BULLETIN No. 197

The Truth About Syria FPRI A US article discussing the futility of negotiating with Syria
Washington Institute Syria's Export of Terrorism to Lebanon: Threat and Response
Iraqi Refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic: A Field-Based Snapshot Source: The Brookings Institution Full Report (PDF; 434 KB)
Washington Times Staring at Syria By Louis Rene Beres and Paul E. Vallely Israel should resist annexation
Yedioth Ahronoth Don't trust Syrian opposition Assad ready to cut off Tehran; exiles who say otherwise deceiving us, Alon Liel says
Benn In the land of Alibi The government and the army are chattering endlessly about the chances of peace and the dangers of war with Syria, and then they explain that it's all hot air and accuse the media of exaggerations and irresponsible reports.
The Golan is Israeli By Nadav Shragai The Golan is not Syrian. Syria can get a great deal from peace, not necessarily territory. Israel has a window of opportunity to explain this to the world, to leverage the Israeli narrative on the Golan.
Etzioni The Syrian poison capsule Israel must make it clear that the Palestinian state that will be established in the wake of a peace arrangement will be demilitarized and that there will be a need for effective enforcement methods to keep it so.
Damascus and Tehran's Wager on a Bargain Policy with Washington Raghida Dergham - The Lebanese government has, for the first time, submitted reports of the Lebanese army to the UN. They prove with figures and dates Syria’s involvement in the military reinforcements received by the terrorist Fatah al-Islam.
Syria: War with Israel won't be conventional
Doing Nothing Is An Option - Assad Can't Reform Syria Or He'll Lose His Regime
Al Awsat Is Syria Ready for Peace? : Tariq Alhomayed
Syria, Israel and the Forgotten Peace : Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
Mission unusual Ian Black Syria and Israel should be encouraged to overcome their deep mutual suspicions and return to the negotiating table.
Syrian official: We are ready to resume peace talks with Israel
Syria ready to discuss land for peaceDeputy FM stresses Syria's determination to regain the Golan Heights.
Syria denies rumors of secret talks, calls for new negotiations Syria's UN envoy says Damascus supports Arab peace initiative, urges U.S. involvement in peace talks.
'Take Hamas out of the game' Prime minister in Washington to meet with US president Tuesday; Olmert expected to ask Bush to fortify Abbas to make sure Hamas is neutralized; leaders also likely to discuss possible renewal of peace talks with Syria Full Story . . .
DEBKAfile’s Military sources: Iran and Syria are the winners of Hamas’ military coup against Fatah in Gaza Strip
Standing Up to Killers Syria Must Answer for Its Murders in Lebanon By Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Enough is enough with the Syrian regime and its Lebanese puppets.
Turkish official denies mediation in Israel-Syria secret talks
Al Hayat Between The Two 'Refraining' Sides Zuheir Ksiebati - The problem with Iran and Syria is that pressure provokes them to challenge, and that any attempt to test them would not be equal to 'changing their conducts' for any guarantee.
Turkey/Syria Confronts Iran/Kurds/USThe Conservative Voice
Millions of desperate Iraqis stream into Syria By Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers Nobody used the word "crisis" when the first wave of Iraqis fled the war and settled here. Most came with deep savings accounts and connections to well-placed Damascus businessmen.
CEPS Political Islam in Syria

Arab Troops to Lebanon? Walid Choucair - Pending their success, dispatching Arab troops to Lebanon and to the Syrian border may be a step towards promoting the Arab concern for Lebanon to a new level.
Army finds new role in Lebanon Since Syria’s withdrawal the military has undergone at least a partial rehabilitation. It is increasingly seen as one of the few neutral institutions in a polarised country and as a last line of defence against rampant insecurity.
IsraPundit Just How Many Wars Will There Be In Lebanon This Summer?'The Syrian people will emulate the Cedar Revolution'
Lebanon army fights islamist refugees Heavy fighting erupted between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants at a Palestinian camp which has been the battleground for Lebanon’s bloodiest internal violence since the civil war.
Anti-Syrian Lawmaker Killed in Beirut Blast Attack Heightens Worries Among Weary Lebanese
Standing Up to Killers Syria Must Answer for Its Murders in Lebanon By Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Enough is enough with the Syrian regime and its Lebanese puppets.
Accused Syrians condemn murder
Syria has condemned the bombing near a Beirut beach club which killed Walid Eido, a Lebanese politician, and his son

Washington Institute Implications of a Hamas 'Statelet' in Gaza? Implications of a Hamas 'Statelet' in Gaza? In his book Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Matthew Levitt offers a glimpse of what the world can expect from a Hamas-ruled Gaza. Download the PDF conclusion (224 KB).
Washington Institute Hamas and the Second Six Day War: Implications, Challenges, and Opportunities
Weekly Standard Up to No Good
Iran and Syria's sinister Mideast offensive strikes Gaza and Lebanon. by Meyrav Wurmser
Guardian Resistance is futile
Dilip Hiro Hamas has deep roots in Palestinian society. Instead of trying to reverse this, Fatah would do well to seek reconciliation with the party.
Conflicts Forum The Palestinian question: What now?
Hamas' Questionable Intelligence Windfall Stratfor
UPI Analysis: Palestinians face uncharted sea
Meshaal: Clever but Unconvincing
OpenDemocracy Hamas’s shortsighted manoeuvre
Let Hamas govern Samir El-youssef: Fatah must concede defeat and learn to become an effective democractic opposition.
Post Global Victory for Hamas, But At What Cost
Hamas isolation How the West wants to give its support to Fatah
Financial Times Editorial Disaster in Gaza The events leading up to the bloody takeover of Gaza by Hamas should be a matter for regret and, in many quarters, shame
Guardian Uncharted territory
Ian Black Neither Hamas nor its Fatah rival can see a quick or easy way out of this new impasse. It will take time for the consequences to be played out.
Hamas conquers Gaza Strip
Hamas May Find It Needs Its Enemy CRAIG S. SMITH and GREG MYRE Two Palestines could emerge. But don’t write off the chances for unity.
How Hamas turned on Palestine's 'traitors' It started as a well-planned settling of scores between rival political factions. But by the end of last week Palestinians seemed on the brink of civil war as two conflicting governments vowed to defeat each other
National Review THE EDITORS: The United States must insist that the Arabs push Abbas in cracking down hard on Hamas. “Terror State”
Editorial Saving the moderates Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip should have surprised no one. The signs had been there for a long time.
Daily Telegraph Leader How to handle Hamas By funding the Fatah administration, the world might recreate the resentment against a corrupt elite that drove many Palestinians into voting Hamas in the first place
U.S. Unfreezes Millions in Aid to Palestinians The American decision freed up aid to the Palestinian Authority, ending an embargo in place since the Hamas election victory in 2006.
Brothers to the Bitter End By FOUAD AJAMI The distinction between the “secularism” of Fatah and the Islamism of Hamas is really a distinction without a difference.
CFR Cordesman: Gaza Isolated But Hamas Not Easily Contained
Meshal: Hamas does not want to seize power in PA Abbas aide: We won't hold talks with 'murderers'; PA Chairman selects independent Fayyad as new PM
Jerusalem Post Analysis: Fatah's collapse in Gaza rocks its W. Bank statusBy KHALED ABU TOAMEH Abbas rounds up Hamas officials in major cities in desperate bid to tighten his grip.
Daily Star Are Israel's armed forces destined for more decline? By Uri Bar-Joseph
Yedioth Ahronoth Fayyed new Palestinian PM Palestinian president chooses Western-backed independent to serve as prime minister of emergency government. Hamas rejects decision, says appointment amounts to ‘revolt against Palestinian constitution’
BBC Hamas pledges to work with Abbas Hamas' exiled political chief vows to work with the Palestinian leader, after routing his forces in Gaza. Q&A: Chaos in Gaza
Breaking point in the Mid-East?
U.S. prepares to boost support for Abbas By Warren P. Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers The United States and other major powers scrambled Friday to rush new support to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, hoping to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects after this week's seizure of the Gaza Strip by Islamist Hamas militants.
Hamas' rule over Gaza begins with promises, pillaging By Dion Nissenbaum, McClatchy Newspapers An uncertain new era of fractured Palestinian rule began Friday as Hamas forces celebrated their decisive military victory over vanquished Fatah rivals with a mix of pillaging and mercy.
Washington Times Emergency Palestinian leader named
Palestinian Split Poses a Policy Quandary for U.S. Israel and the U.S. seem to agree on a policy to boost Fatah in the West Bank and squeeze Hamas in Gaza, but the strategy has pitfalls
How Hamas turned on Palestine's 'traitors' It started as a well-planned settling of scores between rival political factions. But by the end of last week Palestinians seemed on the brink of civil war as two conflicting governments vowed to defeat each other
Hamas May Find It Needs Its Enemy CRAIG S. SMITH and GREG MYRE Two Palestines could emerge. But don’t write off the chances for unity.
Editorial The bloody grip of Hamas The grisly scenes of death accompanying the Hamas coup in Gaza are a reminder of the dark vision that radical Islamists backed by Iran and Syria have in store for the Palestinians and Muslims throughout the Middle East.
Divorce, Palestinian style
By Claude Salhani There is now a de facto schism within Palestinian society: on one side the Fatah-led secularists and on the other the Islamists of Hamas.
A pyrrhic victory Leader: Without unity between Hamas and Fatah, there is no chance of ending the occupation and achieving an independent Palestinian state.
The Times Trouble on the horizonAs things shape up, Gaza could end up as Hamas-land while the West Bank becomes Fatah-land
Helena Cobban Hamas takeover in Gaza; diplomatic stasis continues
Washington Post Hamas, Fatah Launch Parallel Governments Split Deepens Between Gaza, West Bank
Editorial The bloody grip of Hamas The grisly scenes of death accompanying the Hamas coup in Gaza are a reminder of the dark vision that radical Islamists backed by Iran and Syria have in store for the Palestinians and Muslims throughout the Middle East.
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Hamas – and its Syrian and Iranian sponsors - capture priceless Palestinian Authority intelligence archives in Gaza putsch

Al Hayat Will it be War or Peace in the Middle East this summer? Patrick Seale - Israel’s shortsighted policy of expanding West Bank settlements while seeking to starve into submission the democratically-elected Hamas government has resulted in extremist groups, whether in Lebanon or the Occupied territories, creeping ever closer to Israel’s borders.
Wheel of misfortune
By Arnaud de Borchgrave Israel is now boxed in between three pro-Iran entities (Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas) and two pro-al Qaeda terrorist groups -- Hezbollah that is dominant in Lebanon to the north and Hamas that now controls Gaza, the size of Washington, D.C., to the south.