BULLETIN No. 227

Syria downplays troop buildup on Lebanese border Damascus says it's merely beefing up border security. But the US issued Syria a strong warning, and Israeli troops are on alert.
What's Afoot in Syria? - Claude Salhani, Washington Times Syria has long claimed it is tied to Lebanon in more ways than one. Over the last two weeks this statement has proven to be far more on the money than Syria would have ever imagined.
Border warning Extra US military aid to Lebanon sends a message to Syria

The coming train-wreck in Lebanon CAROLINE GLICK

Analysis: The failing markets' impact on diplomacy By HERB KEINON How will the global financial hurricane impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict?
Warning signs of Israeli strike on Iran Bush’s legacy would be best served by taking dramatic diplomatic action to prevent a war
Middle East talks head to Oxford
Israel offered a comprehensive peace treaty with 22 Arab countries in return for withdrawal from the territories it occupied after the 1967 war
A political partnership based on mutual lack of trust Citing need for stability, Livni urged Likud to join gov't. But stability means lack of diplomatic progress
Warning Signs of an Israeli Strike on Iran - David Owen, Times of London
Al Hayat Israel Between War and Peace Patrick Seale - The violently contradictory signals coming out of Israel these days point to the troublesome -- and so far unresolved -- debate among the country's leaders about how Israel should live in the Middle East. Israel professes to want peace, yet it works tirelessly to prepare for war.

U.S., Iraq Are Close to Security Pact The U.S. and Iraq are close to agreeing on a final draft of a security agreement that includes a compromise on legal jurisdiction over American soldiers, people familiar with the talks said
State Department Report on Iraq: "Consolidating the Gains, Completing the Transition"
The man with toughest job in Middle East Nouri al-Maliki talks to The Times about how he will shape his country and move towards a truly independent state
Iraqi government fuels 'war for oil' theories by putting reserves up for biggest ever sale
Kissinger: US Must Deal with Iran - Robert Satloff, Washington Institute

Disarming the Middle East - Shlomo Ben-Ami, RealClearWorld
The US election and the Middle East By Ghassan Rubeiz
Water: a source of Middle East peace? Václav Havel et al: Nations in the region are using more water than arrives on a renewable basis. Cooperating to secure it is the only way forward
The Region: Why the Middle East is sick BARRY RUBIN