0505HYT9f - 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 What If Pakistan Collapses? - Simon Henderson, Washington Institute

Foreign Policy The Threat-Monger's Handbook by Stephen M. Walt

Daily Star Realism is back, because democracy is an uncertain proposition By Richard N. Haass

Ha’aretz – Obama gets tougher with Israel on Palestinians, Iran National Security Adviser told a European foreign minister that White House will be 'forceful' with Israel

Jerusalem Post Netanyahu: Israel prepared to resume talks without delay Prime minister tells AIPAC conference Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state; calls for talks on political, security, economic fronts.

Mashaal: Hamas wants 10 year cease-fire Islamist group's political leader tells 'New York Times' that Hamas wants state on 1967 borders

'Hizbullah cell scouted Israeli targets' Source on defense team to 'Post': Palestinian suspects were planning attacks "deep inside Israel."

The Hizbullah paradox

By GARY C. GAMBILL
Shi'ite Islam bares traits that bode well for eventual acceptance of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Analysis: Teheran's stake in regional insecurity By JONATHAN SPYER
The administration's assumption of a common Iranian-US interest in beating the Taliban is questionable.

The death of Jewish Republicanism?

Geopolitical Diary: Iran's Crisis Deepens The rift among Iran's conservatives will not be settled by the June 12 presidential election and thus will hinder Iran's policy moves, particularly where the United States is concerned

The Times Iraq security at risk in militia crackdown Progress made over past months looking fragile as Government arrests commanders of US-backed Sunni groups

Anatol Lieven Many Pakistanis who deeply oppose Taleban rule are also opposed to a tough military campaign against them In Pakistan they believe the US was behind 9/11. That is why opposition to the Taleban is lukewarm

Troops clash with Taleban in Swat Valley Controversial Pakistan peace accord is annulled after soldier in army convoy is killed during ambush by insurgents

Financial Times Obama’s ‘apologies’ are a strength

When the US president suggests that America has made mistakes in its dealings with Europe or the Muslim world, he is quite deliberately sending a signal. To his conservative critics, it is one of weakness. But mature democracies should not be afraid of open discussion, says Gideon Rachman

If China loses faith the dollar will collapse Andy Xie on pressure for an alternative reserve currency

Saudi reconciliation with US might still end in tears

US signals tough settlement stance

Lay to rest ghosts of war in the Caucasus The region needs peace, says Thomas de Waal

Inflation can and must be avoided

Some view inflation as a clever way to eliminate the overhang of private- and public-sector debt. But it would also make another recession inevitable. The underlying aim should be to restore stability

Optimism builds With economic data showing a slowing of the rate of decline, opinions are split on whether the US can help lead the world back to sustained growth

Fifth anniversary fails to assuage concerns Recognition of the historic significance of the EU’s eastward expansion is tinged by concern about costs, the global financial crisis and planned future enlargements

Europe jobs crisis poses social order ‘threat’ Tensions and political extremism could increase to dangerous levels unless rising joblessness is tackled, warns the EU’s top employment official as Europe’s politicians balk at giving more power over social policy to Brussels

Jerusalem Post Emanuel: Thwarting Iran hinges on Israeli-Palestinian talks

An Agenda for the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

BY: John A. Nagl and Brian M. Burton | World Politics Review Iraq is sure to test your formidable diplomatic skills. The ad hoc bargains and ceasefires negotiated by your predecessor, Ryan Crocker, and the U.S. military -- deals that kept the country from plunging deeper into the throes of insurgency and civil war -- appear to be on the verge of unraveling

Predicting the death of Islam
The Crisis of Islamic Civilization by Ali A Allawi The differences between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West run far deeper than the political surface, the author argues, and they begin with a radically different view of the individual, or more precisely, the view that the individual human being really does not exist to begin with. - Spengler

A review of John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge's God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World (and more and more and more and more and more and more).

Pakistani Army Flattening Villages as It Battles Taliban

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)
· Afghanistan and Al Anbar: Lessons Learned Nine differences between Iraq's Al Anbar province and Afghanistan and what it means for the Marine Corps

NYT Joint Chiefs Offer Mixed Assessment of Pakistan's Security

New York Times Addressing U.S., Hamas Says It Grounded Rockets

Porous Border With Pakistan Could Hinder U.S. Troops Afghan militants are able to cross the border with ease, according to interviews with a logistics tactician for the Taliban

U.S. Negotiator Signals Flexibility Toward Moscow Over New Round of Arms Talks

Carnegie Finding the Right Grand Strategy in Afghanistan

Wall Street Journal Richardson and Roubini: We Can't Subsidize the Banks Forever

· Don't Forget About Foreign Aid By Madeleine K. Albright and Colin L. Powell
Prosperity depends on stability.

Jamestown Foundation
· China Brief, v. 9, no. 9, April 30, 2009 *PLA’s “Absolute Loyalty” to the Party in Doubt

OpenDemocracy Will There Be a Second Crimean War?

Andreas Umland Escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian quarrel over Crimea could destabilise European security

Washington Post Pakistan's Critical Hour By Ahmed Rashid, The U.S. can still do something to stave off chaos, a veteran journalist says.

David Ignatius: The U.S. Plan For Pakistan

Mullen Says Afghan War Is U.S. Military's Top Priority

The Taliban Tightens Hold In Pakistan's Swat Region Pakistan Seeks Nonviolent Path Nation's military tries to maintain peace accord even as Taliban tightens its grip in Swat region

Human Rights Activists Troubled by Administration's Approach

Iran President rebuked by Khamenei

Arrests Threaten Sectarian Violence –

Mullen: No Need to Slow US Iraq Troop Drawdown

Christian Science Monitor Next Taliban conquest? A view from Pakistan's frontline.Residents living between the militants and the capital worry their understaffed security forces can't defend their town

Are US missile strikes in Pakistan a dud policy? Predator drones have negative consequences that should be openly debated

Fighting a high-tech war with a low-tech mule US Marines and soldiers are training to fight in Afghanistan, where mules and donkeys can haul supplies and weapons to places where Humvees and helicopters can't easily go.

New York Times DAVID BROOKS The Long Voyage Home Republicans are so much the party of individualism and freedom that they are no longer the party of community and order.

Guardian · Swine flu pandemic warning levels may rise, says WHO chief Raising the alert to level six would mean that a global outbreak is underway

Responding to the triple crunch

Michael Meacher: Financial meltdown, climate change and dwindling energy supplies demand a newer world order

Dawkins is wrong about believers

Carlo Strenger: Richard Dawkins' tactic of ridiculing religion will inspire only hostility among those who feel their worldview to be under attack

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP)
· Will the International Economic Crisis Undermine Struggling Democracies?

Has Globalization Made Us More Catastrophe-Prone?

H2 45 killed in attack on engagement party in Turkey

Turkey: 8 suspects in wedding shooting detained

FT Masked gunmen kill 45 at Turkish wedding Local rivalries spill over into deadly feud

Guardian ·Dozens killed at wedding in Turkey Gunmen kill at least 45 at wedding in Turkey

Dozens shot dead by unidentified attackers

Faruk Logoglu Turkey and Armenia: Hope for the future

New FM Davutoğlu to build order-instituting role for Turkey

“ This essay (.pdf) is a good place to start to get up to speed on Davutogu's very sharp analysis of Turkey's foreign policy posture. “

Ankara sees closer ties to Washington (UPI) -- Improved relations with Washington are Ankara's key foreign policy objective as Turkey becomes a key player in regional dynamics, the new foreign minister said.

Prospects of Israeli-Turkish Relations

Ankara-Bakü Arasındaki Güven Krizi Aşılabilecek mi?

Turkish PM Erdogan to make a speech at Azerbaijani Parliament

Turkey to establish anti-terrorism undersecretariat

Turkey to face pressure over US nukes on its soil

Turkey Weighs Ending Economic Embargo on Armenia
Voice of America

Terrorism Monitor, v. 7, no. 11, April 30, 2009 *Rival Islamist Groups Vie for the Support of Southeast Turkey's Conservative Kurdish Population

EurActiv.com - Turkey and Armenia: Opening minds, opening borders | EU - European Information on Enlargement & Neighbours

Turkey tries to calm Azeris over thaw with Armenia

A long to-do list awaits diplomacy's new chief

Gov’t to speed up moves in Caucasus

The National · Turkey Takes Lead in Battling Piracy Turkey’s navy yesterday took command of an international force to combat piracy off the Somalian coast in a move analysts say reflects Ankara’s increased role as a major player in the region.

FT.com / Comment / Opinion - Lay to rest ghosts of war in the Caucasus By Thomas de Waal

:FT.com | Brussels Blog | Post-2004 EU enlargement is a hard grind for Olli Rehn

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

TSK lifts boycott on Barzani

Media's role in elections a hot topic in Iraqi Kurdistan

European "Silk Road" summit eyes Iraqi energy ties

Iranian jets 'hit' Iraqi Kurd areas

Turkey takes lead in battling piracy

Independent Forty-four killed in attack on Turkish wedding

What is Moqtada al-Sadr doing in Turkey?

Cevdet Aşkın

BBC Many die in Turkey wedding attack At least 45 people are killed in south-eastern Turkey, as unidentified men armed with grenades and automatic rifles attack a wedding party.

The Times Dozens dead in Turkish wedding party massacre

41 People Are Killed in Wedding Attack in Turkey - NYTimes.com

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

Going After a Scholar's Critic Inside Higher Ed

Kuzey Kıbrıs'ta UBP Yeni Hükümeti Kurdu

Azerbaijan and the West: Strategic Partnership at Eurasia's Crossroads

AB'den Türk Ekonomisi İçin Karamsar Rapor

Baku Calling for Openness in Turkish-Armenian Relations

Former Armenian President Excoriates Government For 'Genocide Denial'
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

:Civil.Ge | Saakashvili on his Controversial Trip to Turkey

:Italian envoy echoes support for Turkey’s EU bid

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

Man Utd launch £63m bid for Ribéry Bid for Bayern Munich midfielder dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid

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 Addressing U.S., Hamas Says It Grounded Rockets

Porous Border With Pakistan Could Hinder U.S. Troops Afghan militants are able to cross the border with ease, according to interviews with a logistics tactician for the Taliban

U.S. Negotiator Signals Flexibility Toward Moscow Over New Round of Arms Talks

European Union to Reach Out to 6 Former Soviet States in Meeting

Advances by the Taliban Sharpen U.S. Concerns

Karzai Enlists Former Warlord as Running Mate

Violence in Yemen Shows Growing Power of Insurgency

Gunmen Kill 45 at Turkish Wedding

Iranian Leader Is Scolded on Removal of Official

World Briefing | Middle East: Egypt: Gates Seeks to Assure Allies

DAVID BROOKS The Long Voyage Home Republicans are so much the party of individualism and freedom that they are no longer the party of community and order.

Obama Calls for New Curbs on Offshore Tax Havens The proposed tax overhaul, aimed at benefits enjoyed by those harboring cash in offshore accounts, could help raise $210 billion, the administration estimates.

ROSS DOUTHAT A Hole in the Center The Republican Party needs centrists, but not unprincipled ones like Arlen Specter.

Editorial - Tax Salvos

There are no easy fixes to tax problems posed by global profits. The Obama proposals oversimplify the challenge.

BOB HERBERT Jack Kemp’s Futile Quest Jack Kemp meant well, but the great irony that cloaked his career was that it was not possible to achieve the ends he sought using the means he pushed with such zeal.

H5 Washington Post Pakistan's Critical Hour By Ahmed Rashid, The U.S. can still do something to stave off chaos, a veteran journalist says.

David Ignatius: The U.S. Plan For Pakistan

Mullen Says Afghan War Is U.S. Military's Top Priority

The Taliban Tightens Hold In Pakistan's Swat Region Pakistan Seeks Nonviolent Path Nation's military tries to maintain peace accord even as Taliban tightens its grip in Swat region

Human Rights Activists Troubled by Administration's Approach

Karzai Registers for Reelection in Afghanistan

A Litmus Test That Counts By Richard Cohen Where will the next justice stand on the weakening justification for affirmative action?

A World Without the Globe? By Eugene Robinson, From pimped to pillaged: A tumultuous era for the Boston Globe and its owner.

Fiat Works Toward Deal for Opel With Chrysler deal in hand, firm looks to continue expansion with stake in GM's German unit.

Time and the Political Tides By Howard H. Baker Jr., The GOP may yet be attractive again, says the former Tennessee senator.

A Starbucks State of Mind By Anne Applebaum, The arrival of the coffee chain in Warsaw illuminates the psychology of post-communist Europeans.

Obama Targets Overseas Tax Dodge

Plan Would Crack Down On Individuals, Firms With Money Abroad

Editorial Corporate Tax Reform The president's tax plan can be the start of an important discussion

Washington Sketch: Obama's World Looks More and More Divine

KBR Connected to Alleged Fraud, Pentagon Auditor Says

H6 Guardian · Swine flu pandemic warning levels may rise, says WHO chief Raising the alert to level six would mean that a global outbreak is underway

Responding to the triple crunch

Michael Meacher: Financial meltdown, climate change and dwindling energy supplies demand a newer world order

Dawkins is wrong about believers

Carlo Strenger: Richard Dawkins' tactic of ridiculing religion will inspire only hostility among those who feel their worldview to be under attack

· Conservative party: Thirty years on Editorial: The truth is that Britain did not really know what sort of government it had elected in 1979

The uneasy retreat from Iraq

James Denselow: Gordon Brown's description of Iraq as a success story is evidence of the huge gap between rhetoric and reality

Pashtuns caught in another proxy war Nushin Arbabzadah: Afghanistan's civilian majority are resented for their links to government and the Taliban, although

H7 An Agenda for the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

BY: John A. Nagl and Brian M. Burton | World Politics Review Iraq is sure to test your formidable diplomatic skills. The ad hoc bargains and ceasefires negotiated by your predecessor, Ryan Crocker, and the U.S. military -- deals that kept the country from plunging deeper into the throes of insurgency and civil war -- appear to be on the verge of unraveling

Predicting the death of Islam
The Crisis of Islamic Civilization by Ali A Allawi The differences between Islam and the Judeo-Christian West run far deeper than the political surface, the author argues, and they begin with a radically different view of the individual, or more precisely, the view that the individual human being really does not exist to begin with. - Spengler

A review of John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge's God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World (and more and more and more and more and more and more).

Stratfor The Geopolitics of Pandemics

May 4 SD# 2339 - 'Al-Hayat' Interview with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice

Brookings President Obama’s First 100 Days: Managing Global Insecurity Project Recommendations and an Evaluation of U.S. Global Engagement

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP)
· Will the International Economic Crisis Undermine Struggling Democracies?

Has Globalization Made Us More Catastrophe-Prone?

· The Rich World's Dash for Food Security BY: John Berthelsen | Asia Sentinel Agriculture is in for a revolution, not only via trade but in vertical integration and technology. Rich countries that don't have enough land to grow their own food have been characterized as land grabbers buying up vast tracts of poor countries, particularly in Africa, to cultivate the land they need to feed their people.

CSIS Iraq: The Broader Trends in Violence

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq · Human Rights Report 1 July - 13 December 2008

Iraq: USCENTCOM and Iraqi Government Estimates of the Trends in the Patterns in Violence and Casualties

The CIA's Fight With Obama - Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Interrogating Torture - Philip Gourevitch, The New Yorker

Obama the Untested - Robert Kaplan, The Atlantic

Foreign Aid and Corruption in Africa - Francis Fukuyama, Slate

1,000+ flu cases in 21 countries...

Ambassador Hill's Iraq Agenda - John Nagl & Brian Burton, WPR

The Threat Mongers Handbook - Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy

Britain bruised by its Basra adventure With a somber military ceremony in Basra, Britain bade farewell to its six-year, controversy filled stint in Iraq. Its legacy is still unfolding, but the country's involvement is by far and away its most problematic foreign adventure since the Suez crisis of 1956, and the costs are still being counted both at home and in Basra. - Ronan Thomas

Newsweek Why Future Flu Pandemics May Be Much More Lethal

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

Iran President rebuked by Khamenei

Arrests Threaten Sectarian Violence -

Mullen: No Need to Slow US Iraq Troop Drawdown

The Influence Game: Lobbyists Eye Iraq Measure

Hamas and Hizbullah Reach out to Obama

Saudi reconciliation with US might still end in tears

Torture video hits UAE hope of nuclear deal Video showing a man alleged to be a half-brother of the UAE’s president torturing an Afghan deepens the problem of the US implementing the deal

US: Syria mustn't support terror

Basra residents safer, but looking for work Iraqi governor talks about how to revive southern Iraqi city.

Critics: Egypt-Hezbollah row manufactured (UPI) -- The conflict between Egypt and Hezbollah is a miscalculated attempt by the Shiite militant group to insert itself into the regional conversation, critics argue.

Iranian hopeful offers olive branch?

(UPI) -- Iranian presidential contender Mohsen Rezaei said the era of aggression with Washington is over, adding that Tehran can exploit the U.S. position in the region.

Sudden cancellation of Ahmadinejad Latin American tour without explanation

H9 Ha’aretz – Obama gets tougher with Israel on Palestinians, Iran National Security Adviser told a European foreign minister that White House will be 'forceful' with Israel

Bradley Burston: This is how the occupation ends

Netanyahu: 'We want peace with Arab world' PM states in AIPAC address he wants to release young Palestinians from a 'cult of death, despair and hate.'

Israeli envoy taunted with anti-Semitic slurs in Madrid

Syria looks to Lebanon War for tips on arming Hezbollah Sources: Syria intent on maintaining military strategy based on air defense and anti-tank weapons

PA working to root out Hamas, Hezbollah secret agents

Jerusalem Post Netanyahu: Israel prepared to resume talks without delay

Prime minister tells AIPAC conference Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state; calls for talks on political, security, economic fronts.

Mashaal: Hamas wants 10 year cease-fire

Islamist group's political leader tells 'New York Times' that Hamas wants state on 1967 borders

'Hizbullah cell scouted Israeli targets'

Source on defense team to 'Post': Palestinian suspects were planning attacks "deep inside Israel."

The Hizbullah paradox

By GARY C. GAMBILL
Shi'ite Islam bares traits that bode well for eventual acceptance of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Israelis Size up Obama by Shmuel Rosner

Does the Democratic Majority have a problem with Israel? by Shmuel Rosner

Analysis: Teheran's stake in regional insecurity

By JONATHAN SPYER
The administration's assumption of a common Iranian-US interest in beating the Taliban is questionable.

The death of Jewish Republicanism?

Emanuel: Thwarting Iran hinges on Israeli-Palestinian talks

Anti-Semitic slurs yelled at Spain envoy

Ambassador called "dirty Jew," "Jew bastard" and "Jew murderer" by three men at Real Madrid game.

Egypt: Israeli nukes 'greatest threat'

Lieberman blasts Egyptian Foreign Ministry saying Israeli arsenal poses more of a danger than Iran.

Iran - a nation paralyzed

WSJ · U.S., Israel Diverge on Palestinian Plan Netanyahu pledged to pursue "without any delay" a peace process with Palestinians based on a new strategy of addressing political, economic and security issues concurrently.

Missile Defense Forces Prepare for Iranian Threat -

Yedioth Ahronoth 'Ready for peace talks now'
Speaking via satellite, PM tells AIPAC conference he is prepared to resume negotiations with Palestinians. He presents triple-track plan, says peace is reachable: 'With Obama and Abbas' help we can surprise the world'

Obama waiting for Bibi/ Somfalvi t’s still unclear what PM has in store for US president, entire Israeli public

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

How Jewish is the State of Israel? David Goldman wants to know.

Chatham House
· Palestinian Refugees: The Regional Perspective

From Forward, do Jews have a Jesus problem?

WSJ The AIPAC Case Fallout - Editorial

Answers Sought in Ex-AIPAC Staffers' Case

Air of Relief Lingers Over AIPAC Meeting

Ft US signals tough settlement stance

Daily Star Don't bet much on a US-Israel showdown By George Giacaman

Israel Will Accept Palestinian State, Rejects Syria Talks

A New Strategy for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Yaalon (Institute for Contemporary Affairs/Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Jane Harman Tells Pro-Israel Lobbyists She'll Clear Her Name

Israel Dispatches Envoys to Soften Hawkish Image

Obama Outreach to Muslims Worries Israelis

· Israel Loses Prized 'Free' Press Status; Kuwait Tops Arab World

The Media Line Israel's media freedom ranking has been downgraded from "free" to "partly free," the first time the Jewish State has lost its status as the only Middle Eastern nation with a "free" press.

Gaza patients questionings 'rise'

The number of Palestinians forced to provide information in return for being let out of Gaza for treatment is rising, a group says

Indo-Israeli Defense Deals Draw Flak

H10 Christian Science Monitor Next Taliban conquest? A view from Pakistan's frontline.Residents living between the militants and the capital worry their understaffed security forces can't defend their town

Are US missile strikes in Pakistan a dud policy? Predator drones have negative consequences that should be openly debated

Fighting a high-tech war with a low-tech mule US Marines and soldiers are training to fight in Afghanistan, where mules and donkeys can haul supplies and weapons to places where Humvees and helicopters can't easily go.

Obama targets tax havens, and corporate America shudders

The plan to crack down on individuals who hide cash in foreign accounts has broad support. But eliminating tax havens for American companies could put them at a disadvantage internationally, experts say.

Basra residents safer, but looking for work

Iraqi governor talks about how to revive southern Iraqi city.

Fill Souter's shoes with a genial persuader

A liberal appointee wouldn't affect the court's rulings much. A liberal who can coax conservatives would.

ASIA

What If Pakistan Collapses? - Simon Henderson, Washington Institute

Pakistani Army Flattening Villages as It Battles Taliban

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)
· Afghanistan and Al Anbar: Lessons Learned Nine differences between Iraq's Al Anbar province and Afghanistan and what it means for the Marine Corps

NYT Joint Chiefs Offer Mixed Assessment of Pakistan's Security

Jamestown Foundation
· China Brief, v. 9, no. 9, April 30, 2009 *PLA’s “Absolute Loyalty” to the Party in Doubt

Independent Leading article: Mr Obama's 'Af-Pak' options

RFERL Strategic Hurdles As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for talks with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, his new "Af-Pak" strategy for combating extremism and restoring stability in the region is already facing rapidly evolving challenges.

WSJ U.S. Troops Calm
An Afghan Valley A single company of fresh U.S. troops has turned an insurgent haven into a laboratory test for Obama's Afghanistan troop surge.

Pakistan Abandons Truce in Swat Pakistan abandoned its truce with the Taliban in the Swat Valley after militants attacked an army convoy, leaving one soldier dead.

Why Holbrooke keeps avoiding Congress BY LAURA ROZEN

Exposed Jihadis Put Pakistan in Spotlight - Syed Shahzad, Asia Times

This Backgrounder explains some of the controls that Pakistan has in place on its nuclear technologies.

US seeks Pakistan nuclear pledge
The US national security adviser seeks guarantees from Pakistan that its nuclear weapons are safe from militants.

Time Pakistan and the U.S. Still at Odds over Taliban Threat

Der Spiegel Tribal Areas and Terrorists: The Battle for Control of Pakistan

Congress. House. Armed Services Committee · Hearings *Effective Counterinsurgency: The Administration’s Perspective on the Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Military Partnership [April 29, 2009]

Asia Society · Asia's Next Challenge: Securing the Region's Water Future

China military build-up 'U.S.-focused'...

Walker's World: China's growth puzzle (UPI) -- China's official figures claim the economic recovery is taking hold. The figures for electricity output say otherwise. Which are right?

Center for a New American Security
· U.S.-DPRK Nuclear Negotiations: A Survey of the Policy Literature

Chinese antics have India fuming
For the first time, Beijing has dragged a territorial dispute with New Delhi into a multilateral financial institution, putting the brakes on an application by India for a loan to manage water in disputed Arunachal Pradesh. India's response: reject China's request to participate in a 33-member Indian Ocean initiative. - Sudha Ramachandran

International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR)
· Laskhar-E-Taiba: From 9/11 to Mumbai

Major Taliban Faction Pulls Out of Swat Valley Peace

Ninety Years of Chinese Nationalism - Samuel Chi, RealClearWorld

To work, Obama's new 'AfPak' strategy must fight poverty
By Mustafa Qadri

Independent Andrew Buncombe: Stakes at US summit could not be higher

Pakistan's forgotten casualties of war

Thousands of civilians flee fighting between the military and the Taliban

FT Antitrust in China Beijing is right to enforce anti-monopoly laws but it must be fair. If it is perceived that China is dressing up protectionist sentiment in antitrust robes, other governments will react in kind

Pashtuns caught in another proxy war Nushin Arbabzadah: Afghanistan's civilian majority are resented for their links to government and the Taliban, although both bring them only harm

Time to Dump Pakistan - Ralph Peters, New York Post

Exposed jihadis put Pakistan on the spot The tales that seven Pakistani fighters caught in Afghanistan told interrogators sent shock waves all the way to Washington. Evidence of a jihadi network openly doing business in Pakistani cities was all the United States needed to convince the leaders in Islamabad - both government and opposition - that the time had come to stand united against militancy. Al-Qaeda has already mapped its reponse. - Syed Saleem Shahzad

CSIS China’s Engagement in Africa

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
· Stabilizing Pakistan: Boosting its Private Sector

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)
· The United States and the Asia-Pacific Region: Security Strategy for the Obama Administration

U.S. denies letting troops convert Afghans

· Aso Urges Global Push on Nuclear Weapons

Japan's prime minister called for a unified international effort to push for nuclear nonproliferation, saying recent activities in China and North Korea were threatening security in Asia.

H11 IHT

EUROPE European press review

The European Commission has a webpage outlining Europe's response to the financial crisis.

In a recent podcast with CFR, Robert Cottrell, formerly of the Economist and Financial Times, explains how financial strains in Eastern Europe are testing the fabric of the European Union.

FT Global Insight: apathetic voters aid extemists For the seventh time European voters have a chance to choose the European parliament in direct elections. But turnout has fallen, from 63 per cent in 1979 to a low of barely 45 per cent in 2004

Europe jobs crisis poses social order ‘threat’

Tensions and political extremism could increase to dangerous levels unless rising joblessness is tackled, warns the EU’s top employment official as Europe’s politicians balk at giving more power over social policy to Brussels

In search of Europe Jonny Dymond, from France, on what unites and divides the continent, before its biggest ever vote

Learning Labor Lessons from Germany - Jack Ewing, Der Spiegel

Europe Must Learn from Japan - Wolfgang Muenchau, Financial Times

Independent Leading article: We will all lose out if we don't take Europe seriously

Basques set for landmark handover
A new government is set to take over the Basque region of Spain - the first non-nationalist administration in 30 years

The Times Europe in Recession

Growth and investment are collapsing, and inflation is moderating; yet the European Central Bank has been tardy in easing monetary conditions

FT Fifth anniversary fails to assuage concerns

Recognition of the historic significance of the EU’s eastward expansion is tinged by concern about costs, the global financial crisis and planned future enlargements

End to Europe’s recession in sight

The end of Europe’s severe recession is in sight, the European Commission has declared, but it still expects job cuts in the next two years to almost wipe out employment gains since 2006

IMF gives $17.1bn loan to Romania The two-year standby aid will make $6.6bn available immediately, with the rest in quarterly instalments as the fund moves to help the eastern European country survive the global downturn

Europe is about to take an astronomical lead over U.S. McClatchy Newspapers

The world's astronomers are about to get a trio of powerful new eyes on the sky that can see better and farther than existing space telescopes

WSJ No More Berlin Walls

STATE OF THE UNION
By Aleksander Kwasniewski
Europe won't be 'whole and free' until Ukrainians can pursue their chosen path.

H12 RFE/RL

Google News Azerbaijan

UK Parliament
·· Russia and the West
· Russia’s Military Posture

Russia: Coping with the Constraints of the Kremlin’s "Tandemocracy" BY IGOR TORBAKOV Western attitudes toward Russia tend to shift much like a swinging pendulum: euphoria quickly turns to dismay, or, alternatively, despair in no time morphs into hope. The reason that perceptions of Russia are so volatile is that the West tends to harbor all sorts of extravagant expectations about its proverbially enigmatic eastern neighbor.

OpenDemocracy Will There Be a Second Crimean War?

Andreas Umland Escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian quarrel over Crimea could destabilise European security

· Russian Government Keeps Eye on Social Unrest BY: Daria Solovieva | World Politics Review

With the confidence of the oil-boom years a casualty of the country's sharply deteriorating financial outlook, Russians have shed their traditional reluctance to participate in the political process. The official polling agency, VTSIOM, found that 48 percent of respondents are ready to mobilize and be more politically active, with the number trending upwards.

· Ukraine Witnessing Rise of Radicalism

BY: Pavel Korduban | Eurasia Daily Monitor

As elections approach in Ukraine, controversial historical and linguistic issues are high on the agenda within a country divided along regional and cultural lines.

TURKMENISTAN: RFE/RL reports on whether recent moves by Turkmenistan's president, ostensibly aimed at opening up media in the country, will actually accomplish that end

H13 The Times Iraq security at risk in militia crackdown Progress made over past months looking fragile as Government arrests commanders of US-backed Sunni groups

Anatol Lieven Many Pakistanis who deeply oppose Taleban rule are also opposed to a tough military campaign against them In Pakistan they believe the US was behind 9/11. That is why opposition to the Taleban is lukewarm

Troops clash with Taleban in Swat Valley Controversial Pakistan peace accord is annulled after soldier in army convoy is killed during ambush by insurgents

Europe in Recession Growth and investment are collapsing, and inflation is moderating; yet the European Central Bank has been tardy in easing monetary conditions

God's return is greatly exaggerated Religion makes you happy. It may seem bad manners for we atheists to say it, but so do pets David Aaronovitch

Wall Street Journal Richardson and Roubini: We Can't Subsidize the Banks Forever

· Don't Forget About Foreign Aid By Madeleine K. Albright and Colin L. Powell
Prosperity depends on stability.

· Pandemics and Depressions

By Robert J. Barro and Jose F. Ursua
History shows the swine flu could take an economic toll.

H14 Financial Times Obama’s ‘apologies’ are a strength

When the US president suggests that America has made mistakes in its dealings with Europe or the Muslim world, he is quite deliberately sending a signal. To his conservative critics, it is one of weakness. But mature democracies should not be afraid of open discussion, says Gideon Rachman

If China loses faith the dollar will collapse Andy Xie on pressure for an alternative reserve currency

Lay to rest ghosts of war in the Caucasus

The region needs peace, says Thomas de Waal

Inflation can and must be avoided

Some view inflation as a clever way to eliminate the overhang of private- and public-sector debt. But it would also make another recession inevitable. The underlying aim should be to restore stability

Optimism builds

With economic data showing a slowing of the rate of decline, opinions are split on whether the US can help lead the world back to sustained growth

:FT.com | Brussels Blog | Post-2004 EU enlargement is a hard grind for Olli Rehn

FT Fifth anniversary fails to assuage concerns Recognition of the historic significance of the EU’s eastward expansion is tinged by concern about costs, the global financial crisis and planned future enlargements

Europe jobs crisis poses social order ‘threat’ Tensions and political extremism could increase to dangerous levels unless rising joblessness is tackled, warns the EU’s top employment official as Europe’s politicians balk at giving more power over social policy to Brussels

Obama takes aim at US multinationals

Plan to close offshore tax loopholes

Time to be honest about open-plan offices

We get less done, says Michael Skapinker

The next big thing US Venture capitalists blame the decline in the number of young companies seeking a stock market listing on regulation, a harsh tax regime and on Wall Street. Yet it is more to do with supply and demand

Antitrust in China Beijing is right to enforce anti-monopoly laws but it must be fair. If it is perceived that China is dressing up protectionist sentiment in antitrust robes, other governments will react in kind

H15 Los Angeles Times What the Pakistani people would tell Obama

'Everyday people' interviewed on the street cite deadly drone attacks and the struggles of the poor as their top concerns. Obama is to meet with the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan this week

U.S. warily encouraged over Pakistan

Adm. Michael G. Mullen says it's too soon to tell whether the military offensive against insurgents can be sustained.

Editorial

H16 American Politics

WhiteHouse 2.0
Source: The White House Blog

• Facebook.com/WhiteHouse
• MySpace.com/WhiteHouse
• Twitter.com/WhiteHouse

David Frum on how to rebuild the GOP.

The "best and the brightest"? Spare me Some are arguing that if we prosecute Bush officials for torture, or reregulate the financial industry, talented people won't enter government or become bankers. No, they're not kidding.
By Michael Lind

realclearpolitics memeorandum

Daily Beast Cheat Sheet

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

PoliticsHome fivethirtyeight US News Political Bulletin

H17 Daily Telegraph Pakistan now needs to act on its promises

Telegraph View: Tomorrow's visit to Washington by Asif Ali Zardari, the president of Pakistan, could hardly be more timely.

H18 Independent Leading article: Mr Obama's 'Af-Pak' options

· Leading article: We will all lose out if we don't take Europe seriously

Iran President rebuked by Khamenei

Karzai criticised over choice of running mate

Pakistan's forgotten casualties of war

Thousands of civilians flee fighting between the military and the Taliban

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)
· Afghanistan and Al Anbar: Lessons Learned Nine differences between Iraq's Al Anbar province and Afghanistan and what it means for the Marine Corps

a review of Big Boy Rules: America’s Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq by Steve Fainaru

Exercise to simulate terror attack (UPI) -- The U.S. Homeland Security Department will conduct a multi-agency exercise Tuesday to test emergency response capabilities to a waterborne terrorist attack.

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
· Nuclear Terrorism: Assessing the Threat, Developing a Response

Center for Biosecurity of UPMC
· Border Restrictions: Not an Effective Means of Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu
· Can the Current Swine Flu Outbreak Be Contained? In A Word, No
· FDA Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs): What Are They and What Do They Mean for the Swine Flu Response?
· An Influenza Virus Naturally Can Have Multiple Genetic Sources: Why the Current Swine Flu Virus Is Not Bioterrorism
· Social Stigma Attached to “Swine Flu”—An FAQ for U.S. Elected Leaders and Health Officials
· Stigma: Its Harm and Its Remedy in Outbreaks Like Swine Flu

CFR Media Conference Call: Release of Task Force Report on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy

Rand Justification and Options for Creating A U.S. Stability Police Force

Center for Terrorism Research (CTR)
· Homegrown Terrorists in the U.S. and U.K.: An Empirical Study of the Radicalization Process

International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR)
· Laskhar-E-Taiba: From 9/11 to Mumbai

Center for National Policy
· The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008

National Security Archive
· "How Much is Enough?": The U.S. Navy and "Finite Deterrence"

Congress. House. Energy and Commerce Committee
·
· Cybersecurity: Network Threats and Policy Challenges

· Swine Flu Outbreak and the U.S. Federal Response

Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· International Efforts to Combat Maritime Piracy

Congress. Senate. Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee
· National Security Reform: Implementing a National Security Service Workforce [April 30, 2009]

Swine Flu: Coordinating the Federal Response [April 29, 2009]

· Cyber Security: Developing a National Strategy [April 28, 2009]

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
· U.S. Must Act to Reduce Nuclear Force Levels and Dangers of Proliferation and Use

RAND
· Assessing Capabilities and Risks in Air Force Programming: Framework, Metrics, and Methods

H20 Slate

Solving the Puzzle: Researching the Impacts of Climate Change Around the World (PDF; 5 MB)
Source: National Science Foundation

Center for American Progress
· Securing America’s Energy Independence Through Energy Diversification The Lessons of the Past and the Direction for the Future

National Science Foundation (NSF)
· Solving the Puzzle: Researching the Impacts of Climate Change Around the World

Analysis: Global urban threats (UPI) -- Changing trends in social behavior in the new millennium have brought about an unprecedented migration from rural areas, where most people used to live, into heavily populated urban settings.

H21 Taking a Stand in the Grandstands Why do European soccer fans stand during games while U.S. sports fans sit? Historians point to everything from labor laws to gender roles to cultural expectations

How David Beats Goliath
by Malcolm Gladwell Substituting effort for ability turns out to be a winning formula for underdogs in all walks of life…

God's return is greatly exaggerated Religion makes you happy. It may seem bad manners for we atheists to say it, but so do pets David Aaronovitch

FP's Terrible Taste in Movies BY FRED KAPLAN

Why we don't need to reinvent the book for the web age

Nostalgia can mean a melancholic flight from life. With Constantine Cavafy it turns into an element of cultural health and creative drive... more»

A Wired FAQ on the fight over the Google of All Libraries.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the earth wobbles under the weight of six billion beholders, what is beauty then? Ihab Hassan wonders... more»

Amazon to unveil bigger Kindle

Amazon Plans Kindle for Textbooks

Changing Values for a Just and Sustainable World Peter Singer

Higher Education: Approaches to Attract and Fund International Students in the United States and Abroad GAO-09-379

Google News Slate Today's Papers SWJ Blog Media Roundup CFR Daily Brief CFR Daily Opinion Roundup memeorandum antiwar.com book forum FBIS University Channel DocuTicker Arts & Letters Daily PolicyPointers cursor raw story fora.tv realclearworld realclearpolitics PoliticsHome Drudge Report Current News Early Bird OpinionSource truthout Dayan Current Contents Blogometer Wikipedia technorati Slate's Today's Blogs ABC’s The Note eurointelligence The Page First Read Daily Beast Cheat Sheet

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