BULLETIN No.98

Foreign Affairs The End of Israel's Dream — or Nightmare? by Tom Segev
Israel preparing to retake Gaza Strip
Israel to target 'terrorists' in Hamas-led government
The Economist Hamas and the world Isolated, in its violent corner
Washington Times Will Hamas moderate? (Joel Himelfarb)
UPI Analysis: Jordan also pressures Hamas
Hamas in Charge A terrorist government, elected or not, deserves no support from America.
Abbas vetoes Hamas police Wanted militant named to lead new force but the Palestinian president blocks the attempt.
BBC Hamas defies 'security force' ban The Hamas government defies a veto on its plan to form a shadow Palestinian security force led by a top militant
Abbas and Hamas Clash Over Militant in Security Post
Jerusalem Post 'Mashaal's remarks do not reflect Hamas's position'
Hamas' Short Reign Troubled by Debt, Disarray In control of the Palestinian Authority for less than a month, the Islamist group is already struggling more than critics had predicted.
UPI Common Ground: Avoiding failure with Hamas By ROBERT MALLEY
Gulf News Hamas and Sudan reject Bin Laden calls
Hamas and Sudanese leaders have rejected criticisms purportedly made by Osama Bin Laden on an audio tape released by Al Jazeera on Sunday.
Abbas Hamas’ın Ankara ziyareti yanlış değil; ben de destek veriyorum
Der Spiegel JEWISH CARICATURE CONTEST Kosher Anti- Semites Following the outrage over the Muhammad caricatures published in Western newspapers, Israeli artists staged a contest. They were looking for the best anti-Semitic cartoons.
Olmert accuses Syria and Iran of involvement in Tel Aviv bombing
Israelis get civilian PM and defence minister · Labour leader Peretz in charge of armed forces · Coalition will focus on West Bank pullback
Labour chief set to become Israel's defence minister

Newsweek A Dangerous Dance Lebanon's PM rips Israel and criticizes Syria. ... Lebanon is struggling to emerge as a democratic country—free from Syria's grip.
Syria Comment Syrian Relations with Iraq - Better than Ever
Siniora: Lebanese-Syrian relations face 'major challenges' By Majdoline Hatoum - Lebanese Premier Fouad Siniora said Friday that Lebanese-Syrian bilateral relations are currently facing "major challenges," and added that the issues of reaching an agreement over demarcating borders and establishing diplomatic relations with Syria "should not be underestimated." Addressing the UN Security Council on Friday, Siniora said:
Forbes Lebanon Challenges Syria on Relations Lebanon's prime minister challenged Syria on Friday to show it accepts true independence in its smaller neighbor by establishing diplomatic relations and
Lebanese PM: Al-Assad threatened Hariri CNN International - Fouad Siniora stops short of saying Syria was involved in the assassination of Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon tribunal UN and Lebanon gear up to try Rafik Hariri's assassins
Newsweek Q&A: Lebanon's Prime Minister on Israel, Syria
UN's Annan Calls on Syria, Iran To End Hizballah Support Washington File By Judy Aita - United Nations – Secretary-General Kofi Annan again has called on Syria and Iran to stop interfering in Lebanon
Daily Star Hizbullah needs a new strategy to get its message across Although political parties around the world struggle to get their messages across, few parties are as misunderstood as Lebanon's Hizbullah. Always in the international spotlight, Hizbullah has been grossly mislabeled by the world media and Western states as a terrorist organization. But even in Lebanon, where its legitimacy as a resistance movement is rarely disputed, the party is often boxed into one of two categories:

Ha’aretz – Report: Iran may tempt Mideast to go nuclear Top secret report addresses strategic issues, recommends Israel maintain policy of nuclear ambiguity
UPI Commentary: Talking to Tehran At least three unofficial Iranian emissaries have been in Washington this spring with the same recommendation: Send a high-ranking current or former U.S. official to Qom for secret talks with Ayatollah Ali Khameini. By Arnaud de Borchgrave
Financial Times US and UK develop democracy strategy for Iran A newly created Iran Syria Operations Group inside the State Department is co-ordinating the work and reporting to Elizabeth...
Asia Times Deadly serious war games If Washington is seriously considering attacking Iran, why is it doing so much to trumpet its intent, even providing details of the kinds of weapons it plans to use and staging war games with Iran as the target? It would be easy to dismiss the public posturing of the Bush administration as bluster and saber-rattling - but it would be folly to do so. - Ehsan Ahrari
Mother Jones Iran: The Day After by Phyllis Bennis
Iran is Behind the Soaring Price of Gas - Christopher Dickey, Newsweek
Here we go again, in Iran By Zbigniew Brzezinski The Bush administration must turn down the rhetoric and start a dialogue
The Times The madness of bombing Iran Robert Skidelsky As our leaders soften us up for a new war, the arguments we can’t afford to ignore
Time A Financial Hit on Iran? The U.S. is preparing a new tactic to pressure Iran over its nuclear program: targeting the banks and companies it does business with
Gulf News Iran and the real threat to stability
If Tehran were to go nuclear, it will diminish Israel's ability to bully its neighbours and continue its aggression with impunity

Washington Post New Nominee Chosen For Iraq PM Al-Maliki Opposed Hussein And the U.S.-Led Invasion
Iraq After Jaafari - Tony Karon, Time
CFR The New Face of Iraq's Government
BBC Shia stalwart A profile of the man nominated to lead Iraq, Jawad al-Maliki
IHT The missing middle class SAMI ZUBAIDA Rebuilding the middle class is crucial for democracy in Iraq.
MEPC A Shia Crescent: What Fallout for the US? pdf5
Reidar Visser “Centralism in Iraq: Anachronism from the British Mandate or a Viable Alternative for the Future?”
Middle East Policy Journal Exiting Iraq: Competing Strategies Thomas R. Mattair full text here.
Newsweek The U.S. Military Preps for Long Stay in Iraq Don't dream about full exits. The military is in Iraq for the long haul.
Independent Patrick Cockburn: Washington should accept Iraq as a Shia state
Editorial Iraq's Step Forward At last there is agreement on a new prime minister. But the politicians still lag behind the killers.
New start for Iraq? The huge challenges a new government in Iraq faces Iraq, seeking unity
Politicians say that the prime minister's real test will be disarming sectarian militias and ending the violence in Iraq
Prospect Breaking up Iraq Gareth Stansfield
New York Times Shiites Settle on Pick for Iraqi Premier
The decision to nominate Jawad al-Maliki, a hard-line Shiite leader, could resolve Iraq's political deadlock.
Iraq: don't pull out, break up David Goodhart Iraq's fragmentation cannot be avoided, but it can be managed.

Great powers in the Middle East
Russia is not a piece of furniture
China pledges help to stabilise the Middle East China, the world's second-largest oil consumer after the US, needs to build strong ties with its main supplier, Saudi Arabia
Japan: Wooing the Middle East
Dar Al-Hayat Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood on the Verge of a New Phase - An interview with Zaki Saad, Secretary General of Jordan’s Islamic Action Front. (Part I of II)
Hazem al Amin - While Jordan is considered a chief ally of the White House in its war on terror, this ally senses the danger of America’s tilt toward allowing Islamist movements to take power. A visitor to Jordan can note the change in roles. The pro-Hamas wing of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood is called “the Fourth Current,” after members of the doves, centrists and hard-line groups took positions in the leadership.
Distance Grows Between Middle East, US Washington Post - The economic rift that opened between the Middle East and the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has widened into a chasm.
Washington Times Editorial Turkey and the Kurds
Islam in the Big House How radical Muslims took over the American prison system. by Stephen Schwartz