BULLETIN No. 231

Washington Post For Obama, a Syria Solution First A Middle East Deal Obama Could Build On
“A New U.S. Policy For Syria,” by Seth Kaplan
Enemy of Our Enemy PDFBy Neil Clark Syria is a natural ally in the war on terror.
Bush to Olmert: Why are you giving Syria the Golan for nothing?
Syria at the crossroads Chris Phillips: While resisting Bush long provided an excuse not to get on with reform, it's now time for Bashar al-Assad to deliver
How Not to Negotiate with Syria - Itamar Rabinovich, Jerusalem Post
How not to negotiate with Syria
The Times Damascene Conversion Syria must stop playing the spoiler and co-operate in peace-making
Financial Times Double blow for Syria’s energy security Declining crude prices and an energy supply shortage are forcing Damascus to rethink its international isolation and to accelerate the restructuring of its economy
Editorial Comment: Dallying with Syria The need is to get Iran interested in regional stability, not a dalliance with Damascus premised on an illusion
Ha’aretz – Ari Shavit: While the Palestinian track fails, let's focus on Syria
Courting Syria - Rime Allaf, Middle East Times
American carrots for Syrian sticks?
Start With Syria By: Aaron David Miller The Washington PostPresident-elect Barack Obama will be bombarded with recommendations about how to approach Arab-Israeli peacemaking. One piece of advice he should not take is to make Israeli-Palestinian peace his top priority
Syria and Britain all ears nowBritish Foreign Secretary David Miliband has made it clear from Damascus that Syria is a problem-solver, rather than a problem-seeker in the Arab world. This signals a new start in relations between the two countries and bodes well for tackling problems in Lebanon and Iraq. Some intelligence-sharing is also a help. - Sami Moubayed
Stratfor Lebanon, Syria: Cutting Strands in a Militant Web
Russia Will Not Sell Iskander Missiles to Syria in Near Future
No Russian missile sale to Syria for now
Moscow won't export missile system to foreign clients before full deployment in Russian arm
Assad is getting away with murder
Syria barely hides terrorist role, yet the West allows itself to be duped.
Yedioth Ahronoth 'IWhat Assad really wants/ BechorsraSyrian leader wants Golan so he can shift to new model of conflict with Israeleli strike more likely'
This show's diplomacy is for real - and it's worth a hundred Milibands Simon Jenkins: The V&A exhibition takes Syrians seriously in their own capital, unlike the hectoring speeches of the foreign secretary
Selling Syria to a Skeptical American Audience U.S. News & World Report
IAEA Broadens Probe of Syria The IAEA is seeking information from Israel and North Korea in its probe of Syria's suspected nuclear program.
Syria and the Nuclear Cops IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei believes Syria deserves a new reactor.
So it Really was a Reactor in Syria INSS
U.S., Nuclear Chief Clash Over Syria
Philip Hensher: Showing Syria our fragile side is our strength
Syria and Libya: frozen in the past, fearing the present By Raja Kamal

Daily Telegraph Hizbollah arsenal 'triples' Israel has accused Lebanon's militant Shia group of tripling its arsenal to 42,000 rockets, many with a range long enough to reach beyond Tel Aviv.
Israeli analysts prepare next war against Lebanon
Israel's Lebanon War Showcased Cluster Bomb Horrors
Daily Star Is the UN leading the Lebanese on? By Michael Young

IHT Olmert to Obama: Think again By ROGER COHEN
Jerusalem Post Analysis: J'lem mostly pleased with Obama choices By HERB KEINON The Clinton White House is generally considered by gov't officials as one that was solidly pro-Israel.
Israel asks Bush to explain its 'special relationship' with U.S. to ObamaIsraeli officials concerned Obama may push arms control that could weaken Israel's strategic deterrence
Olmert Expects Peace Deal Progress Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel and the Palestinians could reach an agreement on the "core issues" of their century-old conflict very soon.
Foreseeing a Clinton State Dept., Israelis and Arabs retool their expectations Israel is applauding her all-but-certain nomination as a check on Obama, while the news has damped Arabs' hopes of a swing away from Bush policies
US Tells Israel No Wars Until Obama in Office
Yedioth Ahronoth 'Two-state vision still alive' Prime Minister Olmert, President Bush meet in White House, say two-state vision still the right solution for Palestinian-Israeli conflict; US strongly believes Israel will benefit from establishment of Palestinian state, Bush says

New York Times THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Obama’s Iraq Inheritance For the first time, there is a chance that a reasonably stable democratizing government, though no doubt corrupt in places, can take root in the Iraqi political space.
Editorial Road Map in Iraq When Mr. Obama takes office, a sovereign Iraqi government and a U.S. withdrawal timetable will be in place.

Washington Post Bush's Iran Policy Has Failed By David Ignatius, Absent some last-minute fireworks, President Bush will leave office with a kind of double failure on Iran: Administration hard-liners haven't checked Tehran's drive to acquire nuclear-weapons technology, and moderates haven't engaged Iran in negotiation and dialogue
Will Israel attack Iran? , Paul Rogers
Dennis Ross: How to Stop Iran From Getting Nukes