BULLETIN No.118

Ha’aretz – Schiff To fulfill the American promise The question now facing Israel is what Jerusalem is doing to fill with content the promises made by Bush, Cheney and Rice to defend Israelm in case of an attack from Iran.
Hamas' contradictory voices The political texts of Hamas indicate that at present the organization is not fundamentalist.
Arab League blasts terms set by West for ties with Palestinians
UPI Commentary: Israel's unilateral peace plan By Arnaud de Borchgrave
New Republic Why Ehud Olmert didn't need American political consultantsby Brian Goldsmith
The Economist The Palestinian territories
A high-wire act
Daily Star Is a Palestinian civil war the best the US can do? By David Hirst
Decoding Hizbullah's bombing of Safad By Nicholas Blanford
Yedioth Ahronoth Bush briefs Olmert on Iran
British anti-Semitism/ Gilboa
Foreign Policy Seven Questions: The State of Palestine - Since Hamas’s victory in January, the economy in the West Bank and Gaza has plummeted, and tensions are rising between the new ruling party and President Mahmoud Abbas. Ziad Abu Zayyad, former legislator and Palestinian Authority minister of state, spoke to FP about Hamas’s leaders, why they came to power, and the prospects for peace.
JINSA Israel’s Navy Steps Up to Security Challenge in Wake of Gaza. Pull-Out
Ha’aretz Bush alerted Olmert on U.S. decision to talk with Iran
Analysis: How to deal with Iran, Hamas?
Hamas has Israel linkIsmail Haniyeh, the Palestinian Hamas prime minister, does not recognise Israel. But three of his sisters enjoy full Israeli citizenship.

Facing Iran through Syria first By Sarkis Naoum An Nahar, 5/25/2006US will confront it indirectly through Syria because it knows that the Syrian regime has become an indispensable part of the Iranian strategy and its danger to the surrounding area has become very large. Link to full text in primary source.
Asia Times Feeling comfortable in Damascus So far, 2006 has been a pleasant year for Syria. Bogged down in Iraq and obsessed with Iran, the US no longer snipes at Damascus or makes veiled threats about regime change. Syria's influence in Palestine was enhanced by the victory of Hamas, and a new UN prosecutor takes a more balanced look at the Hariri affair. - Sami Moubayed
Gulf News Is Syria's eastward drift viable? News. After three years of sustained Western pressure that almost shocked the regime, Syria seems to have decided to head eastward.
Jerusalem Post Syria: 5 dead when army forces, operatives clash Security forces killed four militants, wounded two and arrested four, Fayez Sayegh, director-general of Syria's state-run radio and television said.
IRINnews.SYRIA: Secular Syria allows Islam to flourish - “We like to study the Qu’ran,” explains the third Muhammad, also a resident of Syria’s second city, “because it’s our religion.”.
Kurdish state is ’red line’ for Syria, too (KurdishMedia.com)
Syria Comment
France Offers Syria a Deal
More Economic Pressure on Syria (May 31, 2006)
Lebanon Seeks Way to Disarm Palestinian Militia Groups

New York Times Bush's Realization on Iran: No Good Choice Left Except Talks
Some questioned whether President Bush's bid to join talks with Iran over its nuclear program was an offer intended to fail.
Washington Post Six Powers Reach Accord On Iran Plan U.S. Supports Combination Of Incentives, 'Disincentives'
UPI Turning point in Iran crisis?
Reaching Out to Iran Research on Gas Victims May Offer a Bridge By David Ignatius
Slate Diplomatic Overtures: What the latest U.S. and Iranian statements really mean. Fred Kaplan
WSJ Condi's Iran Gambit Ahmadinejad gets the direct talks he wanted.
Heritage Foundation Giving Iran One Last Chance by James Phillips
U.S. agrees to talks with Iran if it suspends uranium enrichment
Ehsan Ahrari Here Come “Carrots” for Iran
Washington Times: Iran 'war games' Iran's military plans for invasion by U.S.
Washington Post U.S. to Join Talks With Iran if Enrichment Stops
06:14 PM Chris Nelson on US-Iran talks

Washington Institute Rebuilding Iraq: The Way Ahead Ambassador James Jeffrey and Maj. Gen. William McCoy
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Insurgency Out, Anarchy In The insurgency in Iraq is in its "last throes." Unfortunately, it's being replaced by anarchy in many neighborhoods — not democracy.
Tearing Iraq Apart By THOMAS X. HAMMES To keep Iraq unified, the White House must commit to long timelines and to providing the money necessary for both the military and reconstruction efforts.
BBC New 'Iraq massacre' tape emerges The BBC obtains new video evidence that US troops may have deliberately killed 11 Iraqi civilians in March.
Los Angeles Times Will civil war bring lasting peace to Iraq?
By Edward N. Luttwak History shows civil wars must be fought without foreign interference before stability prevails

CFR Tenuous US-Turkish Relations
Brookings NATO's Growing Role in the Greater Middle East Paper by Philip H. Gordon