Monday, March 27, 2006

BULLETIN No.81

'The Syrian opposition loses its unity' By Haytham Manaa An Nahar, The Syrian human rights activist and spokesperson for the Arab Committee for Human Rights criticizes the recent National Salvation Front manifesto issued in Brussels by former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam and the leader of the exiled Muslim Brotherhood. He says the Front failed to attract any of the symbols of the opposition or any of its active political and civil powers. "God and history will only tell that bridging the gap between the Brotherhood and the Syrian democrats was not an easy task." He concludes by noting that the problem is "the Syrian opposition is losing today a symbolic unity that it had managed to achieve after the Damascus Declaration, and after a quarter of a century of pain. I don’t know how much time we will need to mend the bridges that were destabilized by Brussels."Link to full text in primary source.
Syrian Vice President to Hold Iran Talks
Syria names first ever female vice president
Syria Comment
Is a Grand Alliance Forming against Asad?
Can Lebanon fight Syria?
What is the Government's Religion Policy?
Washington Institute Lebanese National Dialogue: Avoiding the Hard Questions?
UN: Force is not the way to disarm Hizbullah By Majdoline Hatoum, UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen conceded Sunday that the UN does not expect Lebanon to disarm Hizbullah by force, saying it would be "unrealistic," but added the UN's hope the resistance party would join the army as a way of ending the presence of all militias in Lebanon. "We don't believe that it is indeed possible to go down South.
Gulf News UN hopes Hezbollah will join Lebanese army
The United Nations said yesterday it did not expect Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah fighters by force but hoped they would join the Lebanese army.

Washington Institute Israeli Parliamentary Elections Resources
BBC Abbas 'moots secret peace talks' Abbas has proposed secret peace talks with Israel, a paper quotes him as saying.
Slate Promises, Promises: Is Olmert's pledge of West Bank disengagement a bold move or just politics as usual?
Shmuel Rosner
Yedioth Ahronoth Rice to Israel: Open crossings
Jerusalem Post Middle Israel: The politicians' challenge Next week's election will herald a post-heroic, post-utopian and post-territorial political era.
'Phantom of Hamas will cast shadow on [Arab] summit'
Daily Star Breakthrough time in Israel's elections? By Rami G. Khouri
JP Ramon gives PA one year before unilateral pullout Olmert says it's inappropriate to talk about pullout time frame ahead of Tuesday's election.
Analysis: A 'West Wing' lesson for Olmert? By DAVID HOROVITZ, The disadvantage in clarifying his position is the risk that the starker position is alienating voters.
Analysis: The long shadow of Ariel Sharon
Common Ground: A two-state solution for Middle East peace
WSJ The Israel Conspiracy If Israel damages U.S. interests, why do Americans support it? By BRET STEPHENS
Israeli election briefing: political parties
Daily Star Breakthrough time in Israel's elections? By Rami G. Khouri, By a fascinating coincidence, within the short time span between next Monday and Wednesday, three separate political events will take place that may well clarify the direction in which the Arab-Israeli conflict will move in the coming years. The Palestinian government headed by Hamas is expected to be approved by Parliament on Monday.
Think Again: A test for Israel Jerusalem Post, on the dunes of Gaza beach a form of the lost Israeli soul to which Israel itself is already foreign.
Gulf News One Sharon goes, another one comes
After this week's election, there may be a new political landscape for the Israelis, but for the Palestinians it promises to be more of the same.
FT Olmert urges Israelis to ‘go and vote’ Ehud Olmert, acting prime minister, urged Israelis to “go and vote” in Tuesday’s general election amid fears that a low turnout could cost him a solid mandate to lead the next coalition government.
Bury the dead 'road map' and enable a new process By Leonard Fein, Less than three years ago, the self-styled "Quartet" of the United States, the European Union, United Nations and Russia promulgated "A Performance-based Road Map to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict."
'Phantom of Hamas will cast shadow on [Arab] summit'
Christian Science Monitor Israeli media split over report on US-Israel ties Some say Harvard report 'riddled with factual errors,' others call it important 'wake-up call.'
BBC Hamas cabinet in confidence vote
The new Hamas cabinet faces a confidence vote by the Palestinian parliament as Israel's election looms.
Hamas goes it alone
Who are Hamas?
Profile: Mahmoud Abbas
Abbas: Hamas needs 'to change policy' Daily Star, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas denied threatening to bring down Hamas' incoming government but insisted Sunday that the group must adopt more moderate stances to avoid a stalemate with his authority.
Abbas tells Hamas it must cooperate with Israel or fail Palestinian president warns new Hamas-led government that it has no future unless it agrees to deal with Israel.
Daily Star Abbas proposes 'back-channel' negotiations with Israel Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose peacemaking policies were rejected by Hamas after it won elections, said he proposed secret peace talks with Israel and believed a deal could still be reached within a year. However, interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Abbas a failed leader, casting doubt on prospects for negotiations with him.
Haaretz Abbas denies threatening Hamas but says it must moderate Hamas leader tells Israeli voters it wants to end deadlock, not seeking 'whirlpool of blood.'
Haniyeh: Hamas does not want a bloodbath
JP The Region: Hamas governs by Barry Rubin
Ha’aretz – Israeli Military Chief: Hamas Will Try to Restrain Terror to Boost Image
Washington Post Palestinian Leader to Accept Hamas Cabinet: Aide Says Abbas Seeks 'Transformation' Of Rival Party's Stance Toward Israelis
Turkey in Palestinian ploy Washington Times
Israel & The Ayatollahs - Amir Taheri, New York Post

Los Angeles Times Iran Could Make a Nuclear Bomb Within Three Years Iran, moving much faster than expected, is now just days from making the first steps toward enriching uranium, diplomatic sources say.
In Iran, Conservatives Warn Against Extremes
Politics have shifted so sharply to the right in the country that some fear the dangers of radicalism.
Iran's nuclear ambitions Harvard University Gazette
UPI Interview: The Iranian nuclear crisis

Independent Battle for Baghdad 'has already started' The battle between Sunni and Shia Muslims for control of Baghdad has already started, say Iraqi leaders
Daily Star The horrendous costs of an American failure in Iraq By Judith S. Yaphe
Washington Post Washington Post Russians Gave Iraq Information, Study Says Details on U.S. troop movements and attack plans were given to Saddam Hussein in the early days of the Iraq war, according to a U.S. military study.
Weekly Standard Rumors of Civil War Iraq can be saved from civil war--if the United States keeps its nerve. by Frederick W. Kagan & William Kristol
How to Stop a Civil War By Michael O'Hanlon
The Post and the Whole Picture in Iraq By Deborah Howell

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