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H1 Washington Post New Premises in Iraq Prospects for Withdrawal Have to Be Viewed Through the Lens of Progress By Henry A. Kissinger

Gates Sees Terrorism Remaining Enemy No. 1 New Defense Strategy Shifts Focus From Conventional Warfare. New National Defense Strategy calls for military to master "irregular" warfare rather than focusing on conventional conflicts against other nations

The introduction to World Out of Balance: International Relations and the Challenge of American Primacy by Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth.

Guardian Iran vows to stay on 'nuclear path' No mood for compromise in Tehran despite threat of sanctions, as UN deadline looms

Olmert resignation throws Israel's politics into turmoil Prime minister quits amid corruption allegations and pledges to prove his innocence

Ha’aretz – Olmert: I'll quit as PM when Kadima picks new leader PM tells public he won't run in primaries, but will continue to focus on peace as long as he is in power

ANALYSIS / Crushed and battered, Olmert finally broke If not for the Lebanon War, Olmert could have been remembered as one of Israel's more effective leaders

Report: Obama 'gets the feeling' Israel to strike Iran if sanctions fail

Salon Why Bush folded on Iran Reality, of the military and petroleum-based variety, forced the administration to change course. Now Bush sounds like Obama. By Juan Cole

NYT Iran Leader Adamant on Nuclear Issue

Deal on a Security Agreement Is Close, Iraqis Say

Drilling in Afghanistan By: Thomas L. Friedman | The New York Times The truth is that Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Pakistan are just different fronts in the same war. The core problem is that the Arab-Muslim world in too many places has been failing at modernity, and were it not for $120-a-barrel oil, that failure would be even more obvious

Los Angeles Times Iraq parliament plans emergency session on local elections The move comes after lawmakers' summer term ends without passage of the measure to hold provincial balloting this year

• 'The Middle East: Evolution of a Broken Regional Order' by Paul Salem, Carnegie Endowment

Wall Street Journal Obama's Iraq Fumble By Karl Rove On national security, he's still flawed.

The End of Free Trade?
Doha's demise is a failure of economic leadership.

Why Obama Should Pick Hillary
By Lanny J. Davis

The numbers prove she can help him win. I know she can help him govern

MESH ‘Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy’

Categories of Islamism

Neocons Make Their War Aims in Iraq Clearer by Jim Lobe

Neocon Flap Highlights Jewish Divide

Foreign Policy Seven Questions: The Return of Cheap Oil?

Boston Globe Time running out for US in Iraq A TIMETABLE for the withdrawal of US troops has long been a priority for Iraqis - 70 percent want the United States out, according to the latest polls. This sentiment is also reflected in Parliament - the only directly elected branch of government. Two months ago, the political parties representing a majority sent a letter to Congress opposing any US-Iraq ... (By Bill Delahunt and Rosa DeLauro, Boston Globe)

The success of that surge

A CONVENTIONAL wisdom has emerged that, whatever one thinks about the war more broadly, the American troop "surge" in Iraq was an unequivocal success. John McCain is hotly challenging Barack Obama's claim to good judgment, citing the Illinois senator's earlier opposition to the surge and his continuing refusal to admit he was wrong. (By Andy Zelleke and Robert Dujarric, Boston Globe)

US's 'surge' in Iraq has its limits Petraeus has once again trumpeted the success of the troop "surge" in Iraq, saying violence is declining to almost "normal" levels. Factors other than the "surge", such as Iran's change of tactics, have helped stabilize Iraq. And blind belief in it sets a bad example for when the US decides to turn its full attention to the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. - Brian M Downing

Is Ukraine on the Brink of an Energy Crisis? By: Roman Kupchinsky | Eurasia Daily Monitor Come January 2009 Ukraine will, in all likelihood, begin paying Russia’s Gazprom in the range of $400 per 1,000 cubic meters for natural gas or $22 billion per year. Presently the country pays $179 per 1,000 cubic meters, or $9.9 billion per year. Will it be able to survive the new price?

Tom Barnett The Pentagon`s New Map

IHT Philip Bowring: Self-inflicted trade wounds The developing world has been ill-served by the three big countries - India, Brazil and China - which in effect represented them in the World Trade Organization's Doha Round negotiations

Financial Times Iraqi oil output rises as security improves

Iraqi oil production has risen to its highest level since the 2003 invasion on the back of improved security across the country, according to a US government report

Multilateralism not dead as a Doha The round is over and the world’s new leaders should collectively seize the chance to take the World Trade Organisation in a direction where it can regain momentum

What If Iraq Works? - Victor Davis Hanson, RealClearPolitics

Obama Has the Better Plan in Iraq - Bob Kerrey, Denver Post

Betting on Iraq in the Gulf
Council on Foreign Relations

Obama is trying to adopt Afghanistan as his war
GulfNews - By Amir Taheri

Oil Clot: There’s Oil in Iraq–But Politics, Too Wall Street Journal Blogs

H 2 WSJ Finally, a Turkish Delight The AKP wins a stay of execution but must still watch its step

FT Turkey’s AKP survives court fight The ruling party survived an attempt to oust it from power in a landmark court judgment, pulling the country back from a battle over Islam and its secular constitution

Court gives Turkey respite

The Times Leader By a Whisker

The decision not to ban Turkey's ruling party is a triumph for democracy and common sense

Turkey steps back from the brink of chaos

Guardian Leader Close shave

Editorial: Events in and around a courtroom have had a seismic effect on

A victory for democracySimon Tisdall: The decision not to ban the ruling AKP in Turkey represents a score-draw between the secular and religious forces

Turkey's governing party survives vote Political tensions ease as AKP narrowly avoids shut down for allegedly plotting an Islamic state

Turkey

Independent Turkey steps back from brink as court rules against ruling party ban

Patrick Cockburn: One battle has endedbut the war will go on

CFR Turkey's Crisis Over, For Now

Turkey's energy options - UPI.com

BBC Narrow escape Court decision on Turkey's ruling party splits opinion

NYT Turkey’s Governing Party Avoids Ban

Washington Post Turkey's Rulers Survive Secularist Challenge High Court Lets Islamic-Rooted Party Continue, but With a 'Serious Warning'

Daily Telegraph Turkish ruling party beats ban Move will do much to ease tensions in the strategically vital state. Turkey steps back from brink

LA Times Turkish court decides against ban on ruling AKP party

WSJ Turkey's Ruling Party to Stay in Power

Time Turkey Showdown Averted, For Now

Stratfor Geopolitical Diary: Turbulence and Importance in Turkey and Israel Domestic political developments within Turkey and Israel are crucial in determining the Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape

Turkey: A High Court Win for the Ruling Party

Turkey, a Phoenix Rising from Ideological Battles Past By: Fadi Hakura | The Boston Globe Turkey is trapped in the unending cycle of the deja vu: the perennial, passionate debate over the place of Islam in society.

EurasiaNet Turkey: The Truth is "Missing" in Media Coverage of Domestic Politics BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER An increasingly bitter political battle in Turkey is playing out in the country’s media outlets -- mostly owned by a handful of large corporate groups. Pro-government newspapers and television stations are facing off against pro-secularist media outlets. Each side is accusing the other of slanting the news in a way that seems to benefit their position