BULLETIN No. 229

Eli Lake Why Did the U.S. Attack Syria?
America's Military Attack in Syria: Possible Reasons and Likely Costs by Daniel Levy
Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:Exclusive: Petraeus Wants to Go to Syria; Bush Administration Says No
Cross-Border Attack on Syria Raises Iranian Eyebrows - Council on Foreign Relations
Why Syria? Why now? Speculation is intense over the United States' cross-border strike into Syria. Was it a hawkish attempt to provoke war? A political stunt ahead of the US elections? If so, both tacks seem to have failed. A more likely answer is a "messy" US chain of command in Iraq, and gung-ho special operations forces
IHT In Syria, a short-sighted attack The next president will have to restore a diplomacy that balances the interests of Syria and its neighboring nations.
MESH U.S. strikes Al Qaeda in Syria.
America and Syria: a political raid, Paul Rogers
Syria and Bush's Last Gasp Abroad - Michael Jansen, Jordan Times
Syria A puzzling raid
TIME Reaction to the US Raid into Syria: Only Muted Outrage
Will Syria Dump Its Friends? - David Blair, The Telegraph
Getting Syrious - National Review
Official: Olmert intends to resume indirect talks with Syria Danish FM: Assad willing to conduct direct negotiations if Israel accepts Syrian preconditions
Report: Syria cuts diplomatic ties with Iraq over U.S. raid Syria has also decided to reduce its troops on the border with Iraq, Syrian TV reports
Syrian Leader Makes Strategic Decision to Turn the Other Cheek
Syrian haven for killers, then and now US response to Syria's shelter policy - of Nazis or Qaida - is ambivalent.
Jerusalem Post Analysis: US raid shows Assad's over-estimation
A Syrian haven for killers, then and now RAFAEL MEDOFF
The strike that shattered US-Syria ties A commando raid by United States forces on a Syrian border compound near Iraq has ruptured already rocky relations between Washington and Damascus. The US now claims the strike was a pre-emptive success which led to the death of a top al-Qaeda agent, while Syria is outwardly appalled at the "cowboy" tactics and so-called "massacre". - Sami Moubayed
US embassy in Syria warns of closure The already strained relations between Washington and Damascus worsen after a US military attack that killed a man who was allegedly sending foreign fighters into Iraq
Army: Syria to Deploy More Troops at Lebanese Border
World Briefing Middle East: Syria: Prominent Dissidents Sentenced
Damascus comes down on dissidentsTwelve Syrian dissidents were on Wednesday sentenced to two-and-a-half years each for activities related to the promotion of democracy. The convictions come as Syria's international image has improved in recent months, but at a time when Damascus' relations with the United States are at an all-time low. - Stephen Starr

Lebanon's Enemy Within - Michael Totten, Commentary
The IDF's New Response Policy vis-avis Hizbollah: How Viable is It? INSS An Israeli commentary on the IDF\'s newly-announced policy towards Hizbolla

Israel's Current Strategic Environment - Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad (Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
Elections in Israel Tzipi or Bibi?
Power of weakness [ LOUIS RENÉ BERES In all world politics - but especially in the Middle East - appearances can deceive. Although power is powerful and weakness is weak, power can weaken itself. Sometimes, weakness can even become a source of power. Nowhere is this paradox more apparent than in Israel's endlessly self-deceiving relationship with the Palestinians.
Israel's multilateral option Chris Phillips
Poll: Right-wing gains give Netanyahu best chance to form next gov't
Poll: Absentee voters in Israel back McCain over Obama by 3-1
Ironies of Israeli-Palestinian relations

International Crisis Group Oil for Soil: Toward a Grand Bargain on Iraq and the Kurds
Washington Institute Kirkuk: The Land the Surge Forgot
Stratfor Iraq, US: The Latest on the Status of Forces Agreement
Senior Iraqi Leader Says Pact With U.S. Is Unlikely to Pass Politicians' Fears of Voter Backlash Cited
Iraqis Insist on Changes to Long-Delayed Security Pact With U.S.
Iraq Says U.S. Deal Would Ban Strikes on Neighbors
Bush confident US-Iraq pact will pass
Iraq seeks ban on US attacks
US Hands Over Last of Southern Provinces to Iraqis (Update1)
Iraq Oil Report must read: Q&A with Iraq oil revenue auditor Joe ...
UN proposal on Iraq minorities representation approved in Parliament

THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Sleepless in Tehran Negotiating in the Middle East without leverage is like playing baseball without a bat
ComingAnarchy Iran Policy Options Part III [Part I Part II]
Iran: Empire by Proxy - Kevin Sullivan

Middle East Challenges for Next President
Conference on Arab-US Relations & Presidential Transition