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H1 New York Times Obama Takes Aim at Bush and McCain With a Forceful Call to Change America Senator Barack Obama told tens of thousands of Democrats gathered at Invesco Field that he could repair “broken politics.” Text: Obama’s Speech Video

Washington Post The Perfect Stranger By Charles Krauthammer Democrats may start wondering who exactly they married last night.

Obama Rekindles the Flame By E. J. Dionne Jr., Obama will stand or fall on his ability to rekindle a sense of possibility and aspiration.

CNN: Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war

Gallup Daily: Obama Moves Ahead, 48% to 42%

Cheney to Give Georgia More US Reassurances

Russia Announces Increased Naval Presence in Syria -

The Times Iraq's Sticky Future Kurds and Arabs must find a way to share their natural wealth

Divided Kirkuk faces up to curse of oil 'Smoke, dirt and occupation' plague the Iraqi city that sits on of one of the world's biggest oil reserves

Analysis: Kremlin sees a threat, Nato an exercise To Russia, the Western naval presence looks threatening, but the ships are all involved in preplanned training and exercising

Navigating the new global archipelago The Georgia crisis reveals new rules of international diplomacy. Obama had better learn them fast Nader Mousavizadeh

U.S. Energy Interests and the Caspian: The Free Ride Is Over By: Peter Kiernan | World Politics Review While control over routes for the export of oil and gas to Western markets was clearly not the primary cause of the recent hostilities between Moscow and Tbilisi, the vital role of the Caucasus as an energy transit route nevertheless cannot be ignored in the context of Russia's increasingly tense relationship with the United States and its European allies.

IHT William Pfaff: Saakashvili's folly Blaming Russia avoids acknowledging the real damage that President Mikheil Saakashvili has done to the United States, NATO and to Georgia itself.

Christian Science Monitor

Void in U.S. strategy for Afghanistan As officials consider sending more troops to Afghanistan, some worry about the lack of a larger plan.

Farewell to world peace? The Georgian conflict ended 1,716 days of no war between nations. But trends favor peace.

West mulls few options in Georgia-Russia crisis It gingerly considers how to set consequences for Russia and maintain cooperation.

Russia trifles with genocide A 2005 UN mandate that allows invasions to end genocides cannot be claimed by Moscow.

TNI Kosovo Precedent
Prevails by Ted Galen Carpenter

ANALYSIS-EU energy reliance on Russia to grow after Georgia

Financial Times Putin maps the boundaries of greater Russia Moscow’s invasion of Georgia points to a retreat from integration and a preference for force over rules. Russia’s neighbours are told they can be vassals or enemies. Mr Medvedev boasts Russia is ready for another cold war, writes Philip Stephens

Russia fails to secure regional backing Dmitry Medvedev, Russian president, failed to win support from China or the former Soviet republics of central Asia in his deepening dispute with the west over military action in Georgia

Putin blames US provocation Russia’s prime minister accused the US of provoking the conflict between Russia and Georgia, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington

Time to pay the bill? Notions of economic decoupling from the west are being debunked as economic and other problems push down stock prices across the developing world - but for how long?

EU must give Kiev accession hope It is not enough to warn that Russia might try to build on its military victory in Georgia by targeting Ukraine. The west should respond – and the EU must play a big role

Kremlin counters fears of domino effect Some experts say the most important lesson learned by the Caucasus peoples from the conflict in Georgia is that Russia has the strength and arbitrariness to ensure its will is carried out

EU states consider delaying Russia talks Governments may react to the attempted dismemberment of Georgia by postponing the next round of talks with Moscow on a long-term partnership agreement, EU diplomats said

Chaos Fills Void Left by Mahdi Army Departure

Iraqi PM Changes Team Negotiating US Troops Pact

Brass Secretly Meet With Pakistanis on Carrier

Obama Could Open Early Iran Nuclear Talks: Adviser

IRAN:Conservatives divided over presidential candidate

The Economist Iraq Leave as soon as you sensibly can Iraqis naturally want their country back, and should have it as soon as they think they are ready

Russia and Georgia South Ossetia is not Kosovo Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia cannot be justified by a bogus comparison to Kosovo

America’s nuclear deal with India

Time to decide There should be no exemption for India from the world’s nuclear rules

Wall Street Journal U.S. Reviews Its Ties With Russia The U.S. has put "under review" bilateral talks with Russia focused on missile defense and nuclear disarmament as part of a broader re-evaluation, escalating its response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.

Biden Wanted to Break Up Iraq By Dan Senor
The senator's biggest foreign policy initiative appears to have vanished from his -- and Barack Obama's -- memory.

Russia and the New Axis of Evil
By Arthur Herman The West has to confront the oil-rich dictatorships.

Will Turkey Abandon NATO?
By Zeyno Baran On Georgia, Ankara must choose between Russia and the West

Newsweek Dickey: Obama’s Diplomacy, McCain’s National Security

What is Wrong with Secularism of all Sorts? Priority for Democracy

Time The New Gambit: Moscow's View

Asia Times Maliki picks a date with destiny Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has put himself on the line by insisting that all American troops leave the country by the end of 2010, as a precondition to signing a security accord with the US. Maliki's stance, clearly influenced by Iran, is unacceptable to Washington. Something has to give. - Sami Moubayed

Tehran exploits US-Russian tensions Iran's geopolitical leverage has increased sharply as a result of the West's faceoff with Russia over Georgia. Tehran is potentially a valuable ally for either side in Cold War II, and for now it is cleverly keeping its options open - while the price for its cooperation rises. - Jim Lobe

Punishing Russia could prove costly In response to Russia's recognition of independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the West is chanting "cold war". Moscow's position is, if friendship with the West can only be bought by ignoring pleas from kindred nations, Russia cannot afford such friends. Cold war or not, the time of a politically correct Russia is over. - Mikhail Molchanov

Guardian Putin accuses US over Georgia crisis Russian PM says Georgia war has been cooked up in Washington to create a neo-cold war climate

Belligerent bluster Editorial: When the Georgian artillery opened up with a barrage on Tskhinvali, it wasn't just the Russian tanks that were shattered

Anbar back to Iraqis as al-Qaida ousted Increase in police numbers credited with helping to bring stability to formerly dangerous province

The recognition game Ian Bancroft: As predicted, Kosovo's declaration of independence has reverberated around the world – most thunderously in Georgia

Ha’aretz – ANALYSIS / Assad working post-Georgia world to his advantage As America's standing erodes, Syrian President sells country to highest bidder after long int'l isolation

Avineri Welcome to history After the communist intermezzo, both Russia and China are returning to the bosom of their history.

Abbas: All Palestinians should be given right to return home

Jerusalem Post Victory of Hamas 'warlords and thugs' may hamper Schalit effort

"Young guard", most of whom are affiliated with the group's armed wing, win big gains in the Shura Council - a major decision-making body.

Yedioth Ahronoth US: 63% support Israeli strike in Iran

Assad slapped in the face/ Bechor Syrian leader thought Cold War is back, but Russia made it clear Assad was wrong

Iraq's Sadr extends militia truce Iraq's influential Shia cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, indefinitely extends a truce being observed by his Mehdi Army militia

Russian assault unites Georgia behind Saakashvili

Russian Tests Beat Anti-Missile Systems

LA Times What's NATO worth? Michael C. Moynihan says it offers security against Russian aggression. Andrew Meier says it's an obsolete alliance

Vladimir Putin enters the picture, seeking to salvage Russia from the chaos and mass poverty of the Yeltsin era. Oil helped him out... more»

Justin Raimondo
Obama's Cheney

America’s foreign-policy election , Godfrey Hodgson

How Much Does the Middle East Matter?

Amir Taheri Pakistan's Rough Road Ahead - Asharq Alawsat

H 2

WSJ Will Turkey Abandon NATO?
By Zeyno Baran On Georgia, Ankara must choose between Russia and the West