052208f  - FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW (FPR) - ‘Relevant news, views, comments and analyses for informed debate’ Compiled by Þanlý Bahadýr Koç    U.S. / Britain / Turkey / Magazines / Think-tanks / Blogs / Misc /Books / Quickread / Numbers / Reports  - Subscribe to FPR  FPR Table - H4 NYT WP GU  H7 ME Isr H10 CSM IHT Eur FSU Asia H13 Times WSJ FT LAT H16 USP DT Ind H19 Mil Int Ter Wonk  H21 Misc

H1 Ha’aretz  Editorial Turn over every stone The official announcement published yesterday in three capitals - Jerusalem, Damascus and Ankara - about the opening of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel, under the aegis of Turkey, is a source of great hope but also suspicion.

 

Rosner Will he or won't he attack? It's doubtful Bush knows A fateful strategic issue - certainly for the State of Israel - became a plaything this week for the American election circus. The Iranian threat is now the Iranian debate: to threaten or talk, to attack or wait

 

Harel Too many question marks

 

Washington Post Israel, Syria Disclose Indirect Peace Talks Turkish Officials Mediating; Golan at Issue

 

ANALYSIS U.S. on the Outside in Peace Efforts By Robin Wright

 

Lebanon Accord Offers a Respite

Essential Issues Still Unresolved

 

Iraqi Troops Welcomed In Sadr City U.S. Absence Seems To Make Difference

 

The Old Titans All Collapsed. Is the U.S. Next?End of Empire? This could be the beginning of the end for the world's last superpower

 

Financial Times Europe is a geopolitical dwarf Most European geopolitical gurus believe that the EU can survive well as a free-rider on US power, counting on it to keep the world safe while Europe tends to its internal gardens. The paucity of European strategic thinking is stunning, writes Kishore Mahbubani

 

Obama inches closer to victory

But the Democratic party is weakened and divided. If the party is to succeed in November, the wavering super-delegates had better make up their minds

 

WORLD NEWS: Food prices forecast to stay high for 10 years

  

Guardian Obama backs off Iran talks pledge Campaign notes proper preparations must before committing to diplomatic meeting with Iran president

 

Persian pipelines  Roger Howard: A century after the west struck oil in the Middle East, today's great secure energy hope is Iran

 

Peace delayed  Leader: There are many reasons why the peace talks between Israel and Syria could fail

 

Newsweek How Israel-Syria Talks Could Affect Iran Ties

 

 “DPRK-Syria Bilateral Contacts, 2005-2007,” Open Source Center, May 2, 2008.

 

Syrian Media – The Challenge and the Need to Act

 

Syrian Media – The Challenge and the Need to Act | Part II

 

Slate Travels in the Former Soviet Union Azerbaijan turns toward Islam. Joshua Kucera

 

RFE/RLA Potentially Lucrative Thaw In Relations Following talks in Baku, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan could be closer to agreeing on how to divide up the Caspian energy resources located between them -- and on a pipeline to send them west.

 

Bush's Islamist Enemies By: Mohamad Bazzi | The Nation
President George W. Bush was rightly condemned last week when he implied that Democrats want to "negotiate with terrorists" because they are driven by "the false comfort of appeasement," while Republicans are committed to fighting terrorism. But in his speech before Israel's Knesset, Bush made another dangerous statement that got far less attention: He lumped together Al Qaeda with the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah

 

Syria and Israel: tactical advantage, MESH

 

 Debka Analysis: Doha accord swings Lebanon’s balance of power to Shiite Hizballah

 

Why did Nasrallah disobey Tehran and Damascus in Doha?

 

Lebanese Crisis Ends: Hizballah Victory or Temporary Truce?, The Washington Institute

 

A Medal for Brass By: Nina Shea | The Weekly Standard
Already dogged by a reputation for promoting religious extremism abroad and repression at home, the government of Saudi Arabia now faces growing resentment at the soaring price of oil. As is their custom, Saudi rulers have responded with a public relations campaign. It's a campaign built on deception.

 

Defense Intelligence Strategy 2008 (PDF: 2.6 MB) Source: U.S. Department of Defense (via Federation of American Scientists)

 

Obama to Ahmadinejad: Atomic Assist By: Amir Taheri | New York Post Critics of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's provocative foreign policy were preparing to launch a series of attacks on him in the Islamic Majlis, Iran's ersatz parliament. But then Ahmadinejad got an unexpected boost from Barack Obama

 

Debating Liberal Internationalism By: Matthew Yglesias et al | The American Prospect Matt Yglesias explains how Democrats have been hurt themselves with incoherent foreign policy thinking and how they can improve in the future, and David Rieff, Justin Logan, David Frum, Derek Chollet and Anne-Marie Slaughter respond

 

Middle East Oil: Defying the Experts By: Roger Howard | International Herald Tribune
The arguments of advocates of "peak oil," who assert that global oil production has now climaxed and will start to decline, appear increasingly plausible. But a look at the history of such expert opinion provides reason for skepticism

 

Breaking Impasse, European Nations Agree to Start Broad Talks With Russians

 

The Sole Superpower in Decline: The Rise of a Multipolar World by Shri Dilip Hiro.

 

The NCTC gets America's counterterrorism priorities right
   
By David Ignatius

 

WSJ Lebanon Deal Boosts Hezbollah

Rival Lebanese factions reached an agreement to resolve their 18-month political crisis. The breakthrough deal sets presidential elections for Sunday and gives Hezbollah and its allies veto power over all government decisions.

 

Wall Street Journal How to Think About the World's Problems
By Bjorn Lomborg
Global warming shouldn't be at the top of anyone's priority list.

 

Obama's Troubling Instincts
By Karl Rove The senator should be specific about what he intends to offer our enemies.

 

IEA to Slash Oil-Supply Estimate Energy watchdog IEA is preparing a sharp downward revision of its global oil-supply forecast, a shift that reflects deepening pessimism over whether oil companies can keep abreast of booming demand

 

NY Sun Submarines for Syria? – Editorial

 

Is Bin Laden Moving on from Iraq? - Paul Reynolds (BBC News)

 

Hizbollah and Lebanon: the curse of a state , Robert G Rabil

 

Kosovo to Kashmir: the self-determination dilemma, Sumantra Bose

 

China v Russia: communist mask v democratic hat, Christoph Neidhart

 

Daily Star Editorial Lebanon has given itself a chance to end a miserable, murderous cycle

 

Something radically new after Doha By Michael Young

 

Christian Science Monitor Qatari deal defuses Lebanese crisis The agreement gives Hezbollah and the opposition allies of the Shiite militants enough control in the government to have veto power over

 

Israel confirms Golan Heights talks with Syria The two countries, after an eight-year hiatus, are talking about an Israeli withdrawal in exchange for peace.

 

Guantánamo ex-detainee tells Congress of abuse Murat Kurnaz, who testified in a landmark hearing Tuesday, says he spent days chained to the ceiling of an airplane hanger. He was determined innocent in 2002, but held until 2006

 

Georgia sees itself as front line in fending off Russia The Columbia-educated president's party is expected to retain power in Wednesday's parliamentary elections. In an interview, he describes why he sees the country as the front line against Russian aggression.

 

Obama starts to attract Clinton voters Despite divisive primaries, he has a record lead over Clinton among Democratic voters, a new poll finds.

 

IHT  BUSH AND 'APPEASEMENT' It's also called diplomacy By CHARLES A. KUPCHAN AND RAY TAKEYH History makes amply clear that longstanding rivalries usually require engagement.

 

Top ETA leader is seized in France

The Spanish and French authorities said that they had arrested one of the highest-ranking members of ETA, Francisco Javier López Peña, and three others in Bordeau

 

H2   

Israel, Syria hold indirect peace talks through Turkish moderators

 

Ha'aretz Turkey: Goal is direct meeting next month
 

Jerusalem Post Is Turkey's government starting a Muslim Reformation... By DANIEL PIPES

 

Is Iran holding Bayýk as a bargaining chip against Turkey?

 

AP Türkiye raporu
Rapor, 'AKP kararý Venedik kriterlerine uygun olmalý' diyor

Avrupa'den herkese mesaj var
Avrupa Parlamentosu, hükümete 'Türban sorununu geniþ mutabakatla çözün'; AKP'yi kapatma davasýný görüþen Anayasa Mahkemesi'ne 'Venedik Komisyonu'nun ilkelerine uygun karar bekliyoruz' mesajý verdi

 

Neçirvan Barzani�nin Pentagon muammasý

 

 

EU seeks radical overhaul of judiciary

 

Regional Public Opinion Will Defeat Turkish Efforts on Golan - Iran Radio

 

Turkey loosens purse strings as politics intensify

 

Kürtçüler uluslararasý zemin arayýþýnda
HASAN CELAL GÜZEL

 

EDM TURKEY EYES DEEPER ROLE IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

 

Sami Kohen Türkiye’nin barýþtýrma rolü...

 

ERDAL ÞAFAK Türkiye sonunda baþardý

ÝBRAHÝM KARAGÜL

 

Hüsnü Mahalli
Erdoðan’ýn büyük baþarýsý

 

TAMER KORKMAZ Hudson'larýn “Zeyno”

 

Der Spiegel Turkish-German Professionals: Young, Qualified and Unwanted

 

Melih Aþýk F - 35 sýkýntýsý

 

Barack Obama and Turkish foreign policy by EMRE USLU & öNDER AYTAÇ*

 

With friends like these, AKP needs what? Ahu ÖZYURT

 

Guardian Avoiding the G-word

The EU has come up with a new term to describe the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman forces in 1915

 

Ýç Basýnda Türk Dýþ Politikasý  Dýþ Basýnda Türkiye - BBC Turkish 0700 VOA TSÝ 06:30 Turkish Press Review Google News Turkey TurcoPundit      

 

 

Google News Fýrat News Agency KurdishMedia Kurdish Kurdish Aspect Dýþ Basýnda Irak  BBC Monitoring Inter-national

 

Is Iran holding Bayýk as a bargaining chip against Turkey?

 

Cevdet Aþkýn Ankara-Erbil trafiði hýzlanýyor, PKK'ya askeri baský artýyor

 

M Ali Birand Biz çözemezsek, kucaðýmýzda bir arabulucu buluveririz

 

[Kürt siyasetinde yeni arayýþlar] AK Parti'ye karþý 'çatý partisi' tartýþmalarý (2)

 

Daha radikal bir bildiri geldi

 

Kurdish activists call for international mediation of Kurdish issue

 

Barzani: 'PKK'ya karþý önlemler sürecek'

 

Görüþmeler baþladý, Türkiye Ortadoðu barýþýna ev sahipliði yapýyor

 

Gates'ten Kürt Liderlere Övgü

 

Yeðen Barzani Türk gazetecilere konuþtu

 

Amerikan-Kürt dostluk grubu kuruldu

 

ABD Kongresi'nde Amerikan-Kürt dostluk grubu

 

Barzani: PKK'ya karþý önlemler sürecek

 

Ýran, Azerbaycan'ý sattý!

 

 Barzani devlet baþkaný gibi karþýlanmadý

 

Kürdler kendi içinde diyaloglarýný güçlendirmezlerse, ötekilerle barýþýk olma þansý yoktur

 

A Recent History of Kirkuk: The Victim City Kurdish Aspect –

 

Rice meets Iraqi Kurdish PM, discusses PKK

 

Erdoðan prepares for a visit to Iraq

 

Israeli, Syrian envoys holding peace talks in Ýstanbul

 

Ortadoðu’nun gözü Ýstanbul’da

Ýsrail-Suriye barýþ görüþmesi Türkiye’de

 

Köylülerden ’çýkýn’ davasý

 

'Türkiye-Irak ticareti 5 milyar dolar olmalý'

 

Kato Daðý'nda pusu: 2 þehit, 1 yaralý

 

'Eski militan Dilaram' ailesiyle teslim oldu

 

'Meteler' Bestler'e indirildi

 

Ardan Zentürk Ýslam coðrafyasý... ‘Büyük kaos...’

 

 

Google News Greece Cyprus Turkish Cypriot Press ABHaber Dýþ Basýnda Türkiye-AB Ýliþkileri Günlük Haftalýk

 

EP approves Turkey's 2007 country report

 

AP raporunda Ankara’ya 3 çaðrý

 

Avrupa Türkiye’den bu kez neler istedi

 

Bahadýr Kaleaðasý Hükümetin AB politikalarý neden fýrsata dönüþmesin?

 

Gül'den Avusturya'ya: Ýmzanýzý onurlandýrýn

 

AP, Türkiye Raporu'nu kabul etti

 

AB, yargý reformunda ýsrarcý: Sorunun kaynaðý 'tarafsýzlýk'

 

Semih Ýdiz Avusturyalýlara göre Türkler geri kalmýþ ve saldýrgan

 

Yalçýn Doðan Avrupa’da parti kapatma dersi

 

Rauf Denktaþ Hristofyas'a göre (2)

 

Yunan Genelkurmay Baþkanýnda bir yýlda çifte ziyaret

 

MHP criticizes Queen's reception on aircraft carrier

 

EU urges Club Med focus on trade links, environment

 

Venedik kriterleri dikkate alýnsýn

 

EU says closure case not a matter of judiciary independence

 

Turkey set to push ahead with EU membership talks - officials

 

 Greek Cypriots concerned Turkey opposes Cyprus reunification and ...

 

Turkey, Austria in a bid to give new impetus to Nabucco

 

The bridge, the tuxedo and the best of all evils Burak BEKDÝL

 

Baykal’a da ‘kapatmayý’ sordu

·  Rumlar: Ayný dili konuþmuyoruz

 

Venedik Komisyonu

Komisyon, Avrupa Konseyi'nin anayasal konulardaki danýþma organý

 

 

Kongre'ye iþkenceyi anlattý

 

Al Hayat Westminster Notes (Movement Over Cyprus) Sir Cyril Townsend - Like the Arab/Israel issue Cyprus is now one of the world's longest-running international disputes. South Africa is entering an awkward phase, but cruel and shocking apartheid holds it by the throat no more.

 

 

 

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

 

LA Times A man of cultures: Director Fatih Akin and 'The Edge of Heaven'

 

East Meets West Newsweek
Director Fatih Akin brings his unusual German-Turkish perspective to his emotionally stunning new film, "The Edge of Heaven."

 

Ýbrahim Kalýn A bleak picture of Turkish youth

 

Þemdinli sanýðýnýn adý cinayete karýþtý

 

Ýdam kalkmasa belki de asýlýrdý!

 

Tuzla katliamý NURAY MERT

 

Metin Münir Ýhale Yasasý neden elli defa deðiþtirildi? (1)

 

Serpil Yýlmaz Tuzla’yý Çin yapmak Ýstediler!

Tuzla’da ilk kapatma

 

Ýþte Asya ile Avrupa'yý baðlayacak demir ipek yolu projesi

 

Tuzla'daki ölüm tersanesi kapatýldý

 

Meral Tamer Vatandaþlýk haklarý üzerine 2 Ayþe’den 2 kitap

 

Devlet, polisine hukuku öðretmeli

 

Emniyet’te ‘gizli’ 1 Mayýs toplantýsý

 

Eylemden Meclis’e

 

 

Poll shows Turkish public strongly backs smoking ban in enclosed venues

 

TÜBÝTAK Yasasý komisyondan geçti

 

Atatürk yalanlarý...

 

Ýnternet neden pahalý

 

5 milyon Yeþil Kart iptal edildi

 

Türbanlý konuk çýkardý TRT’de terfi ettirildi

 

Hasta sayýsý 8 bin oldu yetkililer hálá

 

Kurucu rektöre yeni formül

 

Ameliyat yok gözlük takacak

 

Uzman çavuþun orduevi isyaný

 

Turkey’s sale pitch to become railway freight hub

 

VIK (Very important Kene/Çok önemli kene)

 

Ýstanbul 2010 Avrupa Kültür Baþkenti Projesi, Türkiye'nin çehresini deðiþtirecek

 

22 Mayýs 2008 Basýn Özeti

H3

Muhtýra gibi bildiri

Hükümetten sert yanýt

 

Kritik davalarýn görüldüðü süreçte Yargýtay'dan sert çýkýþ

 

Türkiye yargý sýnavýndan geçiyor

 

AK Parti'den karþý bildiri: Meþruiyeti yok kabul edilemez

 

Cumhuriyet zedeleniyor saldýrýlar sistemli

 

GEMÝLERÝ YAKTILAR

 

Yüksek mahkemeye CHP aðzý ile müdahale

 

Yargýtay, yargýya 'muhtýra' verdi!..

 

Ankara'da ortalýk toz duman

 

Ýddianame kutsandý yargý taraf oldu

 

Çiçek: Yargýtay kapatma davasýna taraf olmuþtur

 

AB’ye taslaðý Þahin vermiþti

 

Ankara'yý karýþtýran bildiri

 

"Ayaküstü cevap vermeyiz"

 

MHP: Niyetleri güdümlü yargý

 

Baykal: Yargýnýn muhtýrasý

 

Mahkemeden randevu isteyen AKP’liler var

 

Bildiri için kim ne dedi?

 

Kuracaðým parti hepimizin olacak

 

Parti kapatmayý zorlaþtýrýn Ergenekon'un üzerine gidin

 

Savcýlýktan Emniyet�e �Paksüt� sorusu

 

O fotoðraf balon mu?

 

Özyeðin'den, Vatan'a yalanlama: Ön baþvuruda bile bulunmadýk

 

Türkiye'deki savcý gibi baðýmsýzý yok

 

Günün gazete manþetleri için týklayýn

 

Son Dakika Milliyet Hürriyet Zaman

 

Cengiz Çandar Y-muhtýra, dam üstünde saksaðan ve AP'nin Türkiye Raporu

 

Ahmet Taþgetiren Yargýtay cephede

 

Ruþen - Çakýr

 

Taha Akyol  Yargý ve siyaset

 

Fikret Bila

 

Hasan Cemal Kürt sorununda barýþçý çaðrýnýn yanlýþlarý üzerine bir yazý...

 

YAVUZ DONAT Yargýtay bildirisinin perde arkasý

Murat Yetkin Ýþler zývanadan çýkýyor

 

Ýsmet Berkan Bu kez darbeyi Meclis yapsýn

 

Fehmi Koru Yargýyý gözümüz gibi koruyalým   According to knowledgeable sources

 

Taha Kývanç

 

Þamil Tayyar

 

Ali Bayramoðlu "Ortalama laik Türk" mü yoksa "Ortalama demokrat Türk" mü?

 

Hasan Ünal Yargýtay bildirisi

 

Yasemin Çongar

 

Ertuðrul Özkök

 

Mumcu’dan Gül’e TARHAN ERDEM

 

Kerim Balcý AK Party: To be punished but not closed

 

SOLÝ ÖZEL  Sýnýf, kimlik ve Tuzla

Þükrü Küçükþahin Toptan’ýn demek istedikleri

 

Eyüp Can Karanlýklar prensi deðilim!

 

Serdar Turgut Baðýmlý basýn yaratmak

ÞAHÝN ALPAY - Demokrasi kimin umurunda?

 

MÜMTAZ'ER TÜRKÖNE - Yargýtay Baþkanlar Kurulu bildiri yayýnlayabilir mi?

 

HÜSEYÝN GÜLERCE - Zýtlaþma ile çözüm olmaz...

 

Laiklik olmadan demokrasi olmaz

 

YASÝN DOÐAN

 

Özyeðin'den yalanlama

 

Ahmet HakanÝslamcý liderin düðünü nasýl olmalý tartýþmasý

 

M Ali Birand Biz çözemezsek, kucaðýmýzda bir arabulucu buluveririz

 

Cüneyt Ülsever ABD, Ýran’a saldýrýrsa Türkiye ne yapacak?

 

Sabahattin Önkibar AKP kapatýlmazsa bunlar olacak...

 

Yargý baðýmsýzlýðý deðil yargý tarafsýzlýðýyla ilgili

 

Ýsmail Küçükkaya
Kayýp gerçekliðin peþinde...

 

Güler Kömürcü Elde körük...

 

Enis Berberoðlu

 

Oktay Ekþi Y-Muhtýra

 

Özdemir Ýnce

 

Ak Parti'nin ne olduðu deðil ne olmadýðý önemli

 

Yalçýn Bayer Türk halký nasýl hipnotize edildi

 

Mehmet Y YýlmazAhlaksýzlýk bir sistem olunca

 

MUHARREM SARIKAYA

 

ERDAL ÞAFAK Türkiye sonunda baþardý

ENGÝN ARDIÇ Kýbrýs'ý "vermek"

 

ERGUN BABAHAN Anayasa herkesi baðlar, yargýyý da

 

EMRE AKÖZ Yargýtay 'taraflý ve siyasi' olduðunu dün ifþa etti!

Umur Talu Piyasa imiþ!

 

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN

 

NAZLI ILICAK Yargýtay gene konuþtu

 

MEHMET BARLASDemokratik siyasette maksat sadece iþlem hacmini artýrmak mý?

 

MAHMUT ÖVÜR Antalya'da kimler belediye baþkan adayý?

Ömer Lütfi Mete Namussuzluðun doðan ve þahinleri

 

Basýnda iþler kötüye gidiyor
HAKKI DEVRÝM

 

Bakan Þahin: Bildiri siyasi

 

 

 

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM

Tuzla burada AB kriterleri nerede?

 

Ercan KumcuToplu fakirleþme

 

Erdal Saðlam

 

MELÝKÞAH UTKU  Ekonomide gidiþat yukarý yönlü deðil

 

ÝBRAHÝM KAHVECÝ

 

Hurþit Güneþ Fiyat artýnca talep düþer mi?

 

Þimþek: MB günah keçisi deðil, desteðimiz tam

 

Seyfettin Gürsel IMF'ye katýlmýyorum

 

Salih Neftçi Enflasyon þaþýrtmaya devam ediyor...

 

Turkey c.bank has govt's full support-econ minister

 

Econ Minister says gov't has full support to Turkey's CB

 

Deniz Gökçe “Banana” yok!

 

Ýç borçlanma nasýl yürütülüyor?
MAHFÝ EÐÝLMEZ

 

‘Düþük kur-yüksek faiz’ çarpýklýðý...
KORKMAZ ÝLKORUR

 

Derya Sazak Türbülans çaðý

 

Güngör Uras Herkesin cebinde 50 YTL (YKr taþýyan yok)

 

Bakan Þimþek defineyi buldu!
Devlet Bakaný Mehmet Þimþek kýdem tazminatlarýný da Hazine'ye katmak istiyor. Þimþek'e göre dünyanýn en yüksek kýdem tazminatý Türkiye'de uygulanýyor

 

 

Kennedy Talked, Khrushchev Triumphed By NATHAN THRALL and JESSE JAMES WILKINS If Barack Obama wants to follow in John F. Kennedy’s footsteps, he should heed the lesson that Kennedy learned: sometimes there is good reason to fear to negotiate.

 

Berlusconi Moves to Tighten Immigration and Ease Trash Crisis

 

World Briefing | Asia: Small Steps in Talks on Kashmir

 

U.S. Troops Kill 11 Shiite Militants

 

Pakistan and Taliban Agree to Army’s Gradual Pullback

 

At West Bank Conference, Dreams of Investment

 

Many Florida Jews Express Doubts on Obama  Jewish voters are vital to Barack Obama’s hopes, but among many older Jews, he has become a conduit for anxiety about Israel, Iran, anti-Semitism and race.

Editorial What the F.B.I. Agents Saw In light of a report by the Justice Department, the Democrats in charge of Congress should press for full disclosure of President Bush’s inhuman policy on prisoners
A Slap at the Dalai Lama It was destructive for Germany’s foreign minister to break ranks with the leader of his government on human rights by refusing to meet with the Dalai Lama.
Note to Conservatives: Think Small By CHRIS SUELLENTROPShould conservatives give up their search for the "next big thing"?

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Earthquake and Hope  The Sichuan earthquake may be remembered as a milestone in the peaceful evolution of China toward capitalism and democracy

 

McCain Looks to Fill Ticket, and 3 Hopefuls Step Up  Charlie Crist and Bobby Jindal, both governors, and Mitt Romney, a onetime rival for the nomination, are all set to meet with John McCain this weekend.

 

Quake Pushes Tibet to the Sidelines  Tibetan opponents of Beijing are struggling to compete with China’s growing diplomatic and economic clout

 

American, Cutting Back, Plans $15 Bag Fee The nation’s largest carrier said it would eliminate free checked baggage and take up to 85 aircraft out of its fleet.

 

 

H5 Washington Post Israel, Syria Disclose Indirect Peace Talks Turkish Officials Mediating; Golan at Issue

 

ANALYSIS U.S. on the Outside in Peace Efforts By Robin Wright

 

Lebanon Accord Offers a Respite

Essential Issues Still Unresolved

 

Iraqi Troops Welcomed In Sadr City

U.S. Absence Seems To Make Difference

 

The Old Titans All Collapsed. Is the U.S. Next?End of Empire? This could be the beginning of the end for the world's last superpower

 

Middle Class Jitters  By Robert J. Samuelson,  Middle-class Americans are in a funk.

 

Two Georgian Groups Claim Election Victory

 

The 'Not Clinton' Excuse By Marie Cocco,   Which woman, exactly, would be an acceptable presidential candidate?

 

March of the Polar Bears By George F. Will, Onward, green soldiers, into preventive war on behalf of some bears who are simultaneously flourishing and 'threatened.'

 

Pumping for Answers By Dana Milbank, As oil hit a new record of $134 a barrel yesterday, lawmakers summoned energy executives to Capitol Hill for the latest in a series of ritual immolations. But this one felt more like "The Price Is Right."

 

White House Ignored Torture Warnings
By Dan Froomkin

Interrogation Tactics Were Challenged at White House

 

Fallout From a Bailout How the Bear Stearns Intervention Will Haunt the Fed By Vincent Reinhart, The Bear Stearns intervention is already coming back to haunt the Fed.

 

In Wake of Defeats, House GOP Moves to Right the Campaign Ship

 

House Overrides Veto of Farm Bill

Glitch May Force Repeat of the Process

 

 

H6 Guardian Obama backs off Iran talks pledge Campaign notes proper preparations must before committing to diplomatic meeting with Iran president

 

Persian pipelines  Roger Howard: A century after the west struck oil in the Middle East, today's great secure energy hope is Iran

 

Peace delayed  Leader: There are many reasons why the peace talks between Israel and Syria could fail

 

Israel and Syria in formal peace talks  Israel wants Syria to cut ties to Islamist groups while Syria wants return of sovereignty over Golan Heights

 

Timeline: Israel, Syria and the Golan Heights

 

Olmert's Damascene conversion

James Denselow: Does this Israeli government still possess the political capital necessary to achieve a genuine peace agreement with Syria?

 

Victory out of defeat  Jonathan Steele: By allowing the Iraqi army to take over his stronghold, Sadr City, Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has actually strengthened his hand

 

Hizbullah deal ends Lebanon deadlock  Western-backed government agrees to a national unity coalition with Hizbullah-led opposition

 

It's the war, stupid  Matthew Yglesias: US elections 2008: Hillary Clinton's presidential hopes were crippled by her 2002 vote backing an assault on Iraq

 

Talking the talk Michael Boyle: Using diplomatic channels to speak to enemies isn't appeasement or weakness. It's the hard reality of how the world works

 

History does not always favour a hero  Michael White: Does Gordon Brown's decision to meet the Dalai Lama tomorrow fit into the sensible or the supine category?

 

We have a responsibility to protect the people of Burma. But how?

Timothy Garton Ash: If a military-backed aid bridge had a fair chance of success, I'd support it. It doesn't, so we have to use all other means

 

Lower-class students 'have lower IQs'  Selection at top universities is not a sign of prejudice but rather simple meritocracy, claims academic

 

Berlusconi introduces new rules to clamp down on Gypsies  Cabinet endorses a package of tough measures aimed at Gypsies and clandestine immigrants

 

McCain calls possible running mates to talks

 

Subsidy versus subsistence Tim Watkin: At a time of international food shortages, government pay-outs to farmers in the west hurts the developing world's poor and hungry

 

Somali opposition vows Islamist state Islamist party head plots to expel US-backed Ethiopian troops and says government is led by 'traitors'

 

Myopia on Myanmar  Martin Jacques: Governments and the media need to wake up to the fact that east Asia can increasingly look after itself and doesn't need or want western help

 

Gone to Iceland  Open Thread: As record numbers of Britons leave the country, Iceland has been named the best place to live by the UN. But where would you go?

 

Kennedy the survivor Michael Tomasky The Senator from Massachusetts is the last liberal of an earlier, muscular Congress that changed America for the better

 

H7  

NY Sun Submarines for Syria? – Editorial

 

Is Bin Laden Moving on from Iraq? - Paul Reynolds (BBC News)

 

Daily Star Editorial Lebanon has given itself a chance to end a miserable, murderous cycle

 

Something radically new after Doha
By Michael Young

 

Palestinian leaders face a host of legitimacy problems
   
By Ghassan Khatib

 

Oil rockets to new high above $135 a barrel on supply concerns

 

Matt Yglesias argues that Democrats need to embrace liberal internationalism wholeheartedly; a panel of foreign-policy experts responds (and an interview).

 

The Reluctant Realism of George H. W. Bush

 

Muck and menace in Maliki's Iraq On his second anniversary in office, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has little to brag about. Baghdad is besieged with sewage, massive unemployment and danger, and the Arab world is outraged at Maliki for his leniency on the US soldier who recently took target practice at the Holy Koran. Maliki can bring neither security nor reconciliation, as long as he snubs Sunnis and continues to harbor and protect selected militias. - Sami Moubayed

 

Appease Iran? (By James Lyons)

 

How far left has Latin America moved? Immanuel Wallerstein investigates.

 

A review of Patrick Cockburn's Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq (and more).

 

Boston Globe Why US must pull out of Iraq AS THE DEBATE over supplemental funding for the war in Iraq plays out in Congress, a growing consensus on the need to adopt a policy of "strategic patience" has become accepted wisdom in the national debate. Proponents of this policy argue that solidifying recent security and political gains in Iraq is contingent upon the US military remaining in the country ... (By Sean E. Duggan, Boston Globe)

 

Friends close, enemies closer JUST AS IT would be hard to imagine music without notes or poetry without words, diplomacy is impossible without broad diplomatic contacts - including ones with potentially objectionable parties. Yet certain powerful governments have been trying to change the rules of diplomacy. The Bush administration has now criticized France, an ally, for contacts that were entirely reasonable, and Germany is ... (Boston Globe)

 

Hezbollah: Finishing Off what Hamas Began : Huda al Husseini

 

Analysis: Osama bin Laden attacks Hizballah’s Nasrallah and Shiite Iran

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

 

Analysis: Can the Iraqi army control Sadr City's militias?

 

SANA Syria: Indirect Peace Talks Under Turkish Patronage

 

Syria and Israel Start Peace Talks
 (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

 

U.S. diplomats sit out 2 key talks in Mideast (By Nicholas Kralev and Joshua Mitnick)

 

Former Iranian Envoy to Syria Discusses Tehran-Hezbollah, Hamas Ties - Part 2

 

US spins up Lebanon deal, cool on Israel, Syria

 

Iraq Briefing

 

Israel-Syria Peace Deal Could Threaten Iran, Hezbollah

 

Hizbullah Gains Veto Power in Cabinet as Lebanon Rivals Reach Deal to End Political Conflict

 

Petraeus: Troops in Iraq Help Blunt Iran Threat - Associated Press


US: Mosul Attacks Down 85 Percent - Associated Press

Sadr City Calm After Iraqi Troop Move - Associated Press

Iraq Operation Offers Alternative to Former Enemy Fighters - AFPS

Bush Calls Iraqi PM over Quran Shooting - Associated Press

 

Sadr City gets a break; fighting goes next door (By Lee Keath)

 

Upcoming Iraqi Elections Must Consolidate Security Gains of ‘Sons of Iraq’ By: David Ucko | World Politics Review
As Iraq approaches provincial elections in October, it is high time to abandon easy slogans and to examine the fresh challenges and opportunities presented by recent events in Iraq. Among such events, the emergence of the Sons of Iraq stands out as particularly important

 

Lebanese Factions Reach Agreement - Shadid and Ibrahim, Washington Post


Lebanese Deal Ends Civil War Threat - Nicholas Blanford, London Times


Lebanon Rivals Agree Crisis Deal - BBC News

Deal in Lebanon a Win for Hezbollah - Associated Press

Hezbollah Gets its Way in Lebanon - London Daily Telegraph editorial

Hezbollah Wins in Lebanon - Andrew Cochran, Counterterrorism

 

De-mining of Persian Gulf under way
 (UPI) -- The British Royal Navy is leading an operation to locate and remove the threat of water mines in the Persian Gulf.


Hezbollah Comm Network Confirms Terror Goals - Walid Phares, Counterterrorism

Israel, Syria Confirm Peace Talks - Sockol and Knickmeyer, Washington Post

Israel and Syria Open Peace Talks - James Hider, London Times

Israel, Syria Confirm Holding Peace Talks Mediated by Turkey - Jim Teeple, VOA

Israel Engages in Indirect Peace Talks with Syria - Associated Press

Olmert Warns of Syria Concessions - BBC News

4 Palestinians Reported Killed in Gaza Airstrikes - Associated Press

 

US Looking for Progress in Iran Nuclear ReportAFP


Diplomats Say UN Probe of Iran Nukes a Failure - Associated Press

H9 Ha’aretz  Editorial Turn over every stoneThe official announcement published yesterday in three capitals - Jerusalem, Damascus and Ankara - about the opening of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel, under the aegis of Turkey, is a source of great hope but also suspicion.

 

Rosner Will he or won't he attack? It's doubtful Bush knows A fateful strategic issue - certainly for the State of Israel - became a plaything this week for the American election circus. The Iranian threat is now the Iranian debate: to threaten or talk, to attack or wait

 

Harel Too many question marks

 

Benn Trio under inquiry What do the three leaders involved in the renewed talks between Israel and Syria have in common? All are under the shadow of investigations that may end their political careers.

 

Melman Is an attack on Iran a big risk?

 

Eldar Once again, Syria first When the government of Israel went to, or, to be more precise was dragged into, the Madrid Conference at the end of 1991, it agreed on a formal basis to conduct negotiations in parallel with all of its neighbors - the Palestinians, Jordanians, Syrians and Lebanese

 

Where it could all fall apart

 

Iran declines to comment

 

America shows reserve

 

Israel, Syria to begin indirect peace talks

 

8 short comments on the Israel-Syria peace talks Rosner's Domain / Is Syria-Israel peace on the horizon? I think not

 

Ankara hopes for a direct Israel-Syria meeting next month

 

PM: Talks with Syria are 'historic breakthrough'  Olmert added that contacts with Syria 'have been ongoing for a long time and they've now matured

 

PM got Erdogan's help, softened up Bush, and sent in Turbowicz  In February 2007, Olmert asked Turkish PM to mediate between Jerusalem and Damascus

 

Poll: More Israelis object to Golan accord than to J'lem deal  Two-thirds of Israelis oppose Golan-for-peace deal, according to poll conducted by Begin Heritage Foundation

 

ANALYSIS: What will come first, peace treaty or indictment? No matter what Olmert does in the months left in office, everything will be considered a spin

 

Rice: Israeli-Palestinian track more likely to produce results  Bush administration cool to announcement of indirect peace talks between Israel, Syria

 

Truck bomb explodes at Gaza crossing; none injured

 

Al Gore: Israel should lead the way in renewable energy

 

Goldberg vs. Boot. I'm going to stay neutral!

 

Rosner's Guests: Israel not likely to invade Gaza soon

 

Sources: Proof lacking to indict PM for bribery

 

Jerusalem PostAnalysis: An attempt to break the Iranian-Syrian alliance What Syria is really after is not the Golan, but a renewal of ties with the US.

 

Peace for the Golan? We urge Assad to come to the Knesset and show us he has now chosen the path of peace.

 

Israel Faults Restrictions on UNIFIL -

 

Police believe Olmert took bribesSenior law enforcement official: Police believe PM made personal use of illicit funds; police to fly to US

 

Civil Fights: Bin Laden's strategy for dividing the West

 

Yedioth Ahronoth Turkey discusses peace, IDF prepares for war

 

Golan safe for now/ Shai Bazak Syria, Israel may be interested in dialogue, but not in peace or withdrawal

 

'Olmert unfit for office'

Golan leaders launch statement denouncing PM following his defense of Syrian peace talks

 

We love you, George

 Embarrassing flattery showered on Bush shows nature of Israel’s elite, writes Aviad Kleinberg

 

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

 

Debka Exclusive: Olmert, Assad stage peace stunt to stave of political woes

 

Israel Says Holding Indirect Peace Talks with Syria -

 

Palestinians Have Avoided Opportunities for Statehood - Yossi Alpher

 

The Development of Hamas Rocket Capabilities (Strategy Page)

 

The Lessons of Annapolis - Jeff Emanuel

 

Anti-Jewish Bias Seen in Michigan Spy Case - Eli Lake (New York Sun)

 

From Dissent, Israel at Sixty: An interview with Mitchell Cohen

 

Arab Israeli Media and Internet Use Survey

H10 Christian Science Monitor Qatari deal defuses Lebanese crisis The agreement gives Hezbollah and the opposition allies of the Shiite militants enough control in the government to have veto power over

 

Israel confirms Golan Heights talks with Syria The two countries, after an eight-year hiatus, are talking about an Israeli withdrawal in exchange for peace.

 

Guantánamo ex-detainee tells Congress of abuse Murat Kurnaz, who testified in a landmark hearing Tuesday, says he spent days chained to the ceiling of an airplane hanger. He was determined innocent in 2002, but held until 2006

 

Georgia sees itself as front line in fending off Russia The Columbia-educated president's party is expected to retain power in Wednesday's parliamentary elections. In an interview, he describes why he sees the country as the front line against Russian aggression.

 

Obama starts to attract Clinton voters Despite divisive primaries, he has a record lead over Clinton among Democratic voters, a new poll finds.

 

NATO extends Afghanistan tours

Britain and the Netherlands agree to longer tours, delaying a bigger US role in the mission

 

Rising price of rice keeps U.N. scrambling to feed world's hungry

From Kenya to Cambodia, the World Food Program's offices are struggling to meet their budgets in the face of price increases, sometimes having to suspend vital programs.

 

Do graduates understand citizenship? Education isn't just a ticket to a better job. It's a vital safeguard of democracy

 

 

ASIA

 

Washington Times India's missile power lifts offThe spread of long-range ballistic missiles took a step forward on May 7 with India's successful flight test of its Agni-III missile that can carry a nuclear warhead as far as Beijing.

 

Asia Times Ducking and diving under B-52s Bajaur Agency in Pakistan and the adjoining two Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nooristan have emerged as a focal point of the "war on terror". Not only are Osama bin Laden and his confidants thought to travel the area, the corridor is vital for the Taliban's insurgency. Syed Saleem Shahzad treks deep into Taliban territory, falling under the radar of US B-52s, drones, helicopters and special forces. And he just misses a Taliban firefight.

 

Deal reached with militants Pakistan's new government yesterday agreed to pull its forces out of a restive region near the Afghan border and allow elements of Islamic Shariah law to be imposed there in return for a promise by local Islamic militants to end a wave of terror and arrest foreign terrorists operating in the area.

 

Foreign Policy Why Pakistan Plays ‘Let’s Make a Deal’

 

SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS The forgotten issues
Demands by the US and others for rules to limit the policies and operations of sovereign wealth funds highlight the vast amount of money at the funds' disposal. Overlooked are questions such as to whom does this wealth belong and how can it benefit the citizenry of the oil and gas-rich countries holding, or misspending, the cash? - Hossein Askari and Noureddine Krichene
This is the first article in a two-part report.

 

China bows in grief, to public demand
China's national mourning - the first of its kind since the passing of Mao Zedong in 1976 - has many Chinese applauding the leadership's rare willingness to grant a request from the public. And if China felt divided and isolated after Mao, it now seems united in grieving for earthquake victims. Inadvertently or not the government has skillfully exploited the disaster to shore up public support and burnish its reputation.

FT Tokyo shows mettle in race for ore The hunt for rare metals is urgent for one reason: China. Japan has watched aghast as China crisscrossed the continent, cutting deals, writes David Pilling

WSJ Kashmir Crossroads
Three years of relative peace are slipping away. Review & Outlook

 

Permanent SDF Deployment Law Endangers Japanese Democracy By: Craig Martin | The Japan Times The Japanese government wants permanent legal authority to send military forces overseas. Letting it have it would be a mistake for many reasons, but one seldom raised is the impact the move would have on the nature of Japan's democracy.

 

China's Katrina Shows Post-Communism No Big Easy - Council on Foreign Relations

 

Is a Pakistan Truce Good for the United States? - Council on Foreign Relations

 

Der Spiegel Interview with a Taliban Commander: 'What's Important Is to Kill the Germans'

 

China's grief turns to anger over poorly built schools

 

India and Pakistan resumed talks (al-Jazeera) on the disputed Kashmir region dividing the countries.

 

Why Does China Need US Satellite Support? - Westhawk, Westhawk

 

NATO Extends Afghanistan Tour - Gordon Lubold, Christian Science Monitor


NATO Allies to Extend Command Lengths in Afghanistan - AFPS

NATO to Keep Rotating Command in Afghan South - Reuters

NATO Afghan Chief Wants Talks on Command in South - Reuters

Reaping War's Harvest - Mark Dodd, The Australian

Pakistan Strikes Deal with Militants in Swat Province - Barry Newhouse, VOA

Pakistan in Deal with Militants - BBC News

US Warns Pakistan Against Deal with MilitantsReuters

 

Trade: A report from an Indian economic think tank looks at efforts to expand intra-regional trade in South Asia, particularly in clothing and textiles.

Pakistan: Pakistan's law minister finalized a list of constitutional amendments (Dawn) that will now be sent to a parliamentary vote.

 

H11 IHT  BUSH AND 'APPEASEMENT' It's also called diplomacy By CHARLES A. KUPCHAN AND RAY TAKEYH History makes amply clear that longstanding rivalries usually require engagement.

 

Top ETA leader is seized in France

The Spanish and French authorities said that they had arrested one of the highest-ranking members of ETA, Francisco Javier López Peña, and three others in Bordeau

 

EU and Russia agree to new series of wide-ranging talks

Coming at the start of the presidency of Dmitri Medvedev, the negotiations will be a test of whether ties between Europe and Russia can improve after years of combative rhetoric from Vladimir Puti

 

Berlusconi unveils anti-crime measures for Italy

In a direct style of leadership uncommon in Italian politics, the new prime minister unveiled a package Wednesday that includes new restrictions on immigrants.

 

Diplomacy is tried to reduce tensions over AbkhaziaThe long military standoff in Abkhazia, where a separatist dispute has risked escalating this year to a renewed war, has entered a phase of quiet diplomacy aimed at easing tensions and urging negotiations, according to officials on both sides of the conflict.

 

Czechs back U.S. antimissile system

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected in Prague to sign a treaty within the next two months.

 

 

 

EUROPE European press review

 

H12 RFE/RLA Potentially Lucrative Thaw In Relations Following talks in Baku, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan could be closer to agreeing on how to divide up the Caspian energy resources located between them -- and on a pipeline to send them west.

 

Google News Azerbaijan

 

Azerbaijan: Officials Plan for "Problem-Free" Presidential Election
BY ROVSHAN ISMAYILOV
In looking ahead to a presidential election in Azerbaijan later this year, officials are emphasizing a sense of calm and continuity, and opposition leaders are divided among themselves. As a result, campaign season has been almost eerily quiet so far.

 

A Free and Fair Vote? Georgia�s Political Parties See Things Differently
BY MOLLY CORSO
Georgian officials are insisting that the May 21 parliamentary voting in Georgia occurred under "normal conditions." But nothing seems to satisfy the country�s querulous opposition leaders, who, even before the polls had closed, began lodging complaints about vote-rigging.

 

Ruling party leads in exit polls An exit poll showed President Mikhail Saakashvili's ruling party winning a strong majority in Georgia's parliamentary election yesterday, a result his opponents immediately challenged.

 

Georgia Opposition: 'Poll Rigged' - BBC News

 

EDM MOSCOW ENCOURAGES NORTH-SOUTH OSSETIAN IRREDENTISM AGAINST GEORGIA


- ARE MEDVEDEV’S LATEST PROMISES TO FIGHT CORRUPTION SIMPLY “RITUAL INCANTATIONS”?

- U.S. COMPANY BANISHED FROM UKRAINIAN OIL AND GAS FIELD

 

Medvedev Orders Cleanup of Courts By: Natalya Krainova | The Moscow Times President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that the establishment of an independent judiciary was the central plank of planned reforms to the judicial system in a Kremlin meeting with senior judges and legal officials.

 

Ukraine: In an op-ed, three members of the European Parliament write that in attacking Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, President Viktor Yushchenko has become the kind of leader he campaigned against in 2005.

 

Leaders of Russia, China Will Discuss Nuclear Problems of Iran, N. Korea - Kremlin Aide

H13 The Times  Lebanese deal ends civil war threat  Lebanon’s feuding leaders strike deal to pave the way for the election of a new president and a national unity government

On-the-spot: Lebanon's 'one-sided civil war'

 

Israel and Syria open peace talks

The two countries have been using Turkish mediators to discuss reopening peace negotiations which stalled in 2000

 

Hillary Clinton is hoping for an act of God Friends and fundraisers have talked to the former First Lady about dropping out but they have been given short shrift

 

They're wrong about oil, by George Rip up your textbooks, the doubling of oil prices has little to do with China's appetite

Anatole Kaletsky

 

Take a nudge in the right direction

A new way to decide: we should be free to make choices but coaxed away from the worst ones

Camilla Cavendish

 

Les Misérables Today's strikes in France must not deflect Sarkozy's reform plans

 

France braces for travel paralysis

Transport strike to bring widespread travel chaos and port blockades as President Sarkozy faces backlash on fuel and retirement

 

Obama Clinton nomination battle goes on He knows he's won. She knows she's lost. But the former First Lady adamantly refuses to wave the white flag of surrender

 

Political brilliance from devout non-politician The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, delivered a performance in Westminster with unsurpassable charm and tactical judgment Bronwen Maddox

 

Burma loses aid battle as cash flows to China British Red Cross is frustrated that there is little TV footage to illustrate the plight of victims of Cyclone Nargis

 

Wall Street Journal How to Think About the World's Problems
By Bjorn Lomborg
Global warming shouldn't be at the top of anyone's priority list.

 

Obama's Troubling Instincts
By Karl Rove The senator should be specific about what he intends to offer our enemies.

 

 

IEA to Slash Oil-Supply Estimate Energy watchdog IEA is preparing a sharp downward revision of its global oil-supply forecast, a shift that reflects deepening pessimism over whether oil companies can keep abreast of booming demand

 

Hillary's Concession Speech By Daniel Henninger Wonder Land: Is it in her to be this gracious?

 

Does the Libertarian Party Matter?
By Bruce Bartlett
There are better ways to promote free-market ideas.

 

Iran's Abused

The mullahs repress the Bahai.
Review & Outlook

 

 

Evaluating the Potential for a Recession in 2008 Source: Congressional Research Service (via OpenCRS)

H14 Financial Times Europe is a geopolitical dwarf Most European geopolitical gurus believe that the EU can survive well as a free-rider on US power, counting on it to keep the world safe while Europe tends to its internal gardens. The paucity of European strategic thinking is stunning, writes Kishore Mahbubani

 

Obama inches closer to victory

But the Democratic party is weakened and divided. If the party is to succeed in November, the wavering super-delegates had better make up their minds

Is Obama FDR or McGovern? Gideon Rachman’s blog: There is a plausible case for an Obama landslide - and for an Obama blow-out

Israel and Syria start to talk peace againThe countries have opened indirect negotiations for the first time in eight years, in a bid to reach a ‘comprehensive peace’ and end six decades of conflict.

 

WORLD NEWS: Food prices forecast to stay high for 10 years

 

FT series: Sarkozy reforms (part 2) Public sentiment seems to be with the French president as the latest protest over plans to scrap 11,200 teaching posts lacked the usual full-blown student support

 

Violence mars Georgia poll Violence marred a snap parliamentary election in Georgia as soldiers from the Russian-protected separatist region of Abkhazia fired at residents who tried to cross the border into Georgian-controlled territory to vote.

 

Lebanese leaders strike power sharing deal Lebanon is set for the election of its army chief as president this weekend after political factions struck a power sharing agreement to end an 18-month stand-off

 

Medvedev trip east sends signal to west The Russian president will fly to Kazakhstan before heading off to China for his maiden foreign trip, a gesture that shows Moscow now has a choice of economic partners

 

ExxonMobil needs an independent chair How to address today’s energy challenges

 

The New Paradigm for Financial MarketsGeorge Soros calls himself a failed philosopher but his ideas on bubbles, booms and busts pose a challenge to mainstream thinking

 

Clinton to fight on over disputed delegates Hillary Clinton promised to take her dispute over the unseated delegates from Florida and Michigan to the Democratic convention in August if necessary in her most overt threat so far to stay in the race

 

Fed signals rate cuts are unlikely Federal Reserve officials ­slashed their forecasts for growth this year and raised projections for inflation as minutes revealed growing tension between the two objectives

 

Senators threaten to stall arms pact Key senators called on the US administration to provide more information about treaties that would ease the flow of defence technology to Britain and Australia

 

Analysis: Farmers cling to their subsidies Agricultural producers no longer need protection from low prices, but it looks like a golden opportunity to reform distorting policies will be missed

 

American cuts flights as fuel costs soar

American Airlines said it also would eliminate thousands of jobs and charge most passengers $15 to check a single piece of luggage, as surging oil prices exacerbated the crisis in the US airline industry

Eta leader captured amid rise in attacks Francisco Javier López Peña, alias Thierry, was detained in Bordeaux, south-west France, with three other alleged members. Two more people were later arrested, including a former Spanish mayor

 

An unsustainable biofuels policy Brussels Blog: The European Commission is shifting emphasis from a 10 percent biofuels target to producing biofuels without environmental harm

 

Paying for staying When earnings are under pressure, it becomes more likely investors will voice discontent over pay. Shell’s revolt is the latest: it will not be the last

 

Germany shrugs off growth worries A business climate index published by the Ifo institute partly reversed a sharp fall in April to 102.4, rising to 103.5 in May. Companies were more upbeat about current trading

 

Opening up Japan Takeovers and shareholder rights are a test of Japan’s appetite for reform. The investment world will be watching the result of proposed reforms

 

H15 Los Angeles Times The case against aid at gunpoint We have a responsibility to help the Burmese, but military action isn't the way By Timothy Garton Ash

 

Israel, Syria confirm peace talks Ehud Olmert's critics see a diversionary tactic. U.S. is concerned about Damascus' ties to Hezbollah

 

U.S. special forces to stay in Iraq, Afghanistan

 

Editorial Bin Laden is out there

He may be out of sight, but his latest messages show that he should not be out of mind.

 

Lebanese rivals agree to power-sharing deal

 

Israel prime minister fighting for peace and his political life

 

McCain: so wrong, but so what? By ROSA BROOKS

 

It's not personal By Jonathan Chait Critics should understand that not supporting Clinton isn't an attack on feminism.

 

U.S. Plane Enters Venezuela Airspace Los Angeles Times
Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said Monday that U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy would be called in to explain a U.S. Navy plane's violation of Venezuelan airspace.

 

The lion of the Senate Tim Rutten: Empathy, public service and civility have distinguished Ted Kennedy's long tenure

 

H16 American Politics

 

From National Journal, President Bush has been taking a beating from the Right lately, with members of his own party heaping abuse on his administration — has Bush gone wobbly?

 

From The New Yorker, George Packer on the fall of conservatism: Have the Republicans run out of ideas

 

Republicans in disarray

The Republican Party has lost much credibility among its base and has not yet established a comprehensive general election strategy or platform.

 

How Hillary's Latest Math Hurts the Party - Jonathan Alter, Newsweek

 

McCain Won't Play by Obama's Rules - Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Tim

 

What is Clinton's Argument Now? - Roger Simon, The Politico

 

realclearpolitics memeorandum  ABC’s The Note US News Political Bulletin Early Bird GovExec Swamp Gas The Swamp

 

a look at how one subgroup of evangelical Christians is attempting to redefine the very term "evangelical".

 

Clinton launches new Fla., Mich. offensives in delegate quest

 

Jon Chait on why everything Obama and McCain say about foreign policy should be ignored

 

Vote like thy neighbor: Why the American electorate is more politically polarized than ever

 

more and more and more and more and more and more and more on Rick Perlstein's Nixonland (and an excerpt at Bookforum).

 

H17 Daily Telegraph Hizbollah gets its way in Lebanon

Sarkozy's statement that the Lebanese peace deal is 'a great success' is at best optimistic while Hizbollah acts as though the bullet is mightier than the ballot.

 

Petrol prices to stay high for 8 years Motorists have been warned to expect record petrol prices for up to eight years

 

Army called to clean up Italy Berlusconi promises to wash Italy clean of fear and dissent

 

Is this the death of liberal Britain? Religion, class and race are back on the political agenda and at issue is what sort of society we want, says Mary Riddell.

 

Israel and Syria hold peace talks Israel and Syria are holding indirect talks designed to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement, both countries announced. Israel could be forced into early election

 

 

Obama 'prepared to crush McCain' Democrat is ready for November election battle.

 

H18 Independent 

 

Adrian Hamilton: Any change from Bush's fundamentalism will do

 

Obama arrives in Florida hoping to win over Hispanics and Jews

Inching towards the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidential election, a beaming Barack Obama ignited rolling chants of "Yes we can" in a packed Tampa arena yesterday at the start of a three-day visit to Florida.

 

Leading article: Bring on the next act in this thrilling political drama

 

Israel contemplates giving up Golan Heights to Syria

 

China's grief turns to anger over poorly built schools

 

The Big Question: Is Iceland the happiest place on the planet, and what can we learn from it?

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

 

The NCTC gets America's counterterrorism priorities right
   
By David Ignatius

 

Defense's Realist Rebel By: Michael Gerson | The Washington Post
In a series of groundbreaking speeches, Gates has argued that asymmetrical conflicts in the "long war" against "violent jihadist networks" will remain the likely face of battle for decades to come, that "procurement and training have to focus on that reality," and that shaping civilian attitudes in these conflicts will be just as important as winning battles.

 

Military Review: Interagency Reader

 

The Principles of War: 1. Selection and Maintenance of the Aim

 

Intel Agency Action Urged Against Space, Cyber Threats  See “Defense Intelligence 2008″ (flagged by BeSpacific.com).

 

Wider Anti-Terror Role for Elite Forces Rejected By: Thom Shanker | The New York Times
The military’s elite Special Operations Command has quietly stepped back from a controversial plan that gave it the authority to carry out secret counterterrorism missions on its own around the world

Moroccan Arrests and the Security of Militant Recruiters | Stratfor

 

A Review of the FBI’s Involvement in and Observations of Detainee Interrogations in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, and Iraq (PDF; 6.1 MB)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General

 

War on Terror: In an editorial, the paper ponders why the recent tape from Osama bin Laden received such limited play in the American media.

 

US: Cluster Bomb Ban Could Jeopardize PeacekeepingReuters


Air Force Wants New Killer Drone - Sharon Weinberger, Danger Room

More Spy Drones, Less Information? - Noah Shachtman, Danger Room

 

John Mueller: TERROR THREAT TO THE U.S. IS OVERBLOWN

H20 Slate   

 

 

From Scientific American, a cover story on the ethics of climate change: Pay now or pay more later?

 

More and more on Common Wealth by Jeffrey D Sachs.

 

Fears of Social Unrest Ease as Rice Prices See Biggest Drop in Four Years By: Luke Hunt | World Politics Review
HONG KONG -- Soaring world rice prices are finally showing real signs of abating, easing worst-case fears that inflation-fueled food shortages could lead to widespread starvation and social unrest.

 

Japan Weighs Move To Open Rice Reserves By: Hiroko Tabuchi | The Wall Street Journal Japan may release some of its stock of surplus rice to help ease the global food crunch. While countries across Asia reel from a severe rice shortage, Japan has been an exception: Its warehouses are bursting with 2.6 million metric tons of surplus rice, including 1.5 million tons that are a byproduct of a trade agreement with the U.

 

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Sources 2007 Flash Estimate
Source: Energy Information Administration

 

Health: In an editorial, the paper reacts to findings from the Justice Ministry that 20% of the prison population suffers from a mental disability and says the Japanese government must develop programs to support mentally disabled criminals.

H21 The real test of character, George Orwell noted, is how you treat someone who has no possibility of doing you any good. Its a matter of honor... more»

 

Tim Harford The Logic of Life

 

Daniel Drezner (Tufts): Public Intellectuals 2.0.

 

From TLS, a review of Michael Howard's Liberation or Catastrophe? Reflections on the history of the twentieth century

 

Do graduates understand citizenship? Education isn't just a ticket to a better job. It's a vital safeguard of democracy

 

Monolithic politico-corporate elites have a big place in Naomi Klein’s world. But they don’t quite fit every political situation... more»

 

NBA draft predictions

 

Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1 (aet; MU win 6-5 on pens): Terry's cruel slip hands cup to United

 

Kicking smoking habit may be contagious, researchers find

 

Are greatest hits albums just the best, are retrospective compilations really such a bad thing?

 

IQ levels rocketed in the last century, but argument still rages about how our brain power should be tested, and the roles played by genetics, social conditions, culture and even race: Why are some people smarter than others?

 

The Big Question: Is Iceland the happiest place on the planet, and what can we learn from it?

 

Lower-class students 'have lower IQs'

Selection at top universities is not a sign of prejudice but rather simple meritocracy, claims academic

 

From LRB, Terry Eagleton reviews Anonymity: A Secret History of English Literature by John Mullan

 

From Wired, a special issue on Inconvenient Truths: Cutting carbon is the only thing that matters (and a response: It's not just carbon, stupid!)

 

An interview with Ophelia Benson, co-author of Why Truth Matters and The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense.

 

Christopher Hitchens reviews Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker (and an interview).

 

Scientists watch death of star Leicester scientists witness end of supernova.

 

Alberto Manguel writes about finding a place to keep his library of some 30,000 books.

 

Doublethink, kid speechwriters: The Beltway’s best and brightest never stop working — and never take credit

 

From Modern Age, what’s wrong with liberalism?

 

From New York, a cover story on the affairs of men: The trouble with sex and marriage.

 

From Scientific American, an article on the orgasmic mind and the neurological roots of sexual pleasure

 

From Telos, a special issue on Culture and Politics in Carl Schmitt,

 

From Skeptical Inquirer, the frontal assault on religion by Richard Dawkins in his book The God Delusion, and by others, may mark a new chapter in the warfare of science with theology

 

Saul Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet came in 1970 like an electric jolt. NYC was out of control, with murders heading to 2,200 a year, one every four hours. The novel was unflinching... more»

 

Maradona documentary tells of fall and rise Award-winning film-maker made a documentary of the footballer infamous for the 'hand of God' incident in 1986 World Cup

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