BULLETIN No.177

Syria Ups Army Infrastructure Along Border With Israel
SyriaComment Saudis and Syrians …Brothers or Rivals?
Has a Lebanon Deal Been Clinched?

UPI Analysis: Lebanon coup jitters
Daily Star All of Bush's talk about helping Lebanon is just that - talk

Editorial: Israel must not reject the hand offered by S. Arabia
UPI Analysis: Who really makes Israeli policy?
Israeli and US Strikes on Iran: A Speculative Analysis Center for Strategic & International Studies
Washington Times Spy chief sees Hamas driven to Tehran The international community's decision to cut off financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government has helped drive Hamas into the embrace of Iran, the chief of Israel's domestic spy agency said yesterday.
Israeli Says Iran Is Training Hamas Men
Abbas: EU is pro-Israel, discriminates against PA
IDF: Comptroller's report is full of errors
Only ending the Arab-Israeli conflict will turn PM into a great leader
Burston: The BBC poll - Israel as Satan's bastard child
Eldar What Arab initiative?
Schiff The home front is not prepared
Jerusalem Post Our World: Israel's man in Mecca
Washington Times Spy chief sees Hamas driven to Tehran The international community's decision to cut off financial aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government has helped drive Hamas into the embrace of Iran, the chief of Israel's domestic spy agency said yesterday.
From Bad to Unthinkable - Mortimer B. Zuckerman (U.S. News)
Brothers in Arms: Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - Pinhas Inbari (ICA/JCPA)
Yedioth Ahronoth 'Israel behind PA poverty' Human rights organization B'Tselem presents comprehensive report on how Israel harms Palestinians' economy, livelihood. Report gives testimonies of abuse by soldiers at checkpoints, claims complaints are mostly ignored
'Iran trains Hamas militants'

Shin Bet chief: Training of operatives in Iran 'strategic danger' worse than arms smuggling
Israel seeks civilian nuclear power
Small But Important Steps on Iran, Hezbollah and Argentina

Washington Post Washington at War Is There a Plan B? No U.S. Backup Strategy For Iraq Outside Experts, Not White House, Discuss Options. Eager to appear resolute and reluctant to provide fodder for skeptics, U.S. officials rebuff questions about failure with a mix of optimism and evasion
How to Stop Genocide in Iraq By: Samantha Power Los Angeles Times What is needed to stave off even greater carnage than we see today is neither assuming massacres won't happen nor suspending thought until the surge has demonstrably failed in six months — at which point other options may no longer be viable. Rather, we must announce our intention to depart and use the intervening months to prioritize civilian protection by pursuing a bold set of measures combining political pressure, humanitarian relocation and judicial deterrence.
Independent Ali Allawi: The Occupation of Iraq We won the war, but lost the peace. In this exclusive extract from his definitive history of the conflict in Iraq, Ali Allawi explains how the conquering armies allowed victory to give way to anarchy
Rice picks neo-con champion on Iraq In a surprising move, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has appointed Eliot Cohen, a prominent neo-conservative hawk, to the post of State Department counselor. Perhaps she is just protecting her flank from criticism on the right as she pursues a more "realistic" diplomacy in the Middle East. - Jim Lobe
Fighting for Iraq’s Culture By MATTHEW BOGDANOSOur failure to appreciate the importance Iraqis place on their history has added to the chaos faced by our troops.
Parley's No Sellout By: Amir Taheri New York Post Contrary to the impression left by many, this coming weekend's international conference in Baghdad has nothing to do with last year's Baker-Hamilton panel. It's an idea first launched by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in 2005, and recently adopted by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Neighboring Countries 'Must Do More'
Iraq's deputy foreign minister discusses the government's expectations for an upcoming meeting of neighboring countries and other powers in Baghdad
Independent Ali Allawi: The Occupation of Iraq We won the war, but lost the peace. In this exclusive extract from his definitive history of the conflict in Iraq, Ali Allawi explains how the conquering armies allowed victory to give way to anarchy

The Pentagon plays war games with Iran Leaked reports of a recent Pentagon meeting only add to the mounting evidence that the US is preparing to attack Iran. In this context the recent "surge" of US troops is not meant to pacify Baghdad but to contain Iraqi Shi'ite fury in response to air strikes on Iran. George W Bush doesn't want to have to go to Syria and Iran and "ask for anything". - Gareth Porter
Christian Science Monitor Momentum for more Iran sanctions
The UN Security Council takes up the issue this week, ratcheting up pressure on Tehran