042209f - FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analyses for informed debate’ Compiled by Şanlı Bahadır Koç from ASAM (Eurasian Center for Strategic Studies) -- U.S. / Britain / Turkey / Magazines / Think-tanks / Blogs / Misc /Books / Quickread / Numbers / Reports - Subscribe to FPR FPR Table - H4 NYT WP GU H7 ME Isr H10 CSM IHT Eur FSU Asia H13 Times WSJ FT LAT H16 USP DT Ind H19 Mil Int Ter Wonk H21 Misc

H1 Washington Post Obama's Foreign Policy Challenge By Henry A. Kissinger The president's multilateral approach arrives at a moment ripe with possibility.

CFR A Pakistan Strategy

In a new Policy Options Paper, CFR's Daniel Markey urges the Obama administration to make Pakistan's stabilization the priority in its Af-Pak policy. He warns the current policy's focus on counterterrorism in the region will do "little to address the serious, entrenched threats" posed by a weak Pakistan.

MESH ‘Decision Time for Israel on Iran?’ As Iran’s nuclear drive continues unimpeded, and the Obama administration pursues a policy of “engagement,” Israel approaches a moment of decision. Robert Freedman explains why diplomacy and sanctions are unlikely to succeed, and considers plausible scenarios of an Israeli resort to military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Download here.

McClatchy Report: Abusive tactics were used to find Iraq-al Qaida link The use of abusive interrogation — widely considered torture — as part of the Bush administration's quest for a rationale to invade Iraq came to light as the Senate issued a major report tracing the origin of the abuses and President Barack Obama opened the door to prosecuting former U.S. officials for approving them.

New York Times I.M.F. Puts Bank Losses From Global Financial Crisis at $4.1 Trillion

Banned Techniques Yielded ‘High Value Information,’ Memo Says

CIA Confirms: Waterboarding 9/11 Mastermind Led to Info that Aborted 9/11-Style Attack on Los Angeles —

Christian Science Monitor Can Iraq go it alone? The dramatic drop in violence over the past year is due in part to US-led efforts. But the insurgency could linger.

Guardian · Barack Obama begins push for Middle East peace

US president to invite Israeli, ­Palestinian and Egyptian leaders to the White House within the next two months

· Iran: Lost in translation

Editorial: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got everyone scrambling for their Farsi phrasebooks

Tehran has trouble identifying enemies GulfNews By Amir Taheri

Stephen Walt Over-achievers and under-achievers Why do some seemingly powerful states exert relatively little influence on world politics, while other states with more modest capabilities cast a bigger shadow than one would expect?

Asia Times OBAMA, CHANGE AND CHINA Brzezinski's G-2 grand strategy Zbigniew Brzezinski, in seeking a United States and China "Group of Two" to jointly address global challenges, rightly recognizes that the days of a unipolar world order are numbered. His mistake is in believing China wants to partner a weakening US, or would gain from such ties. - Henry C K Liu
This report is the fourth in a series
Part 1: The song stays the same
Part 2: A dangerous balance
Part 3: The New Deal dollar

WINEP Can the al-Asad Regime Make Peace with Israel?

Der Spiegel A European State Department?: Brussels Quietly Trains a Foreign Service

Time The Chinese Navy: How Big a Threat to the U.S.?

NYRB How to Understand the Disaster By Robert M. Solow No one can possibly know how long the current recession will last or how deep it will go. Whenever the US economy returns to some sort of normality, or preferably before then, it will be necessary to improve and extend the oversight and regulation of the financial system. The main goal should be to make another such episode much less likely, and to limit the damage if one occurs. To make progress in that direction requires some understanding of the origins of the current mess.

CSIS U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan Listen | Watch

From Within and Without: Sustainable Security in the Middle East and North Africa
Source: Oxford Research Group Full Document (PDF; 154.7 KB)

Financial Times Why the ‘green shoots’ of recovery could yet wither Is the worst behind us? In a word, No. The rate of economic decline is decelerating. But it is too soon even to be sure of a turnround, let alone of a return to rapid growth. These are still early days, writes Martin Wolf

Pakistan must stop appeasing jihadism The deal Pakistan’s army and government has struck with jihadi extremists, ceding them control of the Swat valley, is a political and social disaster for the country

Obama invites Middle East leaders to White House President Barack Obama stepped up his bid to encourage Middle East peace when he invited the leaders of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to the White House in the coming weeks

Washington signals softer tone on Hamas Barack Obama’s administration is trying to smooth the way for aid to a Palestinian government backed by Hamas in a striking contrast to the policy of George W. Bush, the former president, who sought to bring down any such government

Middle East Bulletin April 21, 2009 Engaging Syria: Tentative First Steps

Empowering the IMF: Should Reform be a Requirement for Increasing the Fund's Resources? CEPR A 23-page US paper that argues that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still prescribing inappropriate policies that could unnecessarily worsen economic downturns in a number of countries

Building Peace in the Absence of States: Challenging the Discourse on State Failure Berghof Center

This 98-page German dialogue argues that historically well-informed analysis, which leads to a deeper contextualized understanding of the local and regional situation on the ground, has to be the bedrock of any attempts for external assistance aimed at peace and development

WSJ Military Command to Focus on Cybersecurity Obama plans to create a military command to coordinate defense of Pentagon computers.

Jerusalem Post Israelis would trust NATO in W. Bank

Survey shows most citizens want to join EU; Obama most admired foreign leader, with 74% approval.

James V. DeLong AMERICAN.COM:
The Coming of the Fourth American Republic The Special Interest State that has shaped American life for 70 years is dying. What comes next is uncertain, but there are grounds for optimism.

Ha’aretz – Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli decision FM to Russian daily: U.S. peace initiatives need Israeli okay; Iran isn't biggest threat facing Israel

Obama aims to push Mideast peace with 'gesture plan' U.S. official to Haaretz: Plan to include settlement freeze in exchange for normalization from Arab states

Washington Post Iran Issue Linked to Palestinians Israel wants to see progress against suspected nuclear program before pursuing peace talks.

Obama Says Bush Officials Behind Interrogation Policy Could Be Prosecuted President Talks of Independent Panel on Interrogation Policy

U.S. Might Not Try Ex-Lobbyists Disclosure comes as lawmaker denies offering to influence case involving pro-Israel group. Prosecutors Considering Dropping Espionage Charges Against Former AIPAC Lobbyists

Editorial Invitation to Appease

Will the Obama administration talk to Iran while it persecutes Americans and libels Israel?

Slow Roll Time at Langley By David Ignatius How Obama turned Langley's counterterrorism program into a career hazard.

Editorial Denting the Deficit

$100 million won't do it. Here are five changes that could. The president won't shrink the deficit by looking under the couch cushions.

LRB Taliban v. Taliban

Graham Usher: India in Afghanistan ‘Safe havens’ for a reinvigorated Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida, the tribal areas are seen by the West as the ‘greatest threat’ to its security, as well as being the main cause of Western frustration with Pakistan. The reason is simple: the Pakistan army’s counterinsurgency strategy is not principally directed at the Taliban or even al-Qaida – the main enemy is India.

FT Chinese official warns US on protectionism A top adviser to the Chinese government warned the US that a proposed border tax on carbon sensitive materials ‘smells of protectionism’ and could spark retaliation from developing countries

A flawed first draft of history

Lionel Barber on journalism and the financial crisis

How economics lost sight of real world John Kay on inflexibile economics

Daily Star 'Resistance' is the essence of Islamism By Rami G. Khouri

Iran’s Thrust into the Arab Heartland

Dayan Center, Jerusalem Report An Israeli analysis of the unprecedented Iranian power projection into the Arab heartland, and Egypt's response

Wall Street Journal IMF Says Banks Need $875 Billion U.S. and European banks need to raise $875 billion in equity by next year to recapitalize banks to a level similar to the precrisis years, the IMF estimated.

· Europe's Forceful Response to the Financial Crisis

By Jürgen Stark The ECB and euro-area governments are acting boldly.

Independent Obama's 100 days Rupert Cornwell: Has America's first black president made a dazzling debut? Will his first three months be remembered as a triumph? History can be a cruel judge.

End of Economic Gloom? Not as Early as You Wish. Roubini’s latest Article for Project Syndicate

Tom Barnett "Why Iran Won't Stop Loving the Bomb" Esquire here.

LA Times Muslim woman's appointment as Obama advisor draws cautious optimism Dalia Mogahed, a veiled Egyptian American, will advise President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims. Many Arabs hope it's a step toward reversing stereotyping

H2

NPR Turkey, Kurds Ponder US Withdrawal From Iraq (Your correspondent has a sentence or two here)

The Turkish joker Al-Ahram Weekly Ankara appears key to new US foreign policy under Obama, writes Mustafa El-Labbad

Will Turkey succumb to Wahabbism? United Press International

Financial Times - Will US ride to the rescue of Europe and Nabucco?

Stratfor Cyprus: Post-Election Tensions and Turkey's Position The election of a new Turkish Cypriot prime minister will complicate reunification talks between the Greek and Turkish sides of the island

Enterprise Resilience Management Blog: The Challenge of Kirkuk
By Steve DeAngelis

Uluslararası Kriz Grubu: 'ABD ve AB Tasarılardan Kaçınmalı'

· Turkey Arrests 37 in al Qaeda Raids Turkish anti-terror police arrested 37 people Tuesday in the latest crackdown on extremist militants suspected of planning attacks on Turkish soil.

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

Enterprise Resilience Management Blog: The Challenge of Kirkuk
By Steve DeAngelis

Turkey's Veteran Islamist Erbakan Visits Iran

Turkey promises to boost both military and civilian ties with Lebanon

Cevdet Aşkın

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

Erdoğan defends AKP Baku stance

Turkey interested in Russian weapons

Turkey "Closer And Closer" To EU - EU Presidency

Turkey-EU horizon turbid - EU-Turkey : europa, europe | euronews

· Talat: Northern Cyprus Faces 'Clash of Authority'European Voice

Turkish Cypriot leader warns of complications to reunification talks after his party loses parliamentary elections.

Muslim converts accused of holy war bomb plots

German trial begins of two Muslim converts and two Turks accused of plotting with al-Qaeda to bomb US Ramstein air base

Swedish PM urges Turkey to settle Cyprus question: report

Turkey recalls ambassador over Armenian commemoration

Globe and Mail

The Growing Threat of Radical Islamic Groups in Germany
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Kıbrıs'taki Seçim Sonuçları ve Müzakere Süreci

Erivan'la İlişkiler Ankara'nın Bakü'yle İlişkilerini Etkileyebilir mi?

BM: 'UBP'nin Zaferi Kaygı Yaratmıyor'

UN sees no threat to Cyprus peace talks after vote

Erdoğan: 'Kriz Türkiye'ye Teğet Geçecek'

Clinton Güney Kıbrıslı Bakanla Görüştü

Greek deficit weighs on eurozone Greece is poised to report an unexpectedly high 2008 budget deficit, underlining the pressure that the global financial crisis is putting on the European monetary union

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE; For Sale In... Cyprus

Big Turkish Bank Plans US$300M Hedge Fund

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 I.M.F. Puts Bank Losses From Global Financial Crisis at $4.1 Trillion

Banned Techniques Yielded ‘High Value Information,’ Memo Says

In Adopting Harsh Tactics, No Inquiry Into Their Past Use

Top U.S. officials involved in the adoption of brutal interrogation methods did not investigate the origins of the techniques they approved with little debate.

Report Gives New Detail on Approval of Brutal Techniques

Naval Show to Feature Submarines From China

Foreigners Filling Jobs That Iraqis Often Shun

THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Swimming Without a Suit

America needs to invest money and energy into schools with a sense of urgency that the economic and moral stakes demand.

H5 Washington Post Obama's Foreign Policy Challenge By Henry A. Kissinger The president's multilateral approach arrives at a moment ripe with possibility.

Iran Issue Linked to Palestinians Israel wants to see progress against suspected nuclear program before pursuing peace talks.

Obama Says Bush Officials Behind Interrogation Policy Could Be Prosecuted President Talks of Independent Panel on Interrogation Policy

U.S. Might Not Try Ex-Lobbyists Disclosure comes as lawmaker denies offering to influence case involving pro-Israel group. Prosecutors Considering Dropping Espionage Charges Against Former AIPAC Lobbyists

Editorial Invitation to Appease

Will the Obama administration talk to Iran while it persecutes Americans and libels Israel?

Slow Roll Time at Langley By David Ignatius How Obama turned Langley's counterterrorism program into a career hazard.

Editorial Denting the Deficit

$100 million won't do it. Here are five changes that could. The president won't shrink the deficit by looking under the couch cushions.

Memos: Harsh Tactics Readied Before Approval Bush administration officials began planning to conduct harsh interrogations long before being granted legal approval, Senate panel concludes.

Pentagon Plans Cyber-Command New command would oversee security of military computer networks and develop cyber-weapons

Intelligence Chief Says Methods Hurt U.S.

Banks May Face a High Bar Health of financial system is "ultimate test" for which banks can repay bailout aid, Geithner says

Trapped by Sri Lanka's WarBy James Traub Thousands of innocent civilians are dying in the name of the 'war on terror.'

Somali Charged With Piracy in Attack on U.S. Ship

European Nations May Investigate Bush Officials Over Prisoner Treatment

H6 Guardian · Barack Obama begins push for Middle East peace

US president to invite Israeli, ­Palestinian and Egyptian leaders to the White House within the next two months

· Iran: Lost in translation

Editorial: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has got everyone scrambling for their Farsi phrasebooks

· Climate change threatens Ganges, Niger and other mighty rivers Study of global waterways warns greater risk of flooding from heavier rains will affect Africa most

· China unveils fleet of submarines in bid to build global trust China celebrates its navy's 60th anniversary with a first public appearance for new craft

· Labour's route out of the black hole has to be green, with just a hint of blue Jonathan Freedland: Today, rhetoric on the climate needs to become hard reality. And an old idea stolen by the Tories should be reclaimed

· Cheney and the apologists of torture distrust democracy

Simon Jenkins: Our way of life is threatened not by an al-Qaida nutcase, but politicians like Cheney in thrall to a fantasy war

The slow death of newspapers

Dan Kennedy: Can the mainstream print media save itself by charging readers for online news? Almost certainly not

Publish and be damned, Mr Cheney

Philippe Sands: Dick Cheney wants classified material released to show that torture 'worked'. Let's see it all – waterboarding videos included

Saudi Arabia's sewing machine stitch-up Brian Whitaker: Learning by rote at school has no real value – and it certainly doesn't prepare you for life in the scam-filled modern world

Durban II: Ahmadinejad's charade

Seth Freedman: Antony Lerman is wrong – the Iranian leader's presence discredited this racism conference and betrayed the Palestinians

· Iranians welcome President Ahmadinejad home after attack on Israel State news reports 'sensational scene' as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad returns amid criticism of UN speech

Quelle horreur! We miss Chirac Agnès Poirier: How can the politician we learned to despise for 40 years score a 74% approval rating? Answer: he's not Sarkozy

H7 Daily Star 'Resistance' is the essence of Islamism By Rami G. Khouri

Iran’s Thrust into the Arab Heartland

Dayan Center, Jerusalem Report An Israeli analysis of the unprecedented Iranian power projection into the Arab heartland, and Egypt's response

DAVID ROTHKOPF

What did Obama get out of his global apology tour?

Cuba: A New Policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement
Source: The Brookings Institution

Summit of the Americas might lead to changed relationships

Unholy Alliance: Somali Pirates and Islamists - Der Spiegel

Six U.N. Offices We'd Be Better Off Without

A pawn in Iran's game

American-Iranian reporter Roxana Saberi has fallen victim to Iranian hard-liners who might want to sabotage any rapprochement with the United States.

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

Can Iraq Go It Alone?

Obama invites Middle East heads

The US invites Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders for separate talks in a new push for Middle East peace.

Iranian presidential campaign in disarray

(UPI) -- Members of the Principlist slate are divided over whether to back incumbent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or a rival candidate in the June contest.

‘Potato policy’ is hot issue in Iran The government’s recent decision to distribute free potatoes to the poor has provoked outrage in political circles, where the president’s populist policies have often come under attack

Syria becomes crucial as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spurns Barack Obama

First High-Level Syrian Visit to Iraq in Decades

Syrian Opposition Group Collapses

Amnesty urges Maliki to protect PMOI

(UPI) -- Amnesty International appealed directly to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to ensure the safety of Iranian dissidents living in Iraq's Diyala province.

Iran boasts military, nuclear-fuel ability

TEHRAN, April 21 (UPI) -- Iranian atomic-energy officials said they had complete and autonomous knowledge of nuclear-fuel production amid claims of regional military capabilities.

H9 Ha’aretz – Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli decision FM to Russian daily: U.S. peace initiatives need Israeli okay; Iran isn't biggest threat facing Israel

Obama aims to push Mideast peace with 'gesture plan' U.S. official to Haaretz: Plan to include settlement freeze in exchange for normalization from Arab states

U.S. lawmaker seeks release of AIPAC spy case transcripts

U.K. to review arms exports to Israel in wake of Gaza war Less than 1% of Israel's arms imports come from U.K.

Gideon Levy: Even if Netanyahu backs Palestinian statehood, occupation to flourish

Hamas smuggling new arsenal into Gaza Security sources: Anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, longer range rockets coming in through tunnels

Jerusalem Post Israelis would trust NATO in W. Bank

Survey shows most citizens want to join EU; Obama most admired foreign leader, with 74% approval.

Lion's Den: The limits of terrorism [ DANIEL PIPES,

Netanyahu won't attend AIPAC summit, asks Peres to represent Israel

Yedioth Ahronoth Egyptian to meet Lieberman?
Cairo intelligence chief Suleiman to arrive in Israel on Wednesday afternoon for series of meetings, on backdrop of high tensions with Jerusalem. On the agenda: Talks for Shalit's release, expanding strategic cooperation

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

Will Aipac Charges Be Dropped?

Historian Michael Oren to be Israel's ambassador to Washington, reports say

Israel Ponders U.S. Relations - The Economist

Israel Puts Iran Issue Ahead of Palestinians

Harman, AIPAC, NSA: Was the Leak Timed for Political Reasons?

Daily Star Both Lebanon and Jordan need a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict

Israel: A Prompt Defense Against Qassams Israel will buy a new U.S. defense system to deal with rockets and mortars fired from the Gaza Strip

US Rejects an Israeli Demand

Israel Strives to Re-Brand Image

Harmanic Convergence AIPAC's corrupting influence exposed, says J. Raimondo

Obama, Abdullah Give Support for Two-State Process

Obama, Mideast Leaders to Meet

Harman ‘Outraged’ Over Alleged Wiretapping —

H10 Christian Science Monitor Can Iraq go it alone? The dramatic drop in violence over the past year is due in part to US-led efforts. But the insurgency could linger.

Obama says CIA memos could yet lead to charges

Those who wrote the memos are not in the clear, he says, but any investigation must be above partisanship.

Obama welcomes his first Arab leader to White House After meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, he emphasized his commitment to Palestinian statehood – a top concern among Arabs.

In Algeria, an abyss between truth and reconciliation Citizens whose relatives mysteriously disappeared during the 1990s civil war want facts. The government has offered compensation, but focused on forgetting the past.

Will the Obama-Chávez thaw last?

Watch for new US and Venezuelan ambassadors and cooperation on the drug war.

One way to boost US-China military cooperation

Environmental issues offer fertile common ground for building confidence and relations.

ASIA

CFR A Pakistan Strategy

In a new Policy Options Paper, CFR's Daniel Markey urges the Obama administration to make Pakistan's stabilization the priority in its Af-Pak policy. He warns the current policy's focus on counterterrorism in the region will do "little to address the serious, entrenched threats" posed by a weak Pakistan.

LRB Taliban v. Taliban

Graham Usher: India in Afghanistan ‘Safe havens’ for a reinvigorated Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida, the tribal areas are seen by the West as the ‘greatest threat’ to its security, as well as being the main cause of Western frustration with Pakistan. The reason is simple: the Pakistan army’s counterinsurgency strategy is not principally directed at the Taliban or even al-Qaida – the main enemy is India.

CSIS U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan Listen | Watch

Obama is being gutsy in Afghanistan, but not transparent enough
By Ashley J. Tellis

Time The Chinese Navy: How Big a Threat to the U.S.?

· China unveils fleet of submarines in bid to build global trust China celebrates its navy's 60th anniversary with a first public appearance for new craft

There is Nothing Called the 'Moderate Taliban'

CFR India's Electoral Politics As the world's largest democracy goes to the polls, this Backgrounder looks at the laws, major players, and issues, including economic reform, caste, and religion, that have shaped India's politics.

Afghanistan: Presidential Politics Reveal Complexities in the Afghan Political System One of the chief weaknesses of President Hamid Karzai’s administration in Afghanistan is that its authority does not extend across the entire country. It is ironic, then, that one of Karzai’s main challengers in Afghanistan’s upcoming presidential election asserts that the incumbent has too much power concentrated in his hands.

Ambush deep in the valley of death At 11:15 am, just when the air cover pulled off to refuel, insurgents, holed up in hidden bunkers, began to fire rockets, mortars and small arms at American jeeps. A day that had been intended to build bridges - both literally and figuratively - in Afghanistan's "forgotten province" of Nuristan, had suddenly gone horribly wrong. - Philip Smucker

Spoiling for a fight The Accidental Guerrilla by David Kilcullen
The "accidental guerrillas", those wretched and unwanted "societal antibodies emerging in response to Western intervention", love a fight, and they certainly have one on their hands in Afghanistan, and increasingly in Nuristan province, which the book clearly explains. As for the Taliban and al-Qaeda's plan for "victory" - there is no answer. - Philip Smucker

Obama's Af-Pak Quandary - Haider Ali Hussein Mullick, Times of India

Pakistan: Obama's Achilles' Heel
Huffington Post

Rise of the Beijing Consensus - Jonathan Holslag, RealClearWorld

Why Not Just Ignore Kim? - Doug Bandow, Cato Institute

Russia: Trying to Remain Standing on Central Asia’s Slippery Energy Slope
With its energy strategy for Central Asia in grave danger of unraveling, Russia is striving to create an appearance of normalcy as the first step in reasserting its energy role in the region.

India's Electorate Should Stand Up - Shobha Shukla, Japan Times

· Foreign Policy to Play a Marginal Role in Indian Elections

BY: Jason Miks | World Politics Review The biggest electoral show on earth is now under way in India. But despite India's reputation as a growing power on the international stage, foreign policy is set to play at most a marginal role in the decisions of most of its estimated 714 million voters.

The Holbrooke Afghanistan conference you can't go to

Petraeus Sees Worsening Afghan Violence Surge will make matters worse

Chinese official warns US on protectionism

A top adviser to the Chinese government warned the US that a proposed border tax on carbon sensitive materials ‘smells of protectionism’ and could spark retaliation from developing countries

China: Food Security and Foreign Perceptions China claims that it prefers to produce its own food supply, despite its investments in international farmlands

Above All, Restraint

How Sri Lanka ends its war will determine whether peace endures

H11 IHT

EUROPE European press review

Der Spiegel A European State Department?: Brussels Quietly Trains a Foreign Service

Greek deficit weighs on eurozone Greece is poised to report an unexpectedly high 2008 budget deficit, underlining the pressure that the global financial crisis is putting on the European monetary union

TE-SAT 2009: EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report Europol

This 56-page report provides policymakers and the general public with a fact-based understanding with regard to terrorism in the European Union (EU). In addition to the presentation of facts, it seeks to identify trends in the development of this phenomenon.

Steve Walt Germany and Other Global Lightweights

WSJ · Europe's Forceful Response to the Financial Crisis By Jürgen Stark
The ECB and euro-area governments are acting boldly.

The Growing Threat of Radical Islamic Groups in Germany
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

German RWE Signs Groundbreaking Agreement for Turkmen Gas

What Now for Moldova? - Stephen Schwartz, Weekly Standard

Sweden: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Sweden's economy is getting hit by a combination of overexposure to the collapsed Baltic economies and a decrease in demand for Swedish exports

· Fears of EU split as 'last dictator' of Belarus is invited to summit

Attempt by Europe to bring Belarussian president to summit of EU leaders could trigger divisions

Quelle horreur! We miss Chirac Agnès Poirier: How can the politician we learned to despise for 40 years score a 74% approval rating? Answer: he's not Sarkozy

Weber hits out at Brussels

Europe’s competition authorities risk throwing the continent’s economic integration into reverse with their response to the financial crisis, the head of Germany’s Bundesbank has warned in rare public criticism of Brussels

H12 RFE/RL

Google News Azerbaijan

Russia's True Intentions for NATO - Alexander Golts, Moscow Times

How History Education Shapes Russia, Ukraine - Kennan Institute

Nuclear Weapons: Getting Past Russia and the NPT and on to Zero

Political Instability in Ukraine Raises Fears of Intervention by Security Forces

Russia invites Europe to Join New Energy Charter BY: Andrew Rettman | EU Observer Russia has floated plans for a new global treaty on trade in fossil and nuclear fuel in an attempt to consign to history an earlier pact, the 1991 Energy Charter Treaty.

Russia: Trying to Remain Standing on Central Asia’s Slippery Energy Slope
With its energy strategy for Central Asia in grave danger of unraveling, Russia is striving to create an appearance of normalcy as the first step in reasserting its energy role in the region.

German RWE Signs Groundbreaking Agreement for Turkmen Gas

· Fears of EU split as 'last dictator' of Belarus is invited to summit

Attempt by Europe to bring Belarussian president to summit of EU leaders could trigger divisions

Russians worried by global crisis
One-third of Russians polled by the BBC are worried about falling living standards due to the global economic crisis.

Moscow v Nato

Russia's foreign minister decries 'Cold War logic'

S Ossetia releases OSCE observers

The OSCE condemns the brief detention of two observers by separatist forces in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia

H13 The Times Bush 'torture lawyers' may be prosecuted

President Obama responds to soul-searching over interrogations claiming America lost 'moral bearings' under Bush

Muslim converts accused of holy war bomb plots

German trial begins of two Muslim converts and two Turks accused of plotting with al-Qaeda to bomb US Ramstein air base

Wall Street Journal IMF Says Banks Need $875 Billion U.S. and European banks need to raise $875 billion in equity by next year to recapitalize banks to a level similar to the precrisis years, the IMF estimated.

· Europe's Forceful Response to the Financial Crisis

By Jürgen Stark
The ECB and euro-area governments are acting boldly.

Obama and the CIA

The U.N.'s Anti-Antiracism Conference

By Gerald M. Steinberg
Geneva shows that the best hope for restoring human rights is to deny these corrupt events the veneer of legitimacy.

· Obama Extends Hand to Mideast

Obama invited Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to the White House in a push to forge a Mideast peace deal.

A new piece in the Economist looks at the interplay between politics and financial policy, noting the deleterious effect political roadblocks can have on sound economic policy.

Robert M. Solow / New York Review of Books: How to Understand the Disaster

Do Economists See 'Green Shoots' Or Yellow Weeds?

Ben Bernanke was one of the first, spotting "green shoots" back in March. Then President Barack Obama spoke of "glimmers of hope" for the U.S. economy. And influential voices in Russia and Britain have said the worst of the crisis in their countries appears to be over. Are there real signs of economic recovery

White House Faces Headwinds on TARP

The U.S.'s financial rescue system continues to fall short on the issues of transparency and taxpayer protection, oversight groups charged.

H14 Financial Times Why the ‘green shoots’ of recovery could yet wither Is the worst behind us? In a word, No. The rate of economic decline is decelerating. But it is too soon even to be sure of a turnround, let alone of a return to rapid growth. These are still early days, writes Martin Wolf

Pakistan must stop appeasing jihadism The deal Pakistan’s army and government has struck with jihadi extremists, ceding them control of the Swat valley, is a political and social disaster for the country

Obama invites Middle East leaders to White House President Barack Obama stepped up his bid to encourage Middle East peace when he invited the leaders of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to the White House in the coming weeks

Washington signals softer tone on Hamas Barack Obama’s administration is trying to smooth the way for aid to a Palestinian government backed by Hamas in a striking contrast to the policy of George W. Bush, the former president, who sought to bring down any such government

Chinese official warns US on protectionism A top adviser to the Chinese government warned the US that a proposed border tax on carbon sensitive materials ‘smells of protectionism’ and could spark retaliation from developing countries

A flawed first draft of history

Lionel Barber on journalism and the financial crisis

How economics lost sight of real world John Kay on inflexibile economics

Bank tests we should get stressed about Mohamed El-Erian on US stress testing

Iran offers hope for journalist

Tehran’s judiciary spokesman hinted that Roxana Saberi, charged with spying for the US and sentenced to eight years in jail, might see her punishment reduced on appeal

Inflated fears

Deflation, as experienced in the interwar period, is a serious threat to the British economy but, thanks to the Bank of England’s appropriately aggressive monetary policy, it is not an immediate one

Agony of aspirations

South Africa: A general election is set to sweep Zuma to the presidency – but a troubled economy will hamper his efforts to improve the lives of the poor

Back seat for NSA on cyber security

H15 Los Angeles Times Military helped with CIA interrogation tactics, report says A senator says the report 'connects the dots' to show how techniques familiar to military experts found their way into controversial memos by the Justice Department.

Obama invites Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders for talks

The leaders will come separately to the White House over six weeks to work on concrete steps toward peace, the president says after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Muslim woman's appointment as Obama advisor draws cautious optimism Dalia Mogahed, a veiled Egyptian American, will advise President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims. Many Arabs hope it's a step toward reversing stereotyping

Editorial

H16 American Politics

James V. DeLong / AMERICAN.COM:
The Coming of the Fourth American Republic The Special Interest State that has shaped American life for 70 years is dying. What comes next is uncertain, but there are grounds for optimism.

realclearpolitics memeorandum

Daily Beast Cheat Sheet

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

PoliticsHome fivethirtyeight US News Political Bulletin

A tortured debate over the 'torture memos'

What's missing from all the sanctimony and censure regarding the Justice Department "torture memos" is any acknowledgement of the circumstances under which the CIA interrogations took place, let alone the successes with which they have been credited. (By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist)

H17 Daily Telegraph Obama: Bush officials could face 'torture' prosecution

US President Barack Obama has bowed to pressure from the Left by opening the door to Bush administration officials being prosecuted for approving alleged torture by CIA interrogators.

H18 Independent Obama's 100 days Rupert Cornwell: Has America's first black president made a dazzling debut? Will his first three months be remembered as a triumph? History can be a cruel judge.

Patriotism and pride come first as Sarkozy takes power

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

Advancing the Art and Science of Psychological Operations

Pentagon may launch new 'Cyber Command'; Would battle growing threat...

Unresolved debate in DOJ memos: Does torture work?

The Future of U.S. Ground Forces (Full PDF Article)

TE-SAT 2009: EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report Europol

This 56-page report provides policymakers and the general public with a fact-based understanding with regard to terrorism in the European Union (EU). In addition to the presentation of facts, it seeks to identify trends in the development of this phenomenon.

Jihadis target the high seas
The headline-hogging pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean are a part of a wider chess game - a regional jihadi apparatus determined to draw Western forces into its sphere of operations, either on land or at sea. - Walid Phares

Building Peace in the Absence of States: Challenging the Discourse on State Failure Berghof Center

This 98-page German dialogue argues that historically well-informed analysis, which leads to a deeper contextualized understanding of the local and regional situation on the ground, has to be the bedrock of any attempts for external assistance aimed at peace and development

Cyber Spies Breach Pentagon's Fighter Jet Project
Washington Post –

Slow Roll Time at Langley - David Ignatius, Washington Post

Politicizing Intelligence, Obama-Style - Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard

Call for concerted cyber-crime fight
A greater global effort is needed to thwart the growing menace of cyber-crime, experts warn at a key security forum in the US.

When joining the military is the ultimate rebellion BY TOM RICKS

When is Torture Morally Defensible? - Damon Linker, The New Republic

The CIA's Harsh Interrogations Worked - Marc Thiessen, Washington Post

Statement by Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard, on piracy
Source: U.S. Coast Guard Coast Guard’s history combating piracy
+ Fact Sheet: The Coast Guard’s role in international piracy incidents
+ Coast Guard combats piracy CG journal
+ Coast Guard, Navy apprehend pirates
+ Cooperative Maritime Strategy (PDF; 1.8 MB)

Nuclear Weapons: Getting Past Russia and the NPT and on to Zero

H20 Slate Handshake Diplomacy
What Obama's grip and grin with Hugo Chávez says about his foreign policy.
Fred Kaplan

Time is running out to take action on climate change.

H21 Art entertains, inspires, and goads. But it also deepens our grasp of the human condition by taking us into the minds of others... more» ... more» ... more»

“Workers of the world, unite!” Karl Marx said that workers had “first of all to settle things with their own bourgeoisie.” Now may be the moment, argues Leo Panitch... more»

The Special Interest State feeds on itself; the larger and more complex government becomes, the higher the costs of monitoring it. No one without a strong interest can even keep track... more»

From New Scientist, a special feature on the five ages of the brain.

Delaying Gratification (PDF; 111 KB) Source: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Evidence shows that people may be biased towards seeking short-term rewards at the expense of greater long-term benefits. Several factors influence how biased people are likely to be towards the present. Understanding these could inform policies that encourage individuals to make important life choices that affect their own long-term interests. This note reviews evidence on the influence of time in decisionmaking, and looks at the implications for policy domains such as pensions, health and consumer affairs.

I.F. Stone Unmasked as Soviet Spy In a fascinating article in Commentary magazine, historians present documents proving—once and for all, they say—that left-wing hero journalist I.F. Stone was a Soviet spy. Conservative commentators such as Ann Coulter and Robert Novak have long accused Stone, who worked for the New York Post and then The Nation in the 1930s and ’40s, of being a spy—basing their arguments on a few vague but incriminating reports leaked from Russian sources. Stone, who died in 1989, has a legion of staunch defenders who see him as a pillar of truth-telling liberalism. But the notes of a former KGB officer turned journalist who co-authored the Commentary piece show Stone, whose code name was “Pancake” and who was paid for his work, served as a talent spotter, courier, and information source for the KGB from 1936 to 1939, and perhaps again in the 1940s.

Wall Street Journal:

America's Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire — In America today, there are almost as many people making their living as bloggers as there are lawyers. Already more Americans are making their primary income from posting their opinions than Americans working as computer programmers, firefighters or even bartenders.

You love Poe or you don’t, but, either way, Poe doesn’t love you. A writer who was more condescending to his adoring readers would be hard to find... more»

The Big Question: Is lowering speed limits the answer to saving lives on Britain's roads?

Look where the morals of Monopoly have got us

This innocent-looking board game has probably had a corrosive influence on western morals, writes Rowan Pelling.

Digital Library Aims To Promote Global Understanding

The UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, the U.S. Library of Congress, and other partner institutions are launching a World Digital Library -- a website featuring cultural materials from libraries and archives around the world. It's an attempt to promote peace and global cultural understanding through digital Internet technology

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IraqSlogger Global Power Barometer Juan Cole - Kevin Drum - Gideon Rachman - Mark Kleiman - Belgravia Dispatch - washington realist - Tom Barnett - democracy arsenal - Josh Marshall - Daniel Drezner - Laura Rozen - the washington note - MondoWeiss - David Corn - SyriaComment - Israel-Syria Peace Society - William Arkin - Phil Carter - Ross Douhat Marc Ambinder Helena Cobban - MatthewYglesias - Oxblog - Brad DeLong - coming anarchy Rosner's Domain Wonkette Tom Hayden Paul Goble Abu Muqawama George Packer The Swamp

Foreign Policy Blogs Passport : Tom Ricks : Dan Drezner : Stephen Walt : David Rothkopf : Marc Lynch : The Cable : Madam Secretary : Shadow Govt. : The Argument : The Call

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