BULLETIN No. 211

“Syria: Options and Implications for Lebanon and the Region,” by Emile El-Hokayem
Daily Star Syria and the illusion of pursuing peace in Annapolis By Mohammad Habash
“Syria and the Peace Process” by Landis
Dichter: Syria is only neighbor that prevents smuggling
Claims that Syria bombing was nothing but political spin oddly one-sided, Yigal Walt says
David Lesch Testimony on Syria-Lebanon before the Senate
Sunday Times Israel on alert for Syria airstrike The defensive missile shield around Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor was placed on red alert 30 times last week
IDF believes in Assad Ynetnews –
Jerusalem Post 'US told Syria that Golan return will be on summit's agenda' Yadlin: Move meant to lure Damascus into attending Annapolis conference; warns that failure of peace parley will strengthen Hamas's power
Feature: Marines target smugglers CAMP RIPPER, Iraq, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- As insurgent and terrorist violence in western Anbar province continues to fall, a small band of U.S. Marines at Al Asad Air Base are increasingly drawing their beads on bands of oil smugglers who nip across the border to Syria to sell purloined oil or who hawk refined fuel from Syria on the Iraqi black market.
Syrian Economy Minister Meets Turkish Officials
Students of Arabic Learn at a Syrian Crossroads

The Threat of al-Qaeda and its Allies in Lebanon BESA
The Dilemma of Democracy in Lebanon By: Bilal Y. Saab, Elie D. Al-Chaer The Daily Star In the history of U.S.-Lebanese relations, no American president has pledged to support Lebanese democracy more than George W. Bush. No American president has invited Lebanese officials to the White House more than he has. Why? Because there is no question in President Bush's mind that Lebanon can serve as a great example.
Lebanon delays presidential vote
Lebanon's presidential election is postponed for a third time, the speaker of parliament, Nabih Berri, announces.
Political endgame Grief and fear abound as Lebanon awaits the presidential election
Stability struggle Lebanon's sense of doom as presidential deadline nears Nasrallah: IDF border drills show Israel gearing up for new war Hezbollah chief: 50,000 IDF troops took part in border exercises; says group ready to change face of region.
Hizballah's Penetration of the FBI, CIA
C.I.A. Officer Admits Guilt in Seeking Hezbollah Files
Lebanon Defers Presidential Vote For a Third Time
Al-Arabiya TV Interviews Lebanon's Junblatt on Presidential Election

ANALYSIS: Hamas losing grip on Gaza, Fatah gaining support
MI Chief: Hamas may try to derail peace summit Maj. Gen. Yadlin says both failure and success of meet could bring about 'risk of strengthening extremists.'
Gideon Levy: Only recognition of Hamas strength will prevent Gaza invasion
Making a two-state solution happen
UK paper: Dimona defenses on high alert
Yedioth Ahronoth 'Iran bypassing US sanctions' IDF Intelligence Chief Maj-Gen Amos Yadlin briefs cabinet on Iran, pre-Annapolis Palestinian efforts, Hamas actions in Gaza. Yadlin says US sanctions against Iran ineffective due to Tehran's reliance on euro, yen
BBC Israeli police swoop in PM probe
Israeli police raid 20 locations in connection with a corruption probe into PM Ehud Olmert.
Fatah loyalists held by Hamas after rally Hamas forces arrest dozens of Fatah loyalists in Gaza
Netanyahu on Annapolis: Israel is giving everything and receiving nothing
At memorial for Arafat, Palestinians hope to rebuild unity

BBC Challenges ahead Iraq makes progress, but how much depends on the US presence?
As Iraq Improves, Coverage Dries Up - Ralph Peters, New York Post
Christian Science Monitor
The Sunni in Iraq's Shiite leadership In interview, Tariq al-Hashemi urges greater focus on reconciliation.
Asia Times In Iraq, the silence of the lambs The separation of religious groups in the face of sectarian cleansing by militias and death squads has brought a semblance of relative calm to Baghdad. Contradicting claims that the US military "surge" has reduced sectarian attacks, one resident says that "All that has happened is a dramatic change in the demographic map of Iraq." Still, the violence continues, though at a slower rate: five to 10 tortured bodies are found in the garbage dumps and streets of Baghdad every day. - Ali al-Fadhily
It's getting hard to find bad guys Violence in Iraq has dropped precipitously. With al-Qaeda declared dead, former Sunni resistance fighters wearing American-supplied uniforms, and the Mahdi Army lying low, killings are way down. A critical window of opportunity has opened for the United States to withdraw and for Iraq to hold itself together and rebuild. Yet Washington is showing every intention of staying put in Iraq for decades to come. - Robert Dreyfuss
Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle An Order of Battle (OOB) is a standard military terminology for the description of a military organization. It presents which units exist, how are they organized (command structure, subordinate/superior relationships, equipment) and their responsibilities (geographic area, operation capabilities).
Fighting Whom in Iraq?by Robert Dreyfuss and Tom Engelhardt

Ayatollah urged to rein in president Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is coming under pressure to rein in Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, the president, over the radical stance he has taken on the country’s nuclear programme
Stratfor geopolitical diary Geopolitical Diary: A US-Iranian Trade?What To Do About Iran? The Economist If America and “old Europe” are now getting along better in public, not all is sweetness behind the scenes, particularly over what to do about Iran
The Times Ahmadinejad enriched by bickering The coming days will show if he gets his wish: an escalation of the nuclear row with the West Bronwen Maddox
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Programs: An Overview (PDF; 66 KB) Source: Congressional Research Service
Financial Times US strike on Iran ‘not being prepared’ The Pentagon is not preparing a pre-emptive attack on Iran in spite of an increase in bellicose rhetoric from Washington, according to senior officers.
IDF Intelligence: Iran Able to Bypass U.S. Sanctions - Roni Sofer (Ynet News)
Analysis: Iran strike may be too much for US
WINEP How Europe Can Pressure Iran

Barry Rubin The Middle East's Nuclear Dark Age

BULLETIN No. 210

Al Hayat Lebanon: Regarding the Syrian Intervention? Abdallah Iskandar - Syria does not see in its position toward the Lebanese presidential election intervention. It is closely connected with the security of the regime, and therefore it becomes a kind of natural right
Israel's Security Chief Says Syria "Mentally Prepared for Peace Process"
New Satellite Surveillance System Was Key Israeli Tool In Syria Raid ABC News
Washington holds the key to Israel-Syria progress
DEBKAfile Exclusive: The Golan Heights at issue between Israel and Syria is tagged onto the Annapolis peace conference agenda - over Israel’s head
Israel's Strike on Syria Still Raising Questions
Syria repeats demand to put Golan on peace summit agenda
Jerusalem Post: US Air Force struck Syrian nuclear site — The September 6 raid over Syria was carried out by the US Air Force, the Al-Jazeera Web site reported Friday. The Web site quoted Israeli and Arab sources as saying that two strategic US jets armed with tactical nuclear weapons carried out an attack on a nuclear site under construction.
All Still Quiet on the Syria Bombing By Jackson Diehl
Ata Atun İnevitable Turkey-Iran-Syria-Russia alliance
Syria to Let U.S. In to Screen Iraqis Seeking Resettlement
Kurdish Roj TV Shows Pro-Ocalan Demonstration By Kurds in Syria
Syrian President Receives Letter From Putin on Regional Issues, Ties
Turkish President: Israel, Syria Missed Many Chances for Peace

FT COMMENT: To avert disaster in Lebanon, rivals must co-operate Presidential compromise key, says Roula Khalaf
WINEP Presidential Elections in Lebanon: Consensus or Conflagration?
Lebanon: Why is the Presidential Election Becoming Crucial? : Amir Taheri
Report: Lebanese Army Fired on Israeli Military Jets Over Country's South
Hizbullah undertakes massive exercise Lebanese paper: Maneuvers supervised personally by Nasrallah; include use of rocket arsenal.
DEBKAfile: Hizballah commando units slip back into South Lebanon – with upgraded missiles, new Iran-built military highway network. No Israeli response
'US troops might become Iran's hostages' Top Lebanese Shi'ite cleric, formerly a Hizbullah leader, warns US against attacking Islamic republic.
Lebanon's militias rearm Weeks ahead of presidential elections, black market weapons sales are soaring as factions prepare for street battles.

The Economist Iraqi Kurdistan Iraq's Kurdish leader in a bind What can Masoud Barzani, the Iraqi Kurds' leader, actually do?
Iran Becomes the Trade-Off for Northern Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Premier Holds News Conference on Turkish-US Talks, PKK Issue
EDM ANKARA WILLING TO RISK U.S. SANCTIONS FOR CHEAP IRANIAN ELECTRICITY
In Focus: America, Ankara and the Kurds Al-Ahram Weekly
Yet another invasion of Iraq?Al-Ahram Weekly
Who wants another Israel?Al-Ahram Weekly
Turkey's Leadership: Between a Rock and a Hard Place Moscow News
Asharq Alawsat A Day with the PKK By Hiwa Aziz
Provision to Turkey of US Intelligence on PKK Highlights Policy Shift Global Terrorism AnalysisNewsweek Saving Face How the Bush-Erdogan meeting produced a solution that allows Turkey to step back from the brink of an invasion of northern Iraq.
And Now, Turkey Forward –
Turks united in pursuit of rebelsChicago Tribune
Kurdish Rebel Commanders Under Increasing Scrutiny As Turkey Seeks Their Arrest
Asia Times Turkish decision weighs heavy on US On paper, the advantages of President George W Bush siding with the Kurds in northern Iraq in the crisis with Turkey are far outweighed by the US throwing its support behind Turkey. Ankara, with its tanks already warmed up, may make the decision for Bush. - Sami Moubayed
NYT Turkish-Bred Prosperity Makes War Less Likely in Iraqi Kurdistan
Turkish President: Decision Made on Kurdish Rebels
Turkey retains military option after US pledges support against PKK
Turkish Troops Poised on Iraq Border
Iraqi PKK-Linked Party Head Disappears - Paper
Iraqi Kurd Press Roundup on Turkey-PKK Crisis 6 Nov 07
Asia Times Bush's Turkey shootThe astute Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, knew before he set foot in Washington that a sound bite would be about all President George W Bush would have to offer on the explosive Turkey vs Kurdistan Workers' Party crisis. Now Erdogan will wait - for just a little while - and if nothing moves, Turkey will strike northern Iraq, hard, without consulting Washington
EurasiaNet Turkey is Winning the Battle, but Can It Win the War?BY NICHOLAS BIRCH Slenderly built, his face wrinkled from years of sun and a diet of locally-grown tobacco, Irfan Gur doesn’t look like the sort of person who would give the Turkish state a headache. The photos on his wall tell a different story
EDM MAJORITY OF TURKISH MEDIA CLAIMS BUSH GAVE TURKEY GREEN LIGHT FOR MILITARY OPERATION
The Times Leader Mandatory Restraint Skilled diplomacy has created an opportunity to tackle the PKK
Washington Institute Turkey's Day by Dennis Ross
NYT Bush Pledges to Help Turkey on Intelligence
Everybody's Kurdish Problem
FT Bush to step up Turkish military links
Businessweek Will War Worries Hit Turkey's Economy?
Q&A on Mounting Tensions between Turkey and the Kurds
MEMRI Nov 06 IA# 401 - Turkey-U.S. Relations At a Critical Juncture
Washington Times Kurdish teens drawn to rebels' ranks (By Nicholas Birch)
Turkish Army Resists Push for Diplomacy
Kurdish Rebels Fear Crackdown in Northern Iraq
BBC US 'to help Turkey combat rebels' US President George W Bush promises Turkey's prime minister extra help in tackling Kurdish rebels in Iraq
Strategic allies Has the US done enough to calm Turkish fears? Border politics The choreographed release of rebel-held Turkish troops
Boston Globe For Turkey, the war is real (By James Carroll)
Guardian If Iraq hadn't happened?
Tim Watkin: Turning points of history throw up intriguing alternatives. How would the world and the US be different if there had been no invasion in 2003?
Time North Iraq Road Trip: Leaving Kurdistan

Foreign Policy How Bush Saved Iran’s Neocons
The Iranian Challenge By: Trita Parsi The Nation The ill-informed foreign policy debate on Iran contributes to a paradigm of enmity between the United States and Iran, which limits the foreign policy options of future US administrations to various forms of confrontation while excluding more constructive approaches.

BULLETIN No. 209

The Israeli “Nuclear Reactor Strike” and Syrian Weapons of Mass Destruction Source: Center for Strategic & International Studies Full Paper (PDF; 563 KB)
William Arkin What's In Those Syria Satellite Shots?
Syrian Sources To Gulf Papers: Change In Syrian Gov't Imminent
Photos Show Cleansing of Suspect Syrian Site
Suspected Location of Syria's Reactor Cleared Building Allegedly Bombed by Israel Gone
Syria 'air strike site removed'
Satellite images show Syria removed a large building from the presumed site of an Israeli air raid, a US institute says
Analysts: Syria cleared site hit by IAF, apparently to hide evidence Team of American experts say satellite images show speedy clean-up, raising suspicions about nature of site
DEBKAfile Reports: Iranian-Syrian nuclear issues heat up amid growing mistrust of IAEA director in Washington, Paris and Jerusalem
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Nuclear watchdog chief Mohammed ElBaradei asks Washington and Israel for satellite images of nuclear activity in Syria
Israel apologizes to Turkey over Syria air strike
Syria to Mediate Between Iraq, Turkey
Syrian Authorities Reportedly Release Two Kurds
Syria and Hamas to Hold Alternative Conference
Syrian Intelligence Linked to Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Fatah al-Islam Terrorist Group - Benny Avni (New York Sun)
ISIS full report

Iran's Hezbollah Card Stratfor
Israel: Hezbollah has tripled its land-to-sea missile arsenal
Israel Says Hezbollah Can Hit Tel Aviv...

Pandora’s Box: Iraqi Federalism, Separatism,’Hard’ Partitioning, and US PolicySource: Center for Strategic & International Studies Full Report (PDF; 1.7 MB)
Plans for Iraq’s Future: Federalism, Separatism, and Partition Source: Council on Foreign Relations
Asia Times Oil: The sovereignty showdown in IraqThe political half of the Bush administration's gamble in Iraq has already been lost, but it has proven adamantly unwilling to accept the loss of the economic half, the oil half, without a desperate fight. The showdown now is between muscle-flexing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose fragmenting country wants to reclaim sovereignty over its oil resources, and American military and diplomatic might. - Jack Miles

Washington Post Strike on Iran Would Roil Oil Markets, Experts Say Price Hits Record Close; U.S. Tightens Sanctions
Editorial A Boost for Diplomacy Tough sanctions against Iran are the alternative to military action.
Ha’aretz Editorial Sanctions or force Those who prevent economic pressure on Iran are making the use of military force against it more likely.
Financial Times Bush heads for a dreadful miscalculation over Iran The US president is not alone in framing a simple choice between Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons and war. It is a false choice. Aside from Tehran’s certain retaliation, the likely consequence of any American attack is war and a nuclear-armed Iran, writes Philip Stephens
NRO VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Ahmadinejad — love him or hate him. “Who’s Afraid of an Iranian Bomb?”

The Political Economy of Reform in Egypt: Understanding the Role of InstitutionsSource: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Full Paper (PDF; 202 KB)

BULLETIN No. 208

Washington Post Syrian Site Resembles Reactor Independent experts say images may be suspected nuclear facility that was bombed by Israel in Sept
Christian Science Monitor In raid's wake, Syria turns defensive
If war breaks out The next war with Syria, if there is one, will be different from every other war we have known.
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Damascus states willingness for early talks with Washington on Golan and “other issues,” denies Israeli attack targeted a Syrian nuclear reactor
American Conservative Phantoms Over Syriaby Philip Giraldi
Report: Syria was preparing itself for air force strike
WTR: A Syrian nuclear plan has a kind of logic
US claims photos show Syrian nuclear reactor
Syria in September 2007, Iran in December 2008? - Ralph Peters, NY Pos
Pyongyang cements ties with Syria The speaker of North Korea’s parliament has concluded high-level talks in Damascus just weeks after allegations of nuclear co-operation between the two countries emerged
Stuck in Iraq's labyrinth James Denselow While the west refuses to engage with the worsening humanitarian crisis of Iraq's refugees in Syria, their options are narrowing by the day.

A Nation Of Mideast Hostages By David Ignatius,
BEIRUT -- Here's a Lebanese group snapshot, taken in the land where politics is an extreme sport:
Lebanon president choice stalledParliament says it wants to give more time to pro- and anti-Syrian factions to agree on a consensus candidate.
Lebanon delays presidential election Lebanon has delayed its presidential election by nearly three weeks to allow more time for rival pro- and anti-Syrian groups to agree on a compromise candidate.
UN: Hezbollah has increased military strength since 2006 war
U.N. Report Suggests Syrian Role in Arming of Hezbollah, Other Groups

PINR "Intelligence Brief: Israel's Current Strategy in the Gaza Strip" Full text of report
Violence in Gaza if talks collapseFailure at Annapolis undermines Palestinian moderates, say analysts

New York Times THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Remember Iraq I continue to believe that everyone has us where they want us in Iraq: we’re holding up the floor for Iraqi politicians to do their endless tribal dance
From Mother Jones, a special issue on The Moral Dilemma of Leaving Iraq: Interviews with more than 50 experts, from General Petraeus' advisers to antiwar activists.
Fixing Iraq, without us: The key to the crisis in Iraq may lie Northern Ireland and South Africa.
Stagecraft, not statecraft Dennis Ross diagnoses Bush's failure in Iraq.

Washington Post U.S. to Set New Iran Sanctions In unprecedented move, administration to declare a foreign military branch a sponsor of terrorism
Who’s the boss in Iran? The tea-leaves of an Iranian resignation
ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT BRIEFING My way President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tightens his grip on Iran
Asia Times Ahmadinejad, Iran's Putin? Russian President Vladimir Putin caused some "tremors" during his recent visit to Iran. At the same time, he provided the Islamic Republic with an example of a political power structure that has clearly benefited Russia and aspects of which could be replicated in Iran. Changes in Iran's nuclear negotiating team could be a step in the direction of more power flowing to the executive branch headed by the president. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Iran divided by nuclear policy struggle
Regime falls into public infighting after 183 MPs voice their support for the former national security chief as nuclear negotiator
IHT Actually, Iran is not so tough By MARTIN VAN CREVELD / TMS Iran is weak, but this doesn't mean the U.S. or Israel should now go ahead and attack.
Asia Times Sanctions on Iran a prelude to conflict?At the heart of the strategy of the United States and its allies to pressure Iran over its nuclear program is the application of a third, stronger round of sanctions. Yet sanctions significantly increase the likelihood of militarized conflict rather than preventing it. - Prerna Mankad
IAEA: Iran Needs 3-8 Years to Produce Bomb

Brookings Upgrading Authoritarianism in the Arab World
October 2007, Steven Heydemann, Saban Center Analysis Paper
Steven Heydemann says the “after twenty years, Arab regimes have become profi­cient at containing and disarming democracy pro­motion—if not exploiting it for their own purposes.” Read More
Washington Institute Pushback or Progress? Arab Regimes Respond to Democracy's Challenge
Daily Star America's policy in the Middle East ignores basic facts
CAP Ten Questions for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the Middle East

BULLETIN No. 207

The Economist Syria A mystery unsolved
ABCNews EXCLUSIVE: The Case for Israel's Strike on Syria
RawStory Exclusive: Cheney hand seen in leaked Syria stories
Ha’aretz - Report: Israeli mole took pictures of Syrian facility ABC: U.S. urged Israel against strike; Washington Post: Syria dismantling site, possibly to hide evidence
Wall Street Journal What Happened in Syria? Congress deserves our best intelligence on alleged nuclear proliferation. By PETER HOEKSTRA and ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
Way to Syrian conversion
Report: Israeli mole took pictures of Syrian facility ABC: U.S. urged Israel against strike; Washington Post: Syria dismantling site, possibly to hide evidence
Jerusalem Post Report: Israel had mole inside Syrian facility prior to strikeUS official tells ABC: CIA helped Israel pinpoint coordinates for strike, White House discouraged attack because 'there was no proof.'
The nuclear watchdog is checking US spy satellite images of Syrian site hit by Israeli warplanes on Sept. 6 for signs of secret nuclear activity
Yedioth 'Syrian site photos examined' Diplomatic sources say UN experts scrutinizing satellite photos of site attacked by Israel in September; no conclusive results yet. Earlier, Washington Post reported Syria eliminating evidence at site of attack
Why is Syria taking so many strategic and political risks?
Was Israel behind the July explosion at the Syrian military base outside Aleppo?
ArmsControlWonk Syrian "Copy" of Yongbyon? [1]
Turkish-Syrian ties get a fillip Gulf News
Syrians Disassembling Ruins at Site Bombed by Israel, Officials Say
Exclusive: Cheney hand seen in leaked Syria stories
NYT Iraq President Assails Syria’s Support for Turkish Cross-Border Threat
Syria Denies Assad Backing for Turkish Action in Iraq

Washington Institute The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Lebanon
Report: Lebanon Druze head to ask Barak to help topple Assad
Hizbullah: US could turn Lebanon into 2nd Iraq
Pentagon: U.S. to build 'strategic partnership' with Lebanese army According to blueprint of alleged treaty, U.S. would provide Lebanon with equipment, build bases in county
Hezbollah slams U.S. call for 'partnership' with Lebanon army
Don’t Sell Out Lebanon’s Hopes By Amir TaheriRobert Fisk: Secret armies pose sinister new threat to Lebanon
Babacan stresses dialogue as key to solving Lebanese crisis
Daily Star There's a better - and cheaper - way that Washington can help Lebanon

BULLETIN No. 206

Report: Syria confirms target of IAF attack was nuclear facility Army Radio: Syrian UN delegate told disarmament panel that September 6 raid targeted nuclear plant
DEBKAfile: US sources dwarf peril of Syrian nuclear target bombed by Israel last month. They aim to clear way for resumed Washington-Syrian dialogue
Syria: We never said nuclear facility was target of IAF strike
Rights group hits at Syrian repression Human Rights Watch accuses the country’s security forces of routinely harassing activists and calls on authorities to stop repressing human rights organisations

Lebanon's Government By Murder - David Schenker, Los Angeles Times
ANALYSIS: Hezbollah chief sets his sights on 'the big deal' One may conclude that Nasrallah has received a solid Israeli commitment that prisoners will be released
Oren Nasrallah's victory If, like in the case of revolutions, wars should be judged only after time has past, then the prisoner exchange deal in the works between Israel and Hezbollah suggests that Nasrallah won the Second Lebanon War.
Iran Deeply Involved in 2006 Lebanon-Israel War (MEMRI)
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah says major exchange deal with Israel is in the works
Israeli-Hizbullah swap sparks speculation about further exchanges
DEBKAfile reports: Tehran is choreographing all swap deals with Israel after Nasrallah’s authority wanes in Hizballah

Political Dynamics Shifted During 2006 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
Yedioth Ahronoth 'Israel cannot be destroyed' Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy believes Iran was the big loser in Second Lebanon war
How Israel Thinks Forward
Former Mossad chief downplays Iranian threat
Palestinians pessimistic on peace talks As a series of high-profile international visitors, including Condoleezza Rice and Tony Blair, traipse through the Holy Land, Palestinians are looking on with a mixture of indifference and despair

Before We Bomb Iran by Jonathan Alter
Asia Times Caspian summit a triumph for Tehran This week's summit of the Caspian littoral states in Tehran has opened up new breathing space for Iranian diplomacy from the Caspian to the Arab world and brought Iran to the verge of a new strategic relationship with Russia. Simultaneously, the US's coercive diplomacy in the region has been frustrated. Washington will be particularly incensed by Moscow's siding with Tehran on its nuclear program. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Christian Science Monitor Russia, Iran harden against West
NYT Putin Is Said to Offer Idea on Standoff Over Iran
Washington Post Divisions in Europe May Thwart U.S. Objectives on Iran
By Robin Wright

IHT The U.S. has run out of tricks By RAMI G. KHOURI
Most people in the Mideast no longer fear America's power

BULLETIN No. 205

Syria's Role in the Region: Media, Peacemaker or AggressorTCF A 30-page US paper examining Syria's role in the Middle East
PINR "Israel's Strike on Syria Reduces Chances for Peace Deal" October 11 2007 Full text of report
News Analysis: Pre-emptive Caution: The Case of Syria
New York Times An Israeli Strike on Syria Kindles Debate in the U.S. At issue is whether intelligence presented by Israel showing nuclear ties between Syria and North Korea was conclusive enough to justify military action
Slate Understanding the Israeli Attack on Syria We now know a little about what happened, but it'll be a long time before we know what it means. Shmuel Rosner
New York Times Analysts Find Israel Struck a Nuclear Project Inside Syria A site attacked last month by Israel was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, according to Israeli and American intelligence
Israel's strike against Syria...and Iran. Josh Muravchik, LAT
Israel Silent on Reports of Bombing Within Syria
Israeli air strike was aimed at Syrian reactor · Nuclear plant in early stages of construction · Concern in US over pre-emptive assault
Middle East Times Commentary: Changing course with Syria
Israel strike 'targeted Syrian reactor'
Israel's mysterious air strike in the Syrian desert last month was aimed as destroying a partially-constructed nuclear reactor, according to reports in the US.
DEBKAfile Exclusive: The US plans new military presence in Lebanon including big air installation close by Syrian border
Scowcroft, Brzezinski, Hamilton, Kassebaum Baker, Hills & Others Call for Syria and Hamas to Be Engaged in Israel-Palestine Effort
WTR: Cheney, Rice, debating the attack on Syria
Analysis: Iran, Syria in gas dealUnited Press International
Ha’aretz - Report: Several North Korean scientists hurt in IAF strike in Syria
Turkey wants Syria to play role for peace

Hizbollah and the Lebanese Crisis, International Crisis Group
Daily Star If Hizbullah and Israel can make a deal, why can't Lebanon's Christians?
NYT Book Faults Israeli Air War in Lebanon - Steven Erlanger Divining Victory: Airpower in the 2006 Israel-Hizbullah War by William M. Arkin, to be published this month, concludes that by bombing too many targets of questionable importance for its aims, and not explaining why it bombed what it did, Israel lost the war for public opinion