BULLETIN No.100

Economist Intelligence Unit Syria political/economic forecast 2006-07
Daily Star Brammertz holds first meeting with Assad By Leila Hatoum UN chief investigator into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, Serge Brammertz, headed to Syria Tuesday where he held "two separate meetings with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa," according to a UN spokesperson. After a great deal of "did he or didn't he go?"
FT Assad meets UN 'Hariri probe' chief The head of the United Nations commission investigating the assassination last year of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri yesterday met Bashar Assad
Gulf News Bashar interviewed by Brammertz in Hariri murder case
UN investigator Serge Brammertz interviewed President Bashar Al Assad yesterday over Syria's alleged role in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, UN officials said.
Jerusalem Post Head of Hariri probe to interview Assad
The Times Syrian leader quizzed over Hariri murder
UN Hariri panel questions Assad
ChamPress
A year after pullout I
A year after pullout II
Syria and Turkey to Develop Cooperation
Daily Star Lebanon's competitive political process needs a referee
Dar Al-Hayat On Fouad Siniora and his Policy
Hazem Saghieh - PM Siniora acts as if the State comes first and last. At this point, we can perhaps understand why some 'physicians', well-versed in the art of hating and destroying the State, insist on 'testing the blood' of Siniora. How could Siniora be so much in tune with his environment and milieu - thanks to Hariri's blood - as was the case with Sami al-Solh?!

Poll: Most Palestinians want talks with Israel
Daily Star Israel has nothing to lose by somehow talking to Hamas By Galia Golan
UPI BMD Watch: Israel raises Iran alert level
Dar Al-Hayat Abbas's Stick
Zuheir Kseibati - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ abstention from using his constitutional right to overthrow the Hamas-led government, does not mean he will not resort to this surgical maneuver if the government does not agree to engage in a dialogue with Israel. Abu Mazen may still remember that he was among those who defended Hamas’s right to have a chance to strike a balance between resistance and power.
Gulf News Abbas 'will never let civil war occur'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday said that clashes between gunmen loyal to Hamas and his Fatah group were of concern, but added that he would "never let a civil war occur."
Abbas: Meshal is a 'civil war monger'
Sources: U.S. won't view pullout line as final border
Olmert: Elections a referendum on my plan
Palestinian ministry shoot-out
UPI Common Ground: An Israeli-Arab optimist By JOSEPH FLESH"As an Arab-Israeli, I have seen that in order for there to be equality we have to be in the system," declares Jawdat Ibrahim, sitting in his restaurant
Arab League vows to give Hamas funds

FT Iran’s president dismisses fears of Mideast crisis Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran’s president, defiantly dismissed talk of crisis in the Middle East as the deadline approaches for Tehran to meet a UN Security Council demand that it suspend its nuclear programme.
Time To Talk With Iran By Robert E. Hunter
Gulf News Tehran's trump card
Iran's key ally in the current nuclear crisis is not Russia or China. It's oil. Tehran can easily drive up prices and is already beginning to do so to rattle the West.
New York Times The Nuclear Option By WILLIAM SWEET The United States should rely more on nuclear power.
CFR Reading Ahmadinejad in Tehran
What We Know About Iran by David Isenberg

Washington Post In Iraq's Choice, A Chance For Unity David Ignatius So what should the world make of Iraq's new prime minister, Jawad al-Maliki? What chance will his new government have of containing the sectarian violence in Iraq and averting a full-blown civil war?
FT Iraq’s pragmatic new leader is ready to deliver Iraqi PM-designate Jawad al-Maliki said he hoped to form a government in two weeks – a move that would bring to a rapid close the political crisis that has paralysed government decision-making for almost five months.
Asia Times Iraq's next premier: Spot the difference He looks like, thinks like and acts like his hapless predecessor. He brings to the job all of Jaafari's weaknesses and none of his strengths.
Dar Al-Hayat Between the Status Quo in Iraq and Saddam's Rule: The Worst Democracy is Better than the Best Dictatorship!
Akram al-Bonni - It is not true that the worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship, but turmoil and division are the outcome of what prevailed during Saddam’s era. Aspects of the moral deterioration are nothing but a reflection of the former regime’s practices and its narrow, destructive culture.

Dar Al-Hayat Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood on the Verge of a New Phase - Interview with Salem Falahat, The General Regulator of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. (Part II of II)
Hazem al Amin - The Brotherhood created many channels until it became possible to talk about a completely “Brotherhood-based” area of life in Jordan, beginning with schools and moving to charitable and sporting associations. The Brotherhood’s pragmatism in Jordan is linked to the group’s involvement in various facets of life. But moving this “daily life” pragmatism to the realm of politics will clash with the harshness of Jordan’s political institutions, which won’t tolerate this pragmatism.
Islamic Terror / Egypt's failure
Analysis: Sinai likely to be hit again
Christian Science Monitor A resurgence of Egypt's militant Islamists The third Sinai blast in 18 months shows the strength of domestic terror groups.
Daily Star Better mainstream Islamists than Al-QaedaBy Rami G. Khouri

Christian Science Monitor Kurds angle for independence Oil revenue could increase Iraqi Kurds' economic distance from Baghdad.
NYT U.S. Will Help Turks Stop Kurdish Inroads From Iraq
Der Spiegel KURDISH INTIFADA? Clashes in Southeastern Turkey on the Rise Spiegel Online