis.

NATO states to mark 60th anniversary

A NATO summit this weekend will find the world's most powerful military alliance divided over its role in a world that combines new threats with the specter of an old one, Russia

Editorial

As North Korea readies rocket launch, U.S. turns up pressure U.S. officials say Washington doesn't plan to shoot down the long-range rocket if Pyongyang follows through, but they would pursue stronger sanctions against the regime.

Sunni paramilitary leader released from Iraq jail

A judge dismisses murder charges against Raad Ali, who spent 10 days jailed as part of an apparent crackdown against the Sons of Iraq movement by the Shiite-led government

Obama's double standard on bailouts? The administration effectively fired GM's chief; should Wall Street executives be next? Matt Welch and Dean Baker debate.

H16 American Politics

How Obama Is Using The Science of Change (The Well / Nation)
It's more than a campaign slogan. Inside the White House's plan to employ behavioral economics to promote its agenda--and fundamentally alter the way Americans live

Gingrich warns of third party in 2012 — (CNN) — Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is warning of a third party mutiny in 2012 if Republicans don't figure out a way to shape up.

Obama Flexes His Muscles - David Broder, Washington Post

Chicago Politics Has Moved into the White House - Karl Rove, Wall St Jrnl

Obama Goaded GOP Into Budget Circus - Christopher Beam, Slate

The Obama Enigma - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post

Obama's Formula for Disaster - David Frum, The Week

Now, Obama 'Owns' General Motors - S. LeVine & T. Francis, BusinessWeek

Obama Out-Europes Europe at the G20 - Victor Davis Hanson, PJM

Pew Research Center:

Public Knows Basic Facts About Financial Crisis

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
White House Cheat Sheet: The Rise, Fall and Rise of Tim Geithner

realclearpolitics memeorandum

Daily Beast Cheat Sheet

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

PoliticsHome fivethirtyeight US News Political Bulletin

'One in 10 Americans still think Barack Obama is Muslim'

H17 Daily Telegraph 60 years on, Nato has become the victim of its own success

The alliance needs to adopt a wider peace-keeping mission under the UN, writes John Keegan.

Russia and China have some way to go

'New' powers make the noise, but it's the old ones that make the running, says David Blair.

G20 summit: Brown strikes historic $1 trillion deal Gordon Brown strikes "historic" deal to end the global recession unveiling plans to plough $1 trillion into the world economy.

Communiqué: Point by point analysis

Dmitry Medvedev hails Barack Obama as 'comrade' Russia's leader hailed President Barack Obama as a "comrade" on Thursday and predicted that the two countries would resolve the vexed issue of a missile defence shields in Eastern Europe.

G20 summit: No grand solution, but a good start

Telegraph View: The biggest problem of all, China and Germany, was not addressed

H18 Independent A summit that shows the new balance of power

Leading article: An economic giant takes the stage

· Everything you need to know about the G20 deal

· Obama hails the new world order

· Obama takes fight to North Korea on eve of summit

· Nato Summit: Cartoon row threatens to derail succession

Leading article: Not a grand bargain, but a step towards recovery

Hamish McRae: The downturn will go on, but this should restore confidence

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

NATO at 60: Alive and Kicking - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, New York Times

IG Report Blasts the Director of National Intelligence -- November 2008 report of the ODNI Inspector General (pdf)

New Military Doctrinal Publications -- The participation of U.S. armed forces in humanitarian assistance operations abroad is governed by “Foreign Humanitarian Assistance,” Joint Publication 3-29, 17 March 2009, 223 pages.

Almost every function or task performed by the U.S. Army is captured and organized hierarchically in “The Army Universal Task List,” Field Manual (FM) 7-15, February 2009, 480 pages.

The safe and secure operation of U.S. Army nuclear reactors is prescribed in “Army Reactor Program,” Army Regulation 50-7, March 28, 2009, 35 pages.

H20 Slate The Return of Statecraft
How Obama proved his mettle at the G20 summit. Fred Kaplan

OECD Interim Economic Outlook, March 2009 OECD This 150-page report analyses recent developments and focuses on policy actions required to foster a sustained economic recovery

Paul Collier reviews The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer (and an interview, and another; and more and more and more and more).

The New Age of Extinction (The Well / Cover Story)
As the globe warms, more than the climate is endangered. Species are vanishing at a scary rate. We're the cause--but we're also the solution

H21 What next: Here are 10 ideas changing the world right now

Revealed: why we need a good night's sleep Scientists warn of the dangers of sleepless nights after discovering how brain clears out day's mental rubbish

Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” is a force that creates a spontaneous order which, without asking for much, solves the enormous task of social coordination... more»

From Standpoint, a look at why Samantha Power is overrated: Obama's Dublin-born foreign policy adviser doesn't like Israel and may wreck Hillary Clinton's work; and why Charles Krauthammer is underrated: The liberal-turned-neocon has a knack of creating phrases which best describe the moment (and David Womersley on why Terry Eagleton is overrated and Gertrude Himmelfarb on why Lionel Trilling is underrated).

Whatever his actual theology, John Rawls’s life and writings, indeed his whole theory of justice, are infused with feelings that reflect a deeply religious temperament... more»

Robot achieves scientific first; Machine makes discovery independently of creators...

From Boston Review, texting toward utopia: Does the Internet spread democracy?

G20 summit photograph: The call of nature that wiped Canada out of history It took several attempts and diplomatic negotiations to get a photo of the world leaders right

Hitler loved high society: he wanted to be seen with bluebloods and celebrities of film, music, art, theatre, and sports... more»

“We’re constantly told that we can’t do anything: we’re poor, dirty, hungry, corrupt, diseased. And we’re supposed to build a better Africa?”... more»

From Carnegie Council, an interview with Ann Florini, author of The Coming Democracy: New Rules for Running a New World; and a panel on Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet by Jeffrey D. Sachs.

Where did all the wealth go? To our kids.

Cash for clean cars

An innovative European idea to give car-owners bonuses for junking their old gas-guzzlers and buying newer, more fuel-efficient models, should catch on in the United States. The law, however, should be designed to enhance the environment, not Made-in-USA protectionism.

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