061908f  - 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 New York Times Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back  Four Western oil companies are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service the country’s largest fields.

 

Washington Post The Right Iraq Footprint By David Ignatius,  We may be entering into a period of transitional diplomacy in Iraq

 

Iran on Its Heels In Tehran's Setbacks, an Opportunity in Iraq By Vali Nasr, Tehran's setbacks offer an opportunity in Iraq.

 

Foreign Policy's Best Hope By David S. Broder, Joe Biden and Richard Lugar offer a promising partnership on American foreign policy.

 

Editorial Truce in Gaza A Middle East conflict is postponed

 

Boston Globe What's next for Iraq? THE MONTH OF May saw the lowest US casualties in Iraq since early 2004. But counterinsurgencies are not won on points, otherwise Algeria would be part of France and South Vietnam would be an independent country. Progress in Iraq can only be judged by a close examination of political trends, indeed of whether the US strategy in Iraq is producing ... (By Barry R. Posen)

 

MESH ‘A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East’

 

Saudis, oil, and US elections

  

 Wall Street Journal Israel's Truce With Hamas Is a Victory for Iran
By Michael B. Oren Moderate Palestinians are losers too.

 

Pivoting to Victory
By James Taranto Is Barack Obama preparing to sell out Democrats who crave defeat in Iraq

 

Obama, McCain Divide on a Key Strategy Point by Eli Lake

 

Independent  Hamish McRae: Happy birthday to the euro – but the real test for the currency lies ahead

 

Adrian Hamilton: This meeting in Saudi Arabia won't solve oil prices

 

Leading article: An uncertain step towards peace

 

RFERL Washington's Dilemma -- To Negotiate Or Not? One of the most hotly debated issues in the current U.S. presidential campaign has been how to deal with Tehran. We asked two leading U.S. analysts about the options

 

Guardian Instead of bullying the Irish, Europe should be working on plan D - and E Timothy Garton Ash: As Britain moves to ratify the Lisbon treaty, EU politicians are wrong to threaten Ireland. We're all in the same boat

 

Europe holds the key to Iran Ilan Berman: If Europe is serious about preventing a nuclear Iran, it should put its money where its mouth is

 

Rare opportunity to talk Editorial: The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is good news from a theatre of war that rarely fails to produce the bad variety

 

Dividends of truce Ian Black: Only a foolhardy observer would predict peace is about to break out in the Middle East

 

Expanding American Oil Production - President George W. Bush

 

Ha’aretz ANALYSIS / For truce architect, Israel chose lesser of two evils Top Israeli negotiator Gilad thinks face-off with Hamas is inevitable, but Israel must exhaust other options

 

Jerusalem Post Final stage of Gaza truce may include multinational Arab force

'Post' learns Israel not opposed to idea since it could lead to Arab countries taking responsibility for Gaza, Fatah regaining control.

 

'Israel-Syria direct talks not far away' Olmert tells French paper negotiations could open once precise agenda, issues to discuss decided on

 

Yedioth Ahronoth 'Proof Syria built reactor' Le Monde reports IAEA has evidence proving Damascus was developing nuclear reactor

 

Financial Times What dream will Europe dream now? The French, Dutch and Irish voted No to Europe because they have no other means to express displeasure with the way it is being run. European citizens would be less cynical if they were regularly invited to choose the people who run its affairs, says Charles Wyplosz

 

French defence: knowledge is key

The French do not change their national security strategy often but, when they do, they change it in radical ways, writes François Heisbourg

 

Saudi Arabia faces an oil dilemma

Investment in Middle East refineries is needed. But, with Riyadh fearful that would lead to a price collapse, do not expect relief soon

 

Time to focus on Europe’s success Enlargement has been a success story. If that positive story is not told, there is a danger of a backlash that will tie the region up in nationalist knots

 

Bloc urged to show it still has muscle France will call on the EU to back measures against rising oil and food costs and show citizens its capacity for action in spite of Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon treaty

 

Christian Science Monitor

Hamas, Israel truce greeted with skepticism and hope The temporary cease-fire deal bids to end attacks from Gaza militants and the Israeli army and improve life in the impoverished coastal strip

 

Asia Times Attacking Iran: The last resort The wrong questions are being asked in the debate over whether to undertake "preventive" military action against Iran's nuclear program, according to a new report by a Washington think-tank. And should the correct questions be asked, the United States would then need to get the international community firmly on board, the report says. - David Isenberg

 

Egypt’s Muslim Brothers: Confrontation or Integration?,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group

 

General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes "There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes," retired Army Major Gen. Antonio Taguba wrote in a new report on medical evidence that U.S. troops abused prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo. "The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

 

MEMRI The Iranian Roots of Hizbullah - Nimrod Raphaeli

 

Understanding the Correlation between Oil Prices and the Falling ... - Council on Foreign Relations

 

Movement in Middle East Peace Talks - Council on Foreign Relations

 

Joseph A. Palermo: John McCain and the "Project for a New American Century"

 

McCain on Iran: Bush all over again An alarmist John McCain is using Iran as a political weapon against Barack Obama -- even as he misjudges our Middle East adversary.
By Hooman Majd

 

Rising Risk of a Military Confrontation between Israel and Iran?

H2 Newsweek Commentary: Is Turkey Headed for a Coup? All Turks want is peace and prosperity, but they may soon have to stand up to the generals by Grenville Byford

 

WSJ Turkish Regress
An experiment in liberal Muslim democracy goes awry. 

 

McClatchy   Genocide issue may cloud Armenia envoy nominee's hearing

 

Semih Ýdiz AKP’yi kapatma kararý AÝHM’den döner

AB’den bekle gör yaklaþýmý

 

Jamestown PJAK Intensifies Its Struggle for Iranian Kurdistan

 

Pentagon'un son senaryosu: Asker darbe yaparsa...

 

'TSK ve Ýçiþleri Arasýnda Çekiþme Var'

 

‘‘Ýliþkiler bozulmasýn diye ‘soykýrým’ demiyoruz’’

 

'Soykýrým Sözcüðünü Tercih Etmiyoruz'

 

Türkiye ile mevcut sýnýrý taný

 

House Committee on Foreign Affairs The Caucasus: Frozen Conflicts and Closed Borders  The Honorable Howard L. Berman , The Honorable Daniel Fried  Webcast

 

Þükrü Küçükþahin Dýþiþleri gizli Bakanlýðý

 

EDM  TURKISH GENERAL PILLORIED BY THE FUNDAMENTALIST PRESS

 

Fransa'da Türkiye'ye Destek

 

Fransa da ‘iç mesele’ diyor

 

 

Fransa: "Erdoðan jest talep ederse inceleriz"

 

Iraq Kurdish PM Appeals to Khamene'I to Stop Iranian Shelling of Border Areas

 

Türkiye’de gerçek demokrasi yok CEVAT EL BEÞÝTÝ

 

 

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

 

PKK’nýn asimetrik avantajý bitiyor

 

Talabani ve Barzani, maksimumu elde etmek konusunda korkunç bir baský altýndalar

 

Zebari Rice'la Görüþ

 

[YORUM - DR. HÜSEYÝN YAYMAN] GAP Paketi çözüm olabilir mi?

 

Iraqi Kurdish Press Highlights 18 Jun 08

 

Oytun Orhan Ýsrail-Suriye Barýþ Görüþmelerinin Geleceði

 

Arif Keskin Ýran-AB Ýliþkileri Gerginleþebilir

 

Islamic states welcome Turkey-brokered peace talks

 

Cevdet Aþkýn

 

Analysis: Future of Kirkuk field unknown

 

Ýbrahim Kalýn Target Iran!

 

Sami Kohen Ýyi haber bombardýmaný

 

Turkish troops fight PKK in east -sources

 

3 PKK'lý öldü 8'i teslim oldu

 

Kirkuk field production stymied by Baghdad-Erbil fight and unclear ...
Iraq Oil Report

 

Türkiye'nin BM Güvenlik Konseyi geçici üyeliðine ÝKÖ'den destek

 

BBC Kurdish child singers face prison Members of a Kurdish children's choir go on trial in Turkey for allegedly spreading rebel propaganda.

 

Independent Transsexual singer faces jail after questioning Turkey's military

TAMER KORKMAZ

 

Ardan Zentürk ‘Avrasya savaþý’ öncesi Pentagon’da...

 

Irak'ta yasadýþý ilan edilen Halkýn Mücahitleri, BM'den yardým istedi

 

Fikret Ertan Sürdürülemez statükonun getirdiði ateþkes

 

 

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

 

SOLÝ ÖZEL AB'de yol kazasý

 

Seyfettin Gürsel Referandum laneti

 

Türkiye masaya yatýrýlacak ama Bakan Babacan katýlamayacak

Suat Kýnýklýoðlu Sarkozy’s Turcophobia

 

AB krizdeyken Türkiye adým atmalý

 

Yüksek petrol fiyatlarý BTC'ye uðramýyor

Fransa Baþbakaný ‘yüzde 5’e karþý

 

Babacan unlikely to attend key PACE meeting on Turkey

 

AB üyeliðinde zorluk çýakrtan Fransa'nýn kaderi Türkiye'nin elinde.

 

UN confident Cyprus peace process will achieve reunification

 

Athens to appeal ECHR ruling in favor of Turkish minority

 

Bahadýr Koç Baþkan Bush’un Avrupa Gezisi ve Transatlantik Ýliþkileri

 

Fillon: Türkiye’ye referandum doðru deðil

 

Mesut Yýlmaz: Kapatma iptidai bir ceza; ama Türkiye'de olmalý

 

KKTC ve Rum liderleri gelecek hafta görüþecek

 

Erdoðan Putin Türkiye Rusya deðil

 

Türkiye karþýtlarýna baþbakandan 'rest'

 

'Türk derneði' ismi temyize gidiyor

 

Obama'nýn 'soykýrým' tavrý ayný

 

Ermeni Patrikliði için küresel diplomasi

 

Rauf Denktaþ  Tarafsýzlýk mý?

 

Yunanistan, 'Türk' kelimesini kabul etmemekte direniyor

 

CHP ile DSP, Avrupa Birliði üyelik sürecinde aktif rol alacak

 

Ermeni iddialarýna desteðini yineledi

 

Fillon, Türkiye teklifine tepkili

 

Ms. Zeyno Baran OIL, OLIGARCHS, AND OPPORTUNITY: ENERGY FROM CENTRAL ASIA TO EUROPE

 

Kýbrýs’ta ’Denizler bizim’ tatbikatý

 

 

 

Hedo Okur Tuncay Nihat Altintop

 

Derin iþlere girmediðim için huzurevindeyim! -

 

TSK’dan Q, W, X’e hayýr

 

Tayyip Erdoðan ile Fatih Terim Türkiye'ye ayný gözlükten bakýyor

 

Jandarma'ya göre Hrant Dink cinayeti terör deðil asayiþ olayý

 

Chingiz Aitmatov: Leading novelist of Central Asia writer

 

19 Haziran 2008 Basýn Özeti

H3 Gül “adap, usul ve düzey” isteðini tekrarladý

 

'Kapatma davasýyla ilgili karar tarihi verilemez'

 

Karar için temmuz baþý, sonu demek mümkün deðil

 

Ekonomik programýn mimarý aktif siyasete geri mi dönüyor?

 

Erdoðan’a ‘terör destekçisi’ diyecek

Göçüyoruz!

 

3 ankette de Þener çýkýyor

 

Yýlmaz: Tehlike büyük

‘Merkez saðý toplayacaðým’

Mesut Yýlmaz, Strasburg’da VATAN’a özel açýklamalar yaptý

 

Ýþte Türkiye'deki Masonlarýn toplam sayýsý...

 

Özcan, imam hatip için 'zýkkým' dedi

 

Özcan: Gerekirse bu zýkkýmlarý kapatalým

 

Sezer’in atadýðý rektörler önde

 

 

Gül kararý hukukçularý böldü

 

Oy gelsin de her yer gecekondu olsun!

 

JÝTEM'den maaþlý Poyraz'ýn kitabý kapatma delili

 

Dava ne zaman biter belli olmaz

AP toplantýsýnda utandýran diyalog

 

Baykal: Sistematik yýpratma kampanyasý var

 

AKP altýn fýrsatý kaçýrdý

 

8 rektöre ikinci dönem þansý

 

"Vahim bir akýl tutulmasý"

 

Giriþim ertelendi

Mahkemeyi rahat býrakalým

 

TÜSÝAD'ýn hamlesine iki büyük sendikadan ilginç tavýr

 

Erdoðan bugün Tuzla toplantýsý düzenliyor

 

'Atabeyler'de karar, 'Ergenekon' savcýsýnýn cevabýna göre verilecek

 

RTÜK’e siyasi kalkan

 

Darbe karþýtlarý sokaða iniyor

 

Alevilerde ‘Gülen’ çatlaðý

 

AKP’den iddianame salvolarý

 

 

Son Dakika Milliyet Hürriyet Zaman

 

 

Cengiz Çandar Anayasa Mahkemesi kararýný 'temmuz sonu-aðustos baþý' verirse

 

Ahmet Taþgetiren Ana tartýþma: Nasýl bir laiklik?   Gündemi doðru okumak

 

 

Ruþen - Çakýr Laiklik artýk yurttaþlýk hakký olmuþtur  

 

Taha Akyol  Hangi laiklik?

 

Fikret Bila  AKP türban kararýna sevindi mi?

 

Hasan Cemal Allah futbolda taraf tutar mý?..

 

Murat Yetkin Gül neden konuþtu?

 

Ýsmet Berkan Bir soruya iki cevap

 

Fehmi Koru Erken uyarý   Talk of the town

 

Taha Kývanç

 

Þamil Tayyar

 

Ali Bayramoðlu Anayasayý ve ahlaký askýya almak   ---  Asker ile yargýç baþ baþa ne yapar? --- Bazý laikler beyaz ýrkçýlar gibi!

 

Yasemin Çongar

 

Ertuðrul Özkök Medya patronu olmak

 

Þahin Alpay Unutmayýn: Medya dördüncü kuvvettir

 

Mümtazer Türköne 'Rejimin bekçi köpeði'

 

Hüseyin Gülerce Gülen'e Alevi vefasý

Bilal Çetin Hesaplar tutacak mý

Can Ataklý Gül’ün “emanetçisi” bakan

Ahmet Hakan Sahtekárlýðýn belgeleri

 

M Ali Birand Baþbakan Erbil'de de dursa ne olur?

 

Meral Tamer TÜSÝAD, Derviþ’li toplantýyý neden yapýyor?

 

Ýsmail Küçükkaya Operasyon Erdoðan

 

Yalçýn Doðan Kapatmak yok ama ceza var

 

Lale Sarýibrahimoðlu Soft coup already under way, hard coup possible

 

[YORUM - ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN] Yoksa darbe normal mi?

 

ÝBRAHÝM KARAGÜL

 

Sabahattin Önkibar Ýsmi çizilen Erdoðan'ýn koalisyon hesabý!

 

Güler Kömürcü ‘Türkiye’de sistem çok güçlü, bu krizi de kolaylýkla çözer’

 

YASÝN DOÐAN  Siyasal Ýslam yükseliyor mu?

 

Cüneyt Ülsever Çek maçý örnek olabilir mi?

 

Enis Berberoðlu

 

Oktay Ekþi Amacý ne?

 

Özdemir Ýnce

 

Kerim Balcý 12 giant men

 

Andrew Finkel Politics: a game of two halves

 

Mehmet Y Yýlmaz El Sabah’ýn yalakasýna yanýt

 

Güneri Civaoðlu Paksüt çekilirse

 

Korkunun ecele faydasý yok
HASAN CELAL GÜZEL

 

Demokrasi-laiklik, tavuk-yumurta TARHAN ERDEM

 

Mehmet Tezkan

Erdoðan olmazsa belediyeler var!

 

Erdoðan, Menderes ile Özal’ýn yaptýðýný yapabiliyor mu?
ALTAN ÖYMEN

 

AKP’nin kendini feshetmesi çözüm mü? FETHÝ GEDÝKLÝ

 

Gülay Göktürk Aðlama Duvarý

 

MUHARREM SARIKAYA

 

ERDAL ÞAFAK Utandýran bir rekor

 

ENGÝN ARDIÇ Daha ne iþte

 

ERGUN BABAHAN 30 Aðustos ve YAÞ

 

EMRE AKÖZ Hýrlayan bürokrasi

 

Umur Talu Yer gök dinlesin!

 

HASAN BÜLENT KAHRAMAN

 

Tarih tartýþmasý
NURAY MERT

 

NAZLI ILICAK Güneþin doðuþu

 

MEHMET BARLAS Ýnsanoðlu nelere alýþmamýþ ki bu duruma alýþamasýn...

 

Mustafa Erdoðan Yavuz hýrsýzlar

 

MELÝHA OKUR  Postmodern 28 Þubat!

 

MAHMUT ÖVÜR Kaçak yapýda önce devrim sonra af

 

YAVUZ DONAT Cemil Çiçek: "Kapatma davasý... Maçýn 75'inci dakikasý..."

Alevilerden Doðan'a tepki

 

Ekonomi

 

ABDURRAHMAN YILDIRIM 'Hedef bir kez deðiþir'

 

Ercan Kumcu Deðirmenin suyu daha ne kadar akar

 

Erdal Saðlam Baðýmsýz Merkez Bankasý daha açýk konuþmalý

 

Yabancý yatýrýmcýnýn korkusu parti kapatma deðil, resesyon

 

Serdar Turgut Yaprak oynamýyor söylemi

 

Lipsky'den "tedbirli mali politika" önerisi

 

Neredeyiz?
MAHFÝ EÐÝLMEZ

 

IMF ile iliþkiler Baðýmsýz denetçiler hem IMF'ye hem de Türkiye'ye karne verecek

 

‘Economic reforms on track’

 

S&P says closure of Turkey’s AKP not enough to decrease rating

 

UPDATE 1-Turkey to decide on IMF soon-PM Erdogan

 

 

H4 New York Times Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back  Four Western oil companies are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service the country’s largest fields.

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF Strengthening Extremists If the U.S. and Israel had formed a Joint Commission to Support Hamas Extremists and Bolster Iranian Influence, they could hardly have done a better job.

ROGER COHEN The Muck of the Irish When it comes to sheer electoral crassness, forget George W. Bush. It’s hard to beat what the Irish have just done with the Lisbon Treaty.

 

Sue OPEC  By THOMAS W. EVANS With the help of our antitrust laws, President Bush has the power to attack OPEC. Isn’t starting a lawsuit better than starting a war?

 

Obama’s Campaign Tightens Control of Image and Access  Barack Obama’s strategists are taking extra steps to protect against attacks, but such efforts at times appear to conflict with the senator’s stated desire for openness

 

U.S. Blames Shiite Leader for Deadly Baghdad Blast

 

Israel Offers Lebanon Talks on Peace, and Land

Editorial The Big Pander to Big Oil President Bush’s decision to ask Congress to end the federal ban on offshore drilling along much of America’s continental shelf is cruelly misleading.

 

 

Mr. Smith Goes to War With KBR A Pentagon contract manager learns the risks of confronting the Bush administration’s most favored defense contractor. In the end, Goliath wins.

 

H5 Washington Post The Right Iraq Footprint By David Ignatius,  We may be entering into a period of transitional diplomacy in Iraq

 

Iran on Its Heels In Tehran's Setbacks, an Opportunity in Iraq By Vali Nasr, Tehran's setbacks offer an opportunity in Iraq.

 

Foreign Policy's Best Hope By David S. Broder, Joe Biden and Richard Lugar offer a promising partnership on American foreign policy.

 

Editorial Truce in Gaza A Middle East conflict is postponed

 

General Accuses WH of War Crimes
By Dan Froomkin

 

Israel Proposes Peace Talks With Lebanon Israel seeks to add another initiative to an already burgeoning diplomatic roster that includes talks with some of the state's foremost adversaries

 

Defend Europe Now Nikos Konstandaras | Stand up for yourself, Europe, or watch your hard-earned Union erode.

 

E.U. Moves to Standardize Immigrant Policy:  Illegal Residents Could Be Jailed for as Long as 18 Months Pending Deportation

 

U.S. Blames Shiites for Lethal Blast In Baghdad

 

GAO Criticizes U.S. Strategy on Afghan Forces

 

Troops Battle Taliban Fighters

Soldiers from Afghan and Canadian armies launch attacks against insurgents in Kandahar province

 

Paulson to Urge New Federal Reserve Powers Treasury secretary wants central bank to be given new, explicit powers to intervene in workings of Wall Street firms to protect financial system

 

Cockeyed Optimists Again By Harold Meyerson, The Obama campaign offers a revival of hopefulness.

 

That's Classified Excessive secrecy in handling official information does more harm than good. KNOWLEDGE IS power. But in government, if knowledge isn't shared between agencies and with others to whom the information could be vital, the consequences can be -- and have been -- deadly

 

My Friend and My Source By Robert D. Novak Tim Russert's political and journalistic gifts made him unique among Washington personages.

 

 

H6 Guardian Instead of bullying the Irish, Europe should be working on plan D - and E Timothy Garton Ash: As Britain moves to ratify the Lisbon treaty, EU politicians are wrong to threaten Ireland. We're all in the same boat

 

Europe holds the key to Iran Ilan Berman: If Europe is serious about preventing a nuclear Iran, it should put its money where its mouth is

 

Rare opportunity to talk Editorial: The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is good news from a theatre of war that rarely fails to produce the bad variety

 

Dividends of truce Ian Black: Only a foolhardy observer would predict peace is about to break out in the Middle East

 

France presses for EU plan deadline Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to find a way out of Europe's crisis of confidence runs into resistance

 

Israel seeks Lebanon talks  Agreement hoped to be reached with Hizbullah over Israeli soldiers captured at start of 2006 Lebanon war

 

France marches back into contention Robert Fox: President Sarkozy's move back into Nato is canny: it will rescue the country's antiquated forces and increase its world clout

 

Explainer: Why casualties are up  The war in Afghanistan is entering a crucial stage as Taliban leaders resort to "terrorist" tactics with the help of foreign fighters exposing British troops to greater danger, analysts said yesterday

 

The Bush legacy  Jim Godfrey: With less than seven months to go, the president is softening his Republicanism so Europe will remember him kindly

 

Superiority and separation Priyamvada Gopal: Orientalism at 30 In a world divided and made unequal by economic and military subjugation we need to think about points of commonality

 

Study to force ministers to review climate change plan  Exclusive: Rush to develop biofuels plays 'significant' role in rise of food prices

 

Bush calls for lifting of Alaska ban

President proposes overturning decades-old drilling bans for the US to claim extra oil supply

 

H7  RFERL Washington's Dilemma -- To Negotiate Or Not?

One of the most hotly debated issues in the current U.S. presidential campaign has been how to deal with Tehran. We asked two leading U.S. analysts about the options

 

Is there an ideal oil price?
GulfNews  By Amir Taheri

 

Egypt’s Muslim Brothers: Confrontation or Integration?,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group

 

UPI Egypt needs to end Muslim Brothers clash A report by the International Crisis Group says the Egyptian government could end its clash with the Muslim Brothers through political integration.

 

MEMRI The Iranian Roots of Hizbullah - Nimrod Raphaeli

 

WSJ Oil States Sprout Financial Hubs

The oil-rich Arab leaders of the Persian Gulf are racing to build financial oases in the desert. Western financiers are coming in -- Citigroup is transferring a top investment banker to Dubai. Yet, it's far from certain the region can sustain a world-class financial center

 

 

Kuwait's Empowered Islamists Question All Things Western By: Jamie Etheridge | The Christian Science Monitor Kuwait is seeing a surge in conservative Islamist legislative proposals just one month after the country's Salafi Islamists and tribal candidates gained a majority in its National Assembly. With 29 out of 50 seats, this newly empowered bloc appears to be testing its political capital and could succeed in making an already conservative country even more socially strict

 

Is Being Asked to Leave Iraq Good Thing or Bad?

 

Asia Times Attacking Iran: The last resort The wrong questions are being asked in the debate over whether to undertake "preventive" military action against Iran's nuclear program, according to a new report by a Washington think-tank. And should the correct questions be asked, the United States would then need to get the international community firmly on board, the report says. - David Isenberg

 

Mixed US messages to Iran
Even as the six nations (including the United States) dealing with Iran on its nuclear program are locked in negotiations that might yet produce results, the George W Bush administration acts counter to this initiative. Call it bad-faith diplomacy or apprehensions about the outsourcing of Iran policy, it does not bode well for the unity of "Iran Six" diplomacy. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi

 

A missed opportunity US Representative Henry A Waxman With US President George W Bush in lame-duck land, many Democrats in Washington believe a new approach is needed toward Iran. Among their ranks is Waxman, who feels some sort of "grand bargain" is possible between the countries and that using the term "axis of evil" is just plain stupid. Nor has he ruled out a photo-op with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad

 

Bloggingheads: Iraq and Vietnam Joshua Cohen, left, of Stanford University and Brink Lindsey of the Cato Institute look at the parallels between the Iraq and Vietnam wars.

 

The Arab Initiative and the New US Administration

 

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

 

Iraqi Sunni, Shii Politicians Discuss US-Iraq Security Agreement - Al-Jazeera

 

Awakening councils want political voice The Sunni Awakening movement is positioning itself as a political force in Iraq but faces challenges in a crowded arena, U.S. officials say.

 

Al-Sharqiyah TV Interviews Al-Sadr's Aide Al-A'Raji on US-Iraq Pact

 

Iraqi army 'preparing offensive' Security forces are reportedly massing in southern Iraq in preparation for an operation to drive out Shia militia groups.

U.S. drops immunity from Iraqi SOFA

 

Maliki urges restraint with Sadr forces

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Wednesday ordered military forces to avoid making needless arrests of Sadrist fighters in the provincial capital of Maysan.

 

H9 Ha’aretz  Israel-Hamas truce takes hold in Gaza Strip

 

ANALYSIS / For truce architect, Israel chose lesser of two evils Top Israeli negotiator Gilad thinks face-off with Hamas is inevitable, but Israel must exhaust other options

 

Olmert: Gaza cease-fire is fragile, may not last

 

Aspiring to a lengthy cease-fire The welcome cease-fire that is supposed to come into effect Thursday at 6 A.M. can succeed, and it is necessary to give it a real chance instead of looking for disadvantages

 

Moshe Arens: Israel has nothing to fear from next U.S. administration

 

Olmert to French daily: Israel, Syria not far from direct talks

 

Rosner's Domain / The Joe Lieberman dilemma Man who used to be Democrats' No. 2 now thorn in their side; senator seeking to convince Jews to vote McCain

 

The darkest anti-Semitic period in U.S. history

 

Jerusalem Post Final stage of Gaza truce may include multinational Arab force

'Post' learns Israel not opposed to idea since it could lead to Arab countries taking responsibility for Gaza, Fatah regaining control.

 

'Israel-Syria direct talks not far away' Olmert tells French paper negotiations could open once precise agenda, issues to discuss decided on

 

Previous cease-fires with Palestinians paint a bleak picture
A look at previous tahadiyehs casts doubt on the likelihood of this latest truce holding at all

 

The enemy has a name

[ DANIEL PIPES

 

Encountering Peace: The Road Map Can Work By: Gershon Baskin | The Jerusalem Post  Remember the road map? For some time it was the only game in town and then Ariel Sharon declared that there was no partner and declared the unilateral disengagement from Gaza. Then came Mahmoud Abbas, elected with a large majority to rule the Palestinian Authority and once again the road map showed up as the plan to guide the sides back to the table.

 

Yedioth Ahronoth 'Proof Syria built reactor' Le Monde reports IAEA has evidence proving Damascus was developing nuclear reactor

 

'Direct talks with Syria near' PM Olmert tells France's Le Figaro Jerusalem, Damascus closer to holding direct negotiations

 

Knesset to vote on Golan referendum

 

Alliance of the weak Truce deal taking shape because two weak governments want ceasefire

 

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

 

 

Israel and Hamas ceasefire begins

A truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza begins, despite a last minute flurry of cross-border attacks.

 

Timely truce What impact will Israel-Hamas deal have?

 

Al-Arabiya TV Reports on Syrian-Israeli Talks

 

Who for me? - Times Literary Supplement What has Jewish opposition to Zionism got to do with self-hatred? Toby Lichtig

 

Don't Hold Your Breath By: Ian Black | The Guardian
The Hamas ceasefire is a positive sign, but even if it sticks, there are plenty of questions still left to answer

 

Hamas Feels It Benefits More From a Truce Than Israel By: Shaul Arieli | The Daily Star
The policy of "throwing away the keys" that characterized the Israeli withdrawal and removal of settlements from the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2005 played right into Hamas' hands as it sought to achieve political and social objectives based on a strategy of "armed struggle" and non-recognition of Israel.

 

Poll: Palestinians Support Rocket Fire, Armed Attacks Inside Israel (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research)

 

Gaza, Israel launch rockets, airstrikes ahead of cease-fire

 

Hamas's Khalid Mish'Al Cited on Palestinian Reconciliation, Syrian- Israeli Talks

H10 Christian Science Monitor

Hamas, Israel truce greeted with skepticism and hope The temporary cease-fire deal bids to end attacks from Gaza militants and the Israeli army and improve life in the impoverished coastal strip

 

US says Baghdad bombing was meant to reignite sectarian violence The military blamed a little-known Shiite cell leader for Tuesday's attack in the Shiite neighborhood of Hurriyah that killed at least 63 people.

 

Battle for independent voters begins With McCain also claiming the centrist mantle, moving to the middle may be more crucial for Obama.

 

 Pentagon ponders transition in time of war Officials want to ensure the change to a new administration goes smoothly

 

 

ASIA

 

Asian Regionalism, Strategic Evolution and U.S. Policy in Asia Brookings Institution

 

LA Times Who'll lead in Asia?

By Kim Holmes and Walter Lohman Occasionally, a simple remark reveals far more about the state of American leadership than any speech, policy statement or white paper. During an official visit to Beijing in late May by Lee Myung-bak, the new South Korean president and stalwart American friend, China's foreign ministry declared the U.S.-South Korea alliance a "historical relic."

 

India-Pakistan peace on track, somehow
With Pakistan mired in political uncertainty and security problems, there is still wide public sentiment in favor of peace with old foe India. Citing a generational shift, experts say Pakistani hostility towards India is waning, as are bitter memories of partition and religious differences. Delhi's role in the democratization of its neighbor now depends on talks this month

 

China's Responsibility to Protect By: David C. Gompert | The Washington Post
Because of the world's failure to stop the butchering of 800,000 Rwandans, and other atrocities of the 1990s, the United Nations in 2005 adopted a principle known as the responsibility to protect. China is big enough to be a world leader. But it is it principled enough?

 

Is the India and China Hype True? By: Brahma Chellaney | The Japan Times It's commonplace to speak of India and China as two emerging great powers challenging the Western domination of the world. But history hasn't always favored the apparent giants

 

For Indonesia's President, Standing Up to Islamists Would Be a Political Winner By: Fabio Scarpello | World Politics Review
Opinion polls indicate that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono remains Indonesia's most popular politician. This is not little comfort for the man who has helmed the country for the last four years and is set to contest for a second term in 2009

 

Exporting the Asian Miracle to Africa By: Adam Wolfe | ISN Security Watch Japan's Africa conference last month was the latest in a series of events demonstrating growing Asia-Africa ties, but can Asia help pull Africa out of poverty

 

Are we all North Koreans now?
The global economy is reeling from the triple whammy of soaring energy and food prices and extreme weather stress, and as long as policymakers don't address all three of these trends as one major crisis, it could get a whole lot worse. Just ask North Korea, which in the 1990s was the world's canary. The famine there that killed as much as 10% of the population was a harbinger of the crisis that now grips the globe - though few saw it that way at the time. - John Feffer

H11 IHT  Roger Cohen: The EU in an Irish bog EU history is full of acts of ingenuity that have kept the Euro bicycle from toppling. The months ahead should be used to find one to deal with the ungrateful Irish.

 

A fair fight for Lebanon's army

By NICHOLAS NOE Better to arm the Lebanese Army than to leave the field open to Hezbollah.

 

EU votes to unify rules on detention of migrants

 

U.S. may seek to base missile shield in Lithuania  New location for interceptors is possible as talks with Poland lag. But an approach to the Baltic state is likely to stir tensions with Russia.

 

Bush v. the Bill of Rights If the U.S. Congress can't fix the Surveillance Act, it should leave it to the next president.

 

A nightmare of loose nukes

Pakistan must make A.Q. Khan, the so-called father of the country's nuclear bomb, available to tell IAEA inspectors who bought the nuclear weapons design he had obtained from his country's military

 

 

 

EUROPE European press review

 

Senate FRC OIL, OLIGARCHS, AND OPPORTUNITY: ENERGY FROM CENTRAL ASIA TO EUROPE

 

Walker's World: France's new military

 

The Quiet Rebellion in Europe - John O'Sullivan, New York Post

 

Details of new European Union immigration rules

 

Ukraine Proves It’s Committed to the Alliance By: Nikolay Filchenko | Kommersant The Ukrainian government claims that after the present NATO visit Kiev is likely to get the long-awaited membership action plan at the summit of the Foreign Ministers of the alliance’s states this December

 

From Sign and Sight, why Ukraine has no place in the EU: Ukraine likes to conjure up the magic word "Galicia" to create an identity of European belonging

 

Richard Wagner picks apart this myth-cum-trademark. Who speaks for Europe? An article on the PC defenders of the West.

 

Royal Navy Warships May Form Part of EU Fleet By: James Kirkup | The Telegraph The French proposal would see a British aircraft carrier placed at the heart of a new EU naval group. The prospect of such close co-operation between two navies whose clashes include the Battle of Trafalgar is likely to outrage eurosceptics and is already said to have caused concern among British admirals.

 

Elusive Finality: Despatch from Newly-Independent Kosovo IFIMES

 

Europeans eye U.S. models to ease school segregation A diverse area in Amsterdam weighs assigning students based in part on race, class, and parents' education level.

 

Bulgaria moves closer to visa-free travel

 

Referenda: democracy vs elites, Gisela Stuart

H12 RFE/RL

 

US: Russia putting dangerous pressure on Georgia

 

European Union: Democratization Key to Conflict Resolution in South Caucasus BY JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PEUCH  The European Union views the establishment of democracy and rule of law in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as being critical elements in the resolution of post-Soviet conflicts of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

Central Asia: Bush Administration Seeks to Shortchange Region on Democratization Aid A leading democracy watchdog group is calling on the US Congress to block budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration that would hamper civil society development in Central Asia.

 

Kazakhstan: Early Parliamentary Poll on the Cards Mounting speculation that Kazakhstan will call an early parliamentary election was fuelled last week when an official from President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s administration dropped heavy hints that a fresh vote is expected as the country gears up to assume the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010

 

House Committee on Foreign Affairs The Caucasus: Frozen Conflicts and Closed Borders  The Honorable Howard L. Berman , The Honorable Daniel Fried  Webcast

 

EDM UKRAINE PREPARING LEGAL PROCEDURES FOR RUSSIAN FLEET'S WITHDRAWAL ON SCHEDULE


- RUSSIA STALLING TALKS ON FLEET WITHDRAWAL FROM UKRAINE

- MEDVEDEV REPORTEDLY SET TO NAME AN ANTI-CORRUPTION AIDE

 

Google News Azerbaijan

 

Gazprom's Dirty Secret By: Roman Kupchinsky | The Moscow Times
Did Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, while serving as chairman of Gazprom, know that the company might have been linked to organized crime through the Swiss-based intermediary company RosUkrEnergo? I believe that he knew this but ignored it

 

Four charged for killing Politkovskaya

Russian investigators round up four men in connection with journalist's murder but doubts remain

 

H13 The Times Israel: compromised Olmert reaches out

The Israeli Prime Minister may be seeking distractions from his problems at home, but he is at last seeking progress abroad

 

It's not as bad as the Sixties

We have dealt with inflation before - and if we learn the lessons of the past we can do so again Anatole Kaletsky

 

It won't be Hillary  Obama's big clue that Clinton won't be his Vice President

 

Pressure on Czechs and Poles to say 'yes' Pressure grows on EU leaders as Eastern European countries prepare to follow Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon treaty

 

Israel pursues prisoner swap with Hezbollah Israel pushes multiple diplomatic initiatives amid hopes that a Gaza truce with Hamas will hold when it comes into force

 

Mann names Thatcher as coup plotter Old Etonian mercenary on trial for coup plot in Equatorial Guinea says Margaret Thatcher's son was more than financier

 

Wall Street Journal Israel's Truce With Hamas Is a Victory for Iran
By Michael B. Oren Moderate Palestinians are losers too.

 

Pivoting to Victory
By James Taranto Is Barack Obama preparing to sell out Democrats who crave defeat in Iraq

 

The Future Is in the Pipeline
By Edward Lucas  Bookshelf: Reagan's warnings about the political dangers of Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas now seem prescient.

 

 

Obama and McCain Spout Economic Nonsense
By Karl Rove Is knowledge or consistency too much to ask?

 

By Mark Dubowitz
Islamic countries have found the ideal forum to muzzle free speech: the U.N.

 

H14 Financial Times What dream will Europe dream now? The French, Dutch and Irish voted No to Europe because they have no other means to express displeasure with the way it is being run. European citizens would be less cynical if they were regularly invited to choose the people who run its affairs, says Charles Wyplosz

 

French defence: knowledge is key

The French do not change their national security strategy often but, when they do, they change it in radical ways, writes François Heisbourg

 

Saudi Arabia faces an oil dilemma

Investment in Middle East refineries is needed. But, with Riyadh fearful that would lead to a price collapse, do not expect relief soon

 

Time to focus on Europe’s success

Enlargement has been a success story. If that positive story is not told, there is a danger of a backlash that will tie the region up in nationalist knots

 

Bloc urged to show it still has muscle

France will call on the EU to back measures against rising oil and food costs and show citizens its capacity for action in spite of Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon treaty

 

Shaky truce begins between Israel and Hamas Both sides voiced doubt over how long the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire might hold, as truce begins after another day of cross-border violence

 

Mideast foes take hard line on eve of truce Israeli has reiterated a call for direct talks with Lebanon, at which all issues dividing the two countries could be ‘put on the table’.

 

PA faces tough test in wild West Bank The Palestinian Authority pledge to impose “one law, one authority and one gun” on the occupied territories is facing one of its sternest tests in the West Bank city of Jeni

 

US forces blame Shia militia for Baghdad bomb US forces have blamed a rogue Shia militia group seeking to stir up sectarian violence for a devastating truck bombing that killed 63 people in Baghdad

 

Dana aims to power Iraqi needs

Sharjah’s Dana Gas is investing $650m into the largest private sector project to date in postwar Iraq as it aims to complement the state-backed oil groups of the Middle East

 

‘Anxiety’ Moscow over US-Lithuania talks A senior Russian lawmaker warned that discussions between the US and Lithuania over co-operating on Washington’s missile defence system “could not but provoke anxiety” in Mosco

 

Could Asia buckle under inflation? Countries across the region will have to sacrifice growth if they are to mount an effective response

 

 Bush backs McCain on oil drilling

President George W. Bush offered support to John McCain’s plan to lift the ban on fresh oil drilling off the US coast and accused Democrats of contributing to record fuel prices by restricting domestic productionillin

 

H15 Los Angeles Times Shiite behind Iraq bombing, U.S. says

The U.S. military asserts that a hard-liner protecting a real estate scheme in the Baghdad district was responsible for Tuesday's attack, which killed 63 people

 

Is famine coming?  Paul Roberts says the global food shortage is already here. Jacob Grier argues the crisis demands freer trade. Discuss

 

Torture began at the top Tim Rutten Apart from understanding how and why the Bush/Cheney administration tricked the American people into going to war in Iraq, no question is more urgent than how the White House forced the adoption of torture as state policy of the United States.

 

With stakes high, oil crisis fuels blame game  Speculators, consumers, Saudi Arabia, environmentalists, the Bush administration and congressional Democrats have come under fire

.

U.S. trainers have key mission in Afghanistan

An Army officer from California heads a team working to train police in a country where the officers often are corrupt

 

4 Afghanistan villages wrested from Taliban

Insurgents who moved into a rural area near Kandahar over the weekend still hold about six villages. Elsewhere, a bomb kills four British troops.

 

H16 American Politics

 

Obama, The Post-Post 9/11 Candidate - Philip Klein, American Spectator


Using 9/11 For Partisan Gain - Michael Scherer, Time

 

Obama leads McCain in key states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, polls say

 

Battle for independent voters begins Moving to the middle may be more crucial for Obama.

 

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

 

H17 Daily Telegraph UK allies must do more in Afghanistan

The loss of four soldiers in a roadside bombing near Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan on Tuesday brings the British death toll to 106

 

Britain ratifies EU Treaty

Britain has become the 19th European Union country to ratify the Lisbon Treaty without a referendum, after the EU Amendment Bill completed its passage through Parliament

 

Our EU masters have no sense of shame Euro-sceptics should not despair of reforming our relationship with Brussels, argues Iain Martin.

 

Things will get worse, warns Bank governor Families will see their standard of living stagnate this year while the value of their homes will fall further, Mervyn King has warned

Israel hints at peace with Hizbollah

H18 Independent  Hamish McRae: Happy birthday to the euro – but the real test for the currency lies ahead

 

Adrian Hamilton: This meeting in Saudi Arabia won't solve oil prices

 

Leading article: An uncertain step towards peace

 

Israelis cautiously welcome news of truce with Hamas

The Big Question: Why are Dutch soldiers being sued for the massacre at Srebrenica?

Michelle Obama counters her critics by hosting TV chat show Michelle Obama went on daytime television yesterday to reveal that she likes Laura Bush, does not like wearing tights ("they hurt") and – oh, yes – is very, very proud of her country and always has been

 

H19 Military Intelligence Terrorism

 

Analysis: USAF counterinsurgency, Part 2  To make the U.S. Air Force more relevant to the military's new counterinsurgency mission, experts say, the new leadership of the service has to "reinvent itself," look for alternatives to high-cost, high-tech, fuel-guzzling aircraft, and break out of its decades-long planning and procurement cycle to become a more agile, diverse force.

 

A review of Creating the National Security State: A History of the Law That Transformed America by Douglas T. Stuart.

 

Intelligence Agencies Undermine Nuclear Smuggling Trial By: Juergen Dahlkamp, John Goetz and Holger Stark | Der Spiegel
An engineer is on trial in Germany for allegedly attempting to help Libya develop a nuclear bomb. But the network the man was allegedly part of was under surveillance by intelligency agencies, with the CIA getting involved early on. The Swiss government has even gone so far as to eliminate evidence by secretly shredding thousands of documents

 

Boumediene v. Bush and the Role of the Courts in the War on Terror By: Geoffrey S. Corn | World Politics

Review In the wake of Boumediene v. Bush, a more robust judicial role in the process of establishing a legally acceptable definition of the critical term "enemy combatant" is now a certainty

Waterboarding, Slapping, Sensory Deprivation – All on US Tactics List

Spain and SA 'backed coup plot' Spain and South Africa "gave the green" light for a failed coup in Equatorial Guinea, a British mercenary tells a court.

 

US-held terror suspects 'abused' Examinations of 11 former detainees at US military jails show evidence of torture, a human rights group says

 

Easing of laws that led to detainee abuse hatched in secret

The framework under which detainees were imprisoned for years without charges at Guantanamo and in many cases abused in Afghanistan wasn't the product of American military policy or the fault of a few rogue soldiers.  It was largely the work of five White House, Pentagon and Justice Department lawyers who, following the orders of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, reinterpreted or tossed out the U.S. and international laws that govern the treatment of prisoners in wartime, according to former U.S. defense and Bush administration officials. The Supreme Court now has struck down many of their legal interpretations. The lawyers drafted legal opinions that circumvented the military's code of justice, the federal court system and America's international treaties in order to prevent anyone — from soldiers on the ground to the president — from being held accountable for activities that at other times have been considered war crimes. » read more

 

General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes "There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes," retired Army Major Gen. Antonio Taguba wrote in a new report on medical evidence that U.S. troops abused prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo. "The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

 

H20 Slate   It Was Top Down, Stupid

The Bush administration's "bad apples" theory goes sour.
Phillipe Sands

 

 

Public Sector Reform: What Works and Why
World Bank This 120-page study evaluates public sector reform in developing countries

 

Arctic sea ice melt 'even faster'
After a cold winter, Arctic sea ice has melted quickly, suggesting that summers could be ice-free within five to 10 years

 

U.S. Weighs Emissions Trading By: Fiona Harvey and Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Financial Times
Devoid of American participation, the international market in carbon dioxide emissions is a partly formed creature whose health remains uncertain. When President George W. Bush took office he refused to ratify the United Nations’ Kyoto protocol on climate change and attempts to set up a domestic system of trading emissions have been thwarted

 

Productivity and Potential Growth in the United States and Europe
Source: The Brookings Institution Full Document (PDF; 250 KB)

 

The Coming Population Bust By: Jeff Jacoby | The Boston Globe
Thomas Malthus has been dead for 170 years, but the Malthusian fallacy - the dread conviction that the growth of human population leads to hunger, shortages, and a ravaged environment -- is unfortunately alive and well.

 

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues (updated June 6, 2008) (PDF; 119 KB)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists)

 

Is there any hope for the UN to do good? Shmuel Rosner and Adam LeBor debate

H21

Why do government efforts to correct problems so often seem to make things worse? Because people are the problems... more»

 

An interview with Steven Pinker, evolutionary man.

 

From Der Spiegel, a special report on how speculators are causing the cost of living to skyrocket

 

If politicians were angels, we wouldn't need smart voters — but they aren't.

 

Internet addiction a real disorder

A public health issue, says psychiatrist.

How Celtics, Lakers rebuilt themselves – a trade at a time

Can other NBA cities do the same? It's a daunting task, experts say.

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