BULLETIN No.176

Gulf News Will the Lebanon circus end?
It may if the March 14 movement and Hezbollah accept the power sharing plan proposed by Amr Mousa. The Lebanese don't know what the future holds, given the open-ended political crisis that has gripped the nation.
Dar Al Hayat This is Lebanon
Zuheir Kseibati - For those who do not know the politicians, or do not listen: let them try for once to listen to the Lebanese citizens, when they say they prefer separation rather than a forcible union that generates only the culture of hatred! Let them try!
Managing The Crisis in Lebanon
Walid Choucair - If Tehran is engaged in ‘managing time’ to fend off the US pressures, as Stated by Dr. Ali Larijani, then Hezbollah’s relentless mobilization under Iranian-backed slogans will not serve this mission. Hence, the party is in a dire need to manage the internal crisis differently, especially since it is playing a critical role in this internal crisis.
Jerusalem Post Pro-Hizbullah supporters take to streetsScattered violence reported in ongoing effort to topple Saniora.
S. Lebanon: Villagers altercate with UN peacekeepers By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yedioth Ahranot Protesters block Beirut roads Thousands of opposition supporters begin general strike called by Hizbullah leader Nasrallah to topple Lebanese government; major highways blocked with burning tires, army troops move in to remove obstacles
New York Times Veteran of Lebanon Campaigns Is Set to Lead Israeli Army By GREG MYRE
A former infantry officer who commanded Israeli troops against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon for many years was appointed as the military’s new chief of staff.
Israel names Lebanon veteran as new army chief
A former Israeli general with years of experience fighting Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas has been chosen as the chief of armed forces, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said in a statement on Monday.
Vision of Rebuilding Lebanon Wanes
The Saturday Profile: An Enigmatic Wild Card in Lebanon’s High-Stakes Politics
WP Hezbollah Widens Anti-Government Campaign: Protest Opens Promised Phase of Daily Demonstrations in Lebanese Capital
BBC Protesters barricade Beirut roads
Thousands of Lebanese opposition supporters block major roads in Beirut in support of a strike call.
Pressure builds for reform
In pictures: Beirut protests
The Lebanese crisis explained

The Economist Israel and Syria Why can't they just make peace?
Yedioth Ahronoth 'Assad called your bluff' Ibrahim Suleiman, negotiator in secret Israeli-Syrian talks, in exclusive interview with Ynet, reveals details of diplomatic contacts, peace proposal; says Syria serious about talks, blames US for torpedoing previous peace efforts
NRO MICHAEL LEDEEN: Was that tough-on-Iran-and-Syria talk just for show? “The Little-Bit-Pregnant Policy”
Der Spiegel Secret Middle East Talks: How Israel Passed Up a Chance for Peace with Syria
Yedioth Ahranot Talk to Syria, Isolate Iran
For Western countries, prime benefit of engaging Syria is isolating Iran
Washington Institute The Case Against Talks By Ehud Yaari
Syrian president Bashar al-Asad is apparently proposing peace talks with Israel. His aides are knocking at Ehud Olmert's door, from a distance. They exhort him to believe that their intentions are...
Iran Finances Pro-Assad Militias in Syria
Syrian Oil Production Dropped a Third Since 1996 (SANA-Syria)
Syria Comment Reactions to Revelations of Israeli-Syrian Unofficial Peace Negotiations
Israeli and Syrian Citizens Wrote Plan for Returning Golan Heights

Herzliya Conference Series on the Balance of Israel’s National Security January 21-24, 2007. Program Live VOD Speakers
Should Israel bomb Iran?William Rees-Mogg discusses both sides of the debate and invites your views

IHT Withdrawal is not an option HENRY A. KISSINGER Bush's bold decision to order a "surge" of American troops for Iraq has brought the debate over the war to a defining stage. There will not be opportunity for another reassessment.
Washington Post A Plausible Plan B By Charles KrauthammerThe Pentagon should be working on a sustainable Plan B whose major element would be not so much a drawdown of troops as a drawdown of risk to our troops. If we had zero American casualties a day, there would be as little need to withdraw from Iraq as there is to withdraw from the Balkans.

PINR "Intelligence Brief: Tensions Increase Between Iran and Saudi Arabia" Full text of report
Wall Street Journal How Rice Uses History Lessons Condoleezza Rice often cites the history of the Cold War to explain and justify the Bush administration's Middle East policy, leaving some scholars baffled.
Sunni allies give ‘qualified support’ for Bush’s Iraq strategy