BULLETIN No. 196

Suddenly, Syria is Hot Topic in Israel By: Ken Ellingwood Los Angeles Times For months, Israel and Syria have sent signals that have alternated between bellicose and calming, leaving Israelis to speculate about the possibility of another summertime war and debate the merits of renewing negotiations with Damascus after a lull of seven years.
Syrian and Iranian Generals in Intensive War Consultations
Brookings Iraqi Refugees in Syria
Iraqi Refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic: A Field-Based Snapshot
Greece denies delivering peace message to Syria Report: PM sent new message to Assad, in which 'interesting nuances' included through Greek
Exiled Syrian reformer urges return of Golan Farid Ghadry, Syria's opposition party head, wants Israel to return Golan, but not to Assad.
Yedioth Ahronoth The Golan liquidation sale Deal with Syria has huge price tag; international forces won't protect us, Elyakim Haetzni says
Plocker Suddenly Syria
Olmert 'in secret offer to return Golan Heights to Syria' Paper says message sent via Turks and Germans.
Washington Institute The Future of Syria: Challenges and Prospects Barry Rubin and Ambassador Theodore Kattouf
Bar’el Does Syrian President Bashar Assad mean business, or is he still a 42-year-old kid? Syrian war games Best indeed to prepare for war For those who claim Assad is preparing for war cannot seriously go on to argue that the Syrian leader needs peace to prepare Syria for that war. He is well prepared as it is
The US – Iran – Syria triangle
Israel Offers Golan to Syria in Exchange for Cutting Iran Ties
Assad ignored Israeli message; PM's aides divided over whether Syria wants talks
Syrian opposition member: Make peace with people, not Assad 17:57
State Dept. Spokesman: US Opposes Renewed Israel-Syria Talks
Reports: Olmert sent peace messages to Syria via Turkey
BBC Syria's war silence "Dialogue with Syria Is Essential", Robert Malley and Peter Harling (published in French) in Le Monde
On Spy Hill, Old Enemies Could Be Looking at a New Peace By: Ian Black The Guardian Strong leadership and negotiation may see deal between Syria and Israel.
This Summer's War With Syria - Peace Deal Rumors Are Suspiciously Incoherent
Israel, Offering Golan, Awaits Syria Proposals
Daily Telegraph Israel offers the Golan Heights to Syria Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister has offered to return the Golan Heights to Syria so long as it dissolves its alliances with Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinian militant factions
Is Turkey Smuggling Iranian Weapons To Syria? Umm... Maybe?
Solutions and problems Brian Brivati Jun 11 07, 05:45pm: Week two of the Iraq commission: private security firms, Syria, and a plan for a regional conference.

Lebanon's Agony By Max Rodenbeck
Hezbollah's dilemma If Lebanon's army tackles the refugee camps, maybe it can defend against Israel too.
Analysis: Lebanon's political tsunami
High cost of militancy for Lebanon’s poor In many ways the three elements – economic hardship, Sunni sentiment and the outward display of Islamism – help describe the climate in Tripoli, where the militant Fatah al-Islam group has been able to establish cells
Sporadic Fighting Continues in Lebanon Refugee Camp
A review of Killing Mr. Lebanon: The Assassination of Rafik Hariri and Its Impact on the Middle East by Nicholas Blanford; Hezbollah: A Short History by Augustus Richard Norton; Hizbullah: The Story from Within by Naim Qassem; Everyday Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam Among Palestinians in Lebanon by Bernard Rougier. Here's an open letter by 139 writers, including scholars of Iran and the Middle East, protesting the detention of Halef Esfandiari by the Iraninan government.
'Escape is impossible' Ghaith Abdul-Ahad visits Lebanon's biggest refugee camp.
Daily Star Sarkozy can help Lebanon by focusing on the interests of the people
In the name of Islam? The Gaza Strip is going in the direction of the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon where the Muslim extremists have situated themselves: there is no government presence and no law and order.

BULLETIN No. 195

Before Talking, See if There is Anything to Talk About By: Tony Badran The Daily StarDamascus doesn't want the kind of arrangement the congressman hopes for, but rather unilateral US concessions, especially on Lebanon. The Syrian leadership is not interested in anything else. Issa is right to observe: "What matters is the substance of the dialogue and the action that follows," but even he admits that implementing agreements with Syria is always elusive.
Syrian official: Damascus wants to renew talks with Israel
Israeli-Syrian ‘war’ may be cover for peace Israeli headlines have been dominated in recent days by warnings of a possible summer war with Syria, an alarming prospect for a public still coming to terms with the consequences of last year’s conflict in Lebanon
Independent The Big Question: Is Israel heading for a peace deal with Syria - or another war?
Olmert calls for peace with SyriaIsraeli PM seeks to calm fears of war breaking out
Report: Syria Doubts Israel Wants Peace
Syria Strengthening Forces on Border with Israel
Schiff Israel and Syria / Threats' silver lining
US, Israel: Time Not Ripe for Talks With Syria
Syria Upgrading Army with Iranian Aid
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Syria holds back full-scale war with Israel as last resort while its proxies win low-intensity conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza
Yedioth Ahronoth Assad wants talks, not peace
Israel won't try to change UN mandate on Golan
Wall Street Journal Syria Is Exporting Instability - Michael Young
Jun 07 IA# 361 - Syrian Oppositionists Call for International Action
Lebanon, Syria: A Political Breakup and an Explosive Summer
Portraits of Shiite resistance
In Lebanon, resistance from cradle to grave
'Hizbullah continues to rearm' Shiite group will never leave southern Lebanon, Transportation Minister Mofaz tells US Secretary of State Rice during Washington visit. 'It is arming with missiles that could hit central and even southern Israel,' he warns

Benn The invisible governmentIn Israel things are run by 'the invisible government.' Its deliberations and its decisions are hidden and leave no traces in official records and archives, but they determine the fate of the country.
Why Israel does not engage with the Saudi initiative Carlos Strenger: For sake of peace, Israel must accept its role in Palestinian Nakba
Marcus Five comments on the situationWhat those now denouncing the 40th anniversary of the occupation do not understand is that the Six- Day War was the most justified war Israel ever fought - because it knocked out of the Arabs' heads the idea that Israel could be destroyed by force.
Samet Will there be a war?
Ze'ev Schiff: Hamas defeated Israel in the battle for Sderot
The Nation The Six-Day War,40 Years Later by Jon Wiener

Financial Times Leader The irreconcilable When the latest deadline for a reconciliation package of laws designed to end Iraq's violent insurgency came and went with little progress being shown, few people...
Time is running out for political solution in Iraq The country is divided, but the possibility of a unilateral withdrawal by the US may help to concentrate minds
Dennis Ross on how to contain the conflict in Iraq.
Washington Times Decision time in Iraq By James A. Lyons Jr. We need a plan that bypasses Mr. al-Maliki's sectarianized government and restores stability by empowering the Iraqis themselves.
Iraq's Leader Can't Get Out of 1st Gear By: Ned Parker Los Angeles Times Iraq's government is teetering on the edge. Maliki's Cabinet is filled with officials who are deeply estranged from one another and more loyal to their parties than to the government as a whole.
Washington Post Nominee to Oversee War Offers Grim View on Iraq General Sees Few Gains on Violence or Political Fissures

Crackdown in Iran By: H. Abrishami The Nation When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a $75 million appropriation to support Iranian civil society in February 2006, she made the regime's job far easier. Suddenly, everyone became a potential spy or recipient of US funds.
Rafsanjani: New Middle East War Possible
Who Can Shake Iran's Economy? Randa Takieddin - Iran of a population of 70 million garnered oil proceeds amounting to $60 billion in 2006. However, Iran continues to strive with a frail economy, unemployment rates exceeding 11%, and growing inflation rates, notwithstanding a reasonable growth rate ranging between 5 and 6%

BULLETIN No. 194

CIA BLACK PROPAGANDA EFFORTS IN IRAN, SYRIA,LEBANON; DARKER PENTAGON EFFORTS LOOMING?
Analysis: A decision needed on Syria
Al Hayat How to Engage Syria, If You Really Have to Emile El-Hokayem
Asia Times The Resolution Threatens Syria's Stability : Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
Yedioth Ahronoth Israel watches Syria Security officials to present National Security Cabinet with findings of surveys of actions by Hizbullah in Syria, Lebanon; Prime minister worried ministers’ ‘babbling’ may lead to misunderstanding, military action by Syria
Abbas, Hamas or Syria/ Barnea
Talks with Syria not on agenda for Olmert-Bush meet
Washington Post As Crises Build, Lebanese Fearful of a Failed State
MI: Syria preparing for war, but won't initiate it Assad believed working in tandem with Iran and Hezbollah, security cabinet to discuss possible war in north
SyriaComment The Presidential Plebiscite and Pageantry: What does it Mean?
PM aides fear talks with Syria could harm U.S.-Israel ties
Nat'l Security Council urged PM to end Lebanon war on 4th day Winograd cmte. testimony reveals NSC joined chorus calling PM to stop offensive against Hezbollah.
In Fight Against Militants, Lebanon Bolstered by US, Gulf Countries By: Nicholas Blanford The Christian Science MonitorThe Lebanese army, carrying out a major offensive against Fatah al-Islam, has little combat experience and outdated equipment.
Lebanon: 108 Dead in Worst Strife Since Civil War
New vow to spread Lebanon battle
Fighting between Islamists and Lebanese spreads south
Syria Draws Distinction Between Hariri Murder Trial and Probe
Jund al-Sham The militant group fighting troops in southern Lebanon
Guardian 1967: Israel cannot make peace alone We must pursue a comprehensive solution with energy and vision, writes Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.
1967: Our rights have to be recognised Israel must recognise our basic entitlements if it is serious about peace, writes Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh.
New York Times What if Israel Had Turned Back? By TOM SEGEV What if Israel hadn’t taken East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the Six-Day War?
Lessons of the Six-Day War
By Ariel Cohen Today the world will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Israel's victory in the Six-Day War.
US News How the Six-Day War Reshaped the Mideast - Fouad Ajami
Who deters whom? Hamas now deters Israel from going after its fighters in Gaza, despite the daily rocketing of Sderot. A sovereign country cannot permit this kind of imbalance to maintain without suffering severe damage.
CSM Two views on the impact of the Six-Day War An Israeli and a Palestinian reflect on the impact of the Six-Day War that began 40 years ago Tuesday.
Jerusalem Post The war that didn't end War, and the rejection of Israeli sovereignty, perpetuates the lack of a Palestinian state.
Two views on the impact of the Six-Day War An Israeli and a Palestinian reflect on the impact of the Six-Day War that began 40 years ago Tuesday.
Palestinians and Israelis: a political impasse Fred Halliday
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN What a Mess If America can talk to Iran, Israel can talk to Hamas.

USIP Report: Ayatollah Sistani and the Democratization of Post-Ba'athist Iraq
Briefing: The Iraq Hydrocarbon Law: How and When?
Is There a Nationalist Solution in Iraq? By: Robert Dreyfuss The American Prospect The ethnic and sectarian conflict engulfing the country has gotten the most attention. But under the radar, a rough coalition of nationalist political elements in Iraq has been emerging.
DAVID BROOKS A Million Little Pieces Iraqi society has continued to fracture and is so incoherent that it can’t even have a proper civil war any more.
Guardian The best chance for Iraq is to bring American troops home Barack Obama: This war has diverted us from the struggle against terror. We need to refocus on Israel/Palestine, so long neglected by Bush.
Wall Street Journal Realists on Iraq Democratic presidential candidates should listen to the "experts" they so often cite. By DAN SENOR
Even Plan B Doesn't Look Promising in Failed State of Iraq
Wall Street Journal Realists on Iraq Democratic presidential candidates should listen to the "experts" they so often cite. By DAN SENOR
Why Iraq Isn't Korea By: Bill Powell Time The Administration is now kicking around the idea of Iraq as Korea. White House spokesman Tony Snow made the comparison publicly last week as the Administration acknowledged that it was looking into keeping long-term bases in Iraq. As someone who has spent a lot of time over the years in South Korea, as well as some time in Iraq, let me try to explain why this analogy is so ludicrous.

Gary Sick Lays Out Probabilities in US-Iran Arena
RFERL Middle East: Are Iranian Arms Flowing Into Iraqi, Afghan Conflict Zones?
Iran's practical nationalismRevolutions tend to bury the past. Iran's revolutionaries were no different from Russians, Chinese and others in demonizing previous regimes. But Tehran's new rulers are resurrecting Iran's Achaemenid Empire to buttress nationalism. This appeal to the imperial past indicates that nationalistic feeling is as strong as Islamic fervor. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
American Conservative Iran:Past the Paranoia by Peter Hitchens
Tehran talks raise faith visit hopes First steps by the US and Iran to establish a direct dialogue last week could smooth the way for a ground-breaking visit to Tehran by an inter-faith delegation, including an American cardinal, Theodore McCarrick, who hopes to establish contact with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader
Iran: Defense Expert Discusses Iran's Missile Capabilities
Asia Times Iran and Egypt point to a new order As US-led pressure to isolate Iran over its nuclear program intensifies, Tehran's bid to normalize ties with Egypt is a timely antidote. Cairo officially supports Iran's nuclear program, and also has the ability to influence the Arab response to the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad. And as much as Egypt may be calculated by the US as a "strategic counterweight" to Iran, simultaneously Egypt benefits from Iran's counterweight to Israel. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi

BULLETIN No. 193

Battling the Lion of Damascus: Syria's Domestic Opposition and the Asad Regime
Syria's Useful Idiots Why are so many commentators denying the obvious about Lebanon? By MICHAEL YOUNG
The Assad legacy Syrians don't expect Assad's son and successor to bring back the days of Hafez senior.
USIP Briefing: Syria’s Alliance with Iran
Der Spiegel The World From Berlin: 'Syria's Policy of Intimidation in Lebanon Has Failed'
Syria says it won't cooperate in international Hariri tribunalFM: Issue concerns Lebanon alone, and Syria won't concede its sovereignty; UN chief: resolution passed Wednesday is "binding."
Is Syria Working to Foment Civil War in Lebanon? - Mark MacKinnon
Washington Institute Global Anti-Terrorism Financing Group Challenged by Syria's Application Syria's application to join an international organization of financial intelligence units, despite Damascus's ongoing sponsorship of terrorism, jeopardizes the multilateral fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.
The Syrian surprise
The other war / Syria, not Gaza
Summer surprises in Syria and Palestine
Separate Ways By: Michael Young SlateAn increasingly pertinent question, albeit one only now beginning to provoke interest, is what the U.N. Hariri tribunal might mean for Syrian-Iranian collaboration in Lebanon.
Assad's Unsurprising Victory The Economist The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has secured himself a second seven-year term in office with the near unanimous approval of the 11.7m Syrians that were eligible to vote in a referendum to endorse parliament's selection of him as the sole candidate
Hariri tribunal divides Lebanese Stricken by political paralysis and rocked by bombings and Islamist violence, Lebanon’s prospects for stability look bleak
UPI Analysis: Hopes high for Lebanon tribunal
Independent Robert Fisk: The scar of Hariri's murder will never heal in Lebanon
Robert Fisk: Can the Lebanese army fight America's war against terror?
Mixed Reaction in Lebanon to U.N. Assassination Tribunal
New Battles Seen at Lebanon Camp
Syria brands Hariri tribunal as harmful US ploy Damascus says UN move will destabilise Lebanon · Last chance for parliament in Beirut to end impasse
Jun 01 SD# 1606 - Syrian Government Press in Reaction to Security Council Resolution to Establish International Tribunal for Al-Hariri Assassination: Resolution Entails 'Great Dangers' and 'Dangerous Repercussions' for Lebanon
Lebanon's Prime Minister: Syria is Threatening my Country
Hezbollah Leads Criticism of U.N. Vote By: Alia Ibrahim The Washington PostHezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militia, and other opposition groups in Lebanon on Thursday denounced the U.N. creation of an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, calling it a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.
Al Hayat The Court Creates A New Reality in Lebanon & the Region Raghida Dergham - ... The court stands as a precedent in the Middle East region, a pledge to encircle and contain those who once thought that the strategy of politically-motivated assassinations and sowing seditions would ever block the path of justice.
Justice for Lebanon Syria may at last pay a price for the Hariri assassination.
Palestinians in Lebanon A history of the hapless

BULLETIN No. 192

An Open Letter to President Bashar al-Asad Patrick Seale - Syria has come under great pressure from the US ever since the invasion of Iraq. There was a dangerous moment last summer when Israel seemed about to extend to Syria its aggression against Lebanon. The hostility of France was a further worrying factor. These pressures now seem to be easing. The world is beginning to recognize the crucial role Syria could play in resolving some of the region's conflicts, once its own interests are addressed.
U.S. gives Israel green light for Syria dialogue
U.S. policy turnabout may enable Israeli-Syrian talks
U.S. Policy Turnabout May Enable Israeli-Syrian Talks By: Ze'ev Schiff HaaretzWashington has given Israel the green light to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad's call for peace talks, in a change of position accompanied by several preconditions.
For Syria, the 1967 border remains sacred
Syria's Deception - Amir Taheri, New York Post
US warns Syria as fighting renews
U.S. policy change will allow Israel-Syria talks
SyriaComment “Ash’ari Islam Predominates in Syria,” by Anonymous
Uzi Benziman: Enough lip service, it's time for Olmert to talk to Syria
MEMRI May 22 SD# 1594 - Syrian Dissident Launches Campaign Against Presidential Referendum in Syria
May 18 SD# 1590 - Syrian Liberal Nidhal Na'isa On the West, Pan-Arabism, Islamism, and Al-Jazeera

Independent Robert Fisk: The road to Jerusalem (via Lebanon)
Regional conflicts join together to destabilize Lebanon By Rami G. Khouri
Lebanon is on the brink Gulf News By Amir Taheri
Asia Times Lebanon battles a new demon Militants from the recently formed Fatah al-Islam have emerged with guns blazing; they are now in their third day of fighting against the Lebanese Army. The al-Qaeda-inspired group has dramatically raised the stakes in Lebanon's parlous political landscape, threatening a complete breakdown of the country. And the Lebanese government's blaming Syria will not help matters. - Sami Moubayed
Slipping into chaos Ramsay Short: Is the latest trouble in Lebanon the result of American or Syrian meddling? Either way, it's obvious who loses.
Hezbollah Backs Lebanon Army in Standoff
Fight with militants agitates Lebanon's troubled camps Poverty and hopelessness have helped foster the emergence of radical Islamist groups in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps.
50 killed in Lebanese fighting Northern city of Tripoli hit by worst violence for two decades as army troops fight Sunni militants.
Lebanese Troops Fight Islamists; Dozens Are Slain nThe battle left at least 22 soldiers and 17 militants dead and set off a military campaign to root out militants inside Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps.
Independent Robert Fisk: A front-row seat for this Lebanese tragedy
UN Security Council should create a tribunal for Lebanon A special tribunal to try the killers of Lebanon’s former prime minister can send a powerful message that assassins will not go unpunished
BostonGlobe Editorial The specter haunting Lebanon
THE WARFARE that erupted Sunday in northern Lebanon, in and around the city of Tripoli, illustrates the danger of another civil war in that beleaguered country.
BBC Lebanon fighting enters third day Fighting between Lebanese troops and Islamic militants continues into a third day, despite talk of a ceasefire.
“Lebanon Unrest Puts Hariri Tribunal In Peril” by Solomon
Strife rips at Lebanon In the worst internal violence since the 1975-90 civil war, at least 71 people have been killed in a Lebanese Army battle with Islamic militants.
Militants' battle engulfs Lebanon refugee camp Q&A: explaining the violence in Lebanon
Leader Syrian Blackmail
The Lebanese Army is in danger of falling into a trap

BULLETIN No. 191

Talk to Syria By: Dennis Ross:The New Republic To date, the pressure within the Israeli defense establishment to talk to Syria has not persuaded Olmert to drop his opposition to such talks--opposition that stems in no small part from the Bush administration being dead-set against the Israelis taking up Assad on his willingness to sit down with them.
Asia Times Damascus moves to center stage The United States' anti-Syria rhetoric is being replaced by the grudging acceptance that Damascus, in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, has a lot to offer on Iraq. - Sami Moubayed
Border Control / The Syrian snowball effect
Washington Times Editorial Diplomacy with the rogues Rice's dialogue with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem on Friday was at least in part a response to the pounding that the administration has taken for its supposed refusal to talk to rogue states like Syria.
Jerusalem Post Analysis: Assessing Syria's true intentions a tricky taskBy YAAKOV KATZ There is no doubt that both Israel and Syria are escalating the activities of each others militaries.
UN Chief in Syria to 'Post': Assad not preparing for warSays more military activity in Israel than in Syria; Israeli defense officials reject assessment; NSC head: Peace overtures genuine.
NSC chief: Syrian bid for talks with Israel is genuine
America Should Press Damascus to Let Go of Lebanon - Michael Young
Rice Offers Incentive to Damascus
Analysis: Syria-US meet at Iraq conclave
Livni and aides prepping for possibility of renewed Syria talks FM steps up efforts in light of Syrian peace overtures, intelligence Damascus may be preparing for war.
Iranians find tenuous refuge in Syria
Political refugees worry about their fate as ties strengthen between Damascus and Tehran.
Iraqi refugees bring home to their Damascus enclave Former residents of Baghdad, Fallujah or Tikrit can get a taste of home on what has come to be known as "Iraqi Street," stopping by the Baghdady Bakery for a sticky-sweet piece of carrot-pistachio marzipan.
Christian Science Monitor
Iraq's neighbors weigh next steps Participating countries - including Syria and Iran - now face the test of fulfilling promises of security and economic aid.
Debka Despite Syrian military border build-up, Israel has no plans to attack but stands ready to ward off a surprise Syrian strike

Rice: U.S. may force setting up of Hariri murder tribunal Secretary of State: We would push for setting up tribunal under Chapter 7, allow Lebanon to return to normal.
Daily Star Lebanon's future will be decided in Lebanon, not France
Beware the Siren Lebanon For a quarter-century, Lebanon has been the graveyard of Israeli politicians reckless enough to venture there.
Yedioth Ahronoth 'US pressured Israel into war' Hizbullah's Nasrallah tells Iranian TV Americans 'ordered Zionist regime to invade Lebanon last summer to serve their ambitions in region’; says Winograd report contains information on collaboration between Israel, Arab states

Wall Street Journal Move Over Olmert Will Tzipi Livni be Israel's next prime minister? By FANIA OZ-SALZBERGER
Ha’aretz The Winograd report does not address the effect of the Palestinian front on the war. Jerusalem Post
Peres: I'm willing to be PM, won't lend hand to coup
Bradley Burston: Who killed the Israeli left?
Bar’el 'The right of return will destroy us all'
Benn The meeting / Uncomfortable alliance
Rosner Too much Israel: Small, vulnerable and endangered
Editorial Saying 'no' to OlmertDefense Minister Amir Peretz has actually resigned, even if he has not taken the legal steps required to do so officially.
Yedioth Ahronoth 'US pressured Israel into war' Hizbullah's Nasrallah tells Iranian TV Americans 'ordered Zionist regime to invade Lebanon last summer to serve their ambitions in region’; says Winograd report contains information on collaboration between Israel, Arab states
US-Israel disharmony
Israel rubbing US Democrats and Republicans the wrong way, Zalman Shoval writes
Qaeda: Hamas betrayed God
Preparing for the next war
Israel's Exercise in Escapismby Uri Avnery
Lessons from Israel's Lebanon war resonate globally A new report provides a window into an increasingly insurmountable task facing democracies: winning war, regardless of military superiority
Israel's Political Storm U.S. News & World Report - By Larry Derfner
Officials: Israel too unstable to discuss Saudi initiative Int'l leaders briefed on peace plan but hold off approaching Israel until country recuperates from Winograd report's findings.
Egypt: Israeli gov't crisis delaying peace moves
The Winograd report does not address the effect of the Palestinian front on the war. Jerusalem Post
Officials: Israel too unstable to discuss Saudi initiative Int'l leaders briefed on peace plan but hold off approaching Israel until country recuperates from Winograd report's findings.
Yedioth Ahronoth PM Livni? Are we crazy?/ Landau
Hezbollah Prepared but Not Seeking New Israel War
BBC US issues Mid-East security plan The US issues a detailed plan to Israel and the Palestinians for improving security and easing limits on movement.
From Azure, Chaim Gans (Tel Aviv): Is There a Historical Right to the Land of Israel?; Michael Oren on The Second War of Independence: Fifty years later, the lessons of the Suez War are only now becoming clear; an essay on Circumcision as Rebellion: Why Judaism rejected the decrees of Nature, Fortune, and Rome;
A review of Inside Hamas: the untold story of militants, martyrs and spies; Hamas: unwritten chapters; and Hamas: politics, charity and terrorism in the service of jihad.
Palestinians’ hard choice: An interview with Sari Nusseibeh, a leading Palestinian intellectual and political figure.
Israelis call on Olmert to resign
Fatah's Armed Wing Threatens to Hit Targets Outside Territories Unless Economic Embargo Is Lifted –
Ignoring the Chaos By: Avi Issacharoff Haaretz For several weeks now the Gaza Strip has been burning. This is not a matter of fighting between Hamas and Fatah activists or actions by the Israel Defense Forces, but battles between armed groups that for the most part are identified with large clans. Nearly every day for the past two weeks ,men, women and children have been killed in Gaza.

Washington Post September Could Be Key Deadline for Iraq War Congressional leaders from both political parties are giving President Bush a matter of months to prove that the "surge" effort has turned a corner.
Washington Post At Meeting on Iraq, Doubt and Detente Nations Manage to Find a Way Forward As U.S. Meets Briefly With Iran, Syria
Could civil war in Iraq spread? Historian Niall Ferguson weighs the evidence
What's Going Right in Iraq By: John D. Negroponte The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) By now it goes without saying that sectarian conflict and extremism in Iraq cannot be solved by military means alone -- it will take national reconciliation, economic reform and development, and international support as well. And as a former ambassador to Iraq, I know how difficult it is to create an alternative to coercive violence in a country that has lived under these conditions for decades.
Beating an orderly retreat By Francis Fukuyama It is no longer a question of if or when the U.S. leaves Iraq, but how.
Editorial Bring them home Iraqis need political reconciliation, not occupation; and U.S. troops shouldn't referee a civil war.

The case for strikes against Iran Diplomacy alone won't stop Iran's nuclear ambitions. By Louis Rene Beres
Financial Times West open to more flexibility with Iran The gesture comes ahead of an expected meeting this week between Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, and Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, in an attempt to restart the diplomatic process.
Los Angeles Times On Iraq, Gates may go his own way The Pentagon chief's recent comments seem to run counter to the message from the White House.
Republican leader calls for a fall deadline for Iraq plan Rep. John Boehner of Ohio embraces setting benchmarks for the Iraqi government and requiring Bush to provide assessments.
Iran vs. the Saudis By: Peter Brookes New York PostIraq is quickly becoming the latest battlefield in the proxy war between the Middle East's rising powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Reporter: Fall 2007 could see an 'uptick' in US-Iran tensions
Al Ahram An Iranian-Arab Alliance? - Ayman El-Amir
BBC Iran FM attacks US policy in Iraq Iran launches a strong attack on US policy in Iraq, as hopes of US-Iranian high-level talks are dashed.
Time Iran: 'We are Ready to Talk'

Editorial Denial and Democracy in Egypt With so many other things to worry about in the Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President Bush also seem to have lost their earlier fervor for Egyptian democracy.
International Crisis Group Sudan Darfur: Revitalising the Peace Process

BULLETIN No. 190

Syrian Endgame By: Michael Young The Wall Street Journal It is in Lebanon that Syria has shown the least inclination to concede anything. That's why the U.S. must use any future conversation with Iran, assuming it goes well, as leverage to consolidate Lebanon's fragile independence.
Rice Meets with Syrian Foreign Minister at Iraq Conference
Washington Times Rice offers incentive to Damascus (Nicholas Kralev)
'Syria arming intensely'
Debka Despite Syrian military border build-up, Israel has no plans to attack but stands ready to ward off a surprise Syrian strike
Syria refuses role in tribunal
By Betsy Pisik No Syrian will participate in an international trial of suspects in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a senior foreign ministry official said yesterday. He also warned that Lebanon is on the brink of civil war.
U.S.-Syria relations complicated by Hariri probe
McClatchy Rice asks Syria to close its border with Iraq
Independent Meeting with Rice ends Syria's diplomatic isolation
New York Times U.S. and Syria Discuss Iraq in Rare Meeting The meeting between the secretary of state and her Syrian counterpart seemed to confirm a change in approach for the White House.
Rice Meets With Syrian CounterpartNo U.S.-Iran Session At Conference on Iraq
Guardian Rice breaks the ice with Syria, but not Iran Iraq conference backdrop for high level discussion where US praises Damascus's counter-insurgency effort.
Christian Science Monitor
Iraq drives US-Syria talks Secretary of State Rice met in Egypt Thursday with Syrian Foreign Minister Moalem, who called their discussion 'frank and constructive.'
Progress as US talk to Syria and Iran At an conference on Iraq, Condoleezza Rice had a 30-minute meeting with her Syrian counterpart, the first for two years
Syrian Military Buildup Worries Israel
SyriaComment Will There be a War this Summer?
Hariri probe complicates U.S.-Syria ... (Betsy Pisik)
Washington Takes Aim at Syria
What can be done at Sharm el-Sheikh By Ghassan Atiyyah
As summit opens, talks with Iran, Syria are main focus
Washington Times Syrians bolstered by visit of 'good American' Pelosi
US Blocks Israel-Syria Talks
Editorial A Harsh, Healthy Verdict in Israel You have to admire the work of the investigating commission appointed to analyze Israel’s botched war in Lebanon last summer.
Hizbollah praises Israel over war report
Hizbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has given rare praise to long-time foe Israel for having investigated its 2006 war in Lebanon
After war in Lebanon... the battle for Israel
The struggle for a nation engulfed by the aftershocks of a bungled war
International community keeping close watch on post-Winograd fallout
Benn Sleep on it The Winograd report has shown that at the root of the failure in Lebanon War II was haste
The mistakes of the Winograd Committee For most Israeli citizens, the committee's report is a document that reinforces existing views rather than telling us anything new.
If Olmert Doesn't Get Message, Into the Streets By: Cameron Brown The Jerusalem Post We knew the Winograd Report investigating the failures during last summer's war with Hizbullah would be critical of the political and military leadership. But no one expected a political earthquake of this magnitude.
After the Winograd report, will Olmert survive? By Shlomo Avineri
The Winograd Report Mainly Provokes Arab Disdain By: Rami G. Khouri The Daily StarA combination of vindication, disdain, and renewed concerns about Israeli militarism are the dominant reactions in the Arab world to the preliminary report of the Winograd Commission released Monday in Israel.
BBC Taking the strainPressure mounts on Ehud Olmert as support crumbles
Ha’aretz Benn A very, very painful response Israel did not make a serious effort to achieve peace with its neighbors, due to the belief that the Arabs wouldn't dare challenge its military superiority. This is the most interesting finding in the Winograd Committee's interim report.
U.S. presents Israel, PA with detailed demands Israel fears confrontation with U.S.; demands include opening passages, upgrading PA armed forces
Benchmark Document / Israel concerned by Washington's demands
THE BENCHMARK DOCUMENT IN FULL
Schiff The conspicuously absent issue
In the saddle again? After reading the Winograd Committee's scathing report, Ehud Olmert launched a heroic struggle for survival this week. Tzipi Livni collapsed under the pressure.
An unnecessary war
Benn A very, very painful response Israel did not make a serious effort to achieve peace with its neighbors, due to the belief that the Arabs wouldn't dare challenge its military superiority. This is the most interesting finding in the Winograd Committee's interim report.
Rosner Reality overtaken by events Until the fate of Israel's government and prime minister becomes clear, there will likely be little progress in U.S. efforts to advance diplomacy in the region. Meanwhile, Syria continues an unprecedented buildup on its front with Israel.
Micro-manager The chief of staff should balance his attention to detail with the need to see the big picture.
'The intelligence didn't reach the troops'
PM, Kadima fear Labor will quit gov't due to Winograd backlash
Sources: Evidence on Bishara case sufficient for indictment
Rosner Bush, Rice, Olmert, Livni: the State of affairs
The Economist Israel A prime minister on the edge
Israel and its neighbours When's the next war?
Why Israel is After Me By: Azmi Bishara Los Angeles TimesI am a Palestinian from Nazareth, a citizen of Israel and was, until last month, a member of the Israeli parliament. But now, in an ironic twist reminiscent of France's Dreyfus affair — in which a French Jew was accused of disloyalty to the state — the government of Israel is accusing me of aiding the enemy during Israel's failed war against Lebanon in July.
The Winograd Report Mainly Provokes Arab Disdain By: Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star A combination of vindication, disdain, and renewed concerns about Israeli militarism are the dominant reactions in the Arab world to the preliminary report of the Winograd Commission released Monday in Israel.
To Rabin Square By: Ari Shavit Haaretz For eight months the country's residents allowed their leadership to ridicule them. They did not join the reservists' protest en masse; they did not put the prime minister, whose moral authority was lost, under political siege.
Forward Ehud Olmert Is Not Solely To Blame Martin van Creveld
One on One with Amir Taheri on how to deal with Iran
Column One: The fruits of Hizbullah's victory
Washington Times Israeli inquiry aftershocks By Ariel Cohen The Winograd Commission diagnosed -- correctly -- the main disease of the Israeli politico-military elite: lack of a strategic doctrine "in the fullest sense of the term."
Editorial Was Olmert the problem?
David Makovsky Olmert After Winograd: A Battle for Survival
Yedioth Ahronoth Livni around for now Despite foreign minister's recent statement that Olmert should resign following Winograd report, prime minister seems inclined not to fire Livni, as long as they remain on same page regarding government policy
Deputy Defense Minister discusses ups and downs of Israel's regional situation with AJC
Preserving Humanitarian Principles While Combating Terrorism: Israel's Struggle with Hizbullah in the Lebanon War - Daniel Taub (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Former CIA Director Blames Arafat for Being "Barrier to Peace" –
Israel's Dilemma: A Discredited Prime Minister and Unappealing Alternatives By: Frida Ghitis World Politics Watch If Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is looking for someone in Israel willing to stand up and fight for his political survival, the only place he may find that person is staring straight into the mirror. Olmert's survival looks like the longest of long shots, and yet, the road ahead looks anything but clear for his political opponents.
Gulf of perceptionCompeting narratives leave no room for Israeli-Arab tolerance
Olmert's Failure - Chuck Freilich, Human Events
Tony Karon The Blind Spot in Israel’s War Probe
Jerusalem Post Lessons of Winograd
US Sets Eight-Month Timetable for Israel-Palestinian Peace Moves
Guardian Olmert's legacy could yet be the failure that forces something better Jonathan Freedland: The crisis triggered by Israel's report on its war with Lebanon may end up putting the Arab League initiative centre stage.
Leader Israel’s Dilemma Agonising over the responsibility for flaws in the Lebanon war

Iraqi Perceptions of the War: Public Opinion by City and RegionSource: Center for Strategic & International Studies Full Paper (PDF; 709 KB)
Don't Abandon Us By Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqis, for all our determination and courage, cannot succeed alone
Asia Times What Muqtada wants All that the Sadrists want is a timetable for a US withdrawal from Iraq, says Nasr al-Roubaie, Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's top man in government. This struggle, he tells Pepe Escobar, is both "peaceful and armed", and there is a possibility of an Iraqi shadow cabinet being formed uniting Sadrists and Sunni nationalists. But whatever happens, Muqtada remains the kingmaker.
Conferencing Iraq's futureMuch of the attention at the Iraq security conference now under way in Egypt will be on the interaction between Iran and the US, and over Tehran's concerns that it might be ambushed by the US over its nuclear program. But Iraq is the core issue, and Iran has the opportunity to emphasize its pivotal role in defining that country's future. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Priorities, Not Delusions By: Dmitri K. Simes The National Interest Those who hoped that the Democrats’ victory in November would launch a major foreign policy debate are disappointed. Setting aside the immediate issue of Iraq, which obviously requires the nation’s attention, neither presidential candidates nor the Congress nor the media have shown much interest in a serious conversation about the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Financial Times COMMENT: Why it is time for America to start talking to its enemy Silence has amplified misunderstanding and empowered radicals in Tehran. The US has nothing to lose from talking, writes Philip Stephens.
Iran's Nuclear Programme IISSAn article assessing the prospects for a diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue
Time Postcard: Tehran (Postcard: Tehran.) Despite a culture that thrives on lavish weddings, men and women are officially barred from celebrating together. How some Iranians skirt the law in order to tie the knot
CFR Should Regime Change in Iran be Part of US Foreign Policy?
Taking Threats Off the Table Before Sitting With Iran By: Ray Takeyh The Boston GlobeAs Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with her Iranian counterpart this week in Egypt, the prospects of talks between the two enduring foes seem closer than before. However, for such negotiations to succeed, Washington must be prepared to adjust an important aspect of its rhetoric.
The perils of sectarianism in opposing Iranian power By Toby Jones

Theodore Dalrymple Violently imposing a socialist or Islamic society is justified in the same way by Marx and Sayyid Qutb: if people were really free, they’d accept this fate instantly, joyously... more»