Month: January 2009

Updated at 8:45 p.m. EST, Jan. 29, 2009At least eight Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in light violence. No Coalition deaths were reported, but the U.S. Army reported that soldier suicide rates hit a new high for the second year in a row. A few attacks were linked to the election. Meanwhile, … Continue reading “Thursday: 8 Iraqis Killed, 5 Wounded”

Despite the possibility of isolated violence and other problems, close watchers of Iraq’s upcoming provincial elections say that a relatively smooth process there could be a bellwether for better days ahead, according to a new report [.pdf]. "Whereas the January 2005 elections helped put Iraq on the path to all out civil war, these polls … Continue reading “Iraqi Elections Dawn on Changed Political Landscape”

Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank increased sharply in 2008, despite Israel’s pledge at the beginning of the year to freeze all construction, according to a new report by an Israeli non-governmental organization [.pdf]. The report, released Wednesday by the group Peace Now, found that settlement construction in 2008 increased by almost 60 percent, … Continue reading “Peace Recedes as Israeli Settlements Expand”

BAGHDAD – Uncertainty and tension are running high in Baghdad ahead of the provincial election due Jan. 31. But this time fears are also touched by a new hope. "Iraq is transitioning into something more stable," former Iraqi interim prime minister Ayad Allawi told IPS. "The U.S. is pulling out soon because of the new … Continue reading “Tentative Hope Rises Ahead of Iraq Elections”

Hassan, an 8-year-old Gazan boy, could consider himself lucky. Last year, thanks to his serious illness, Israel let him in to be treated in a Tel Aviv hospital. Israel boasts of its generosity: after four decades of occupation, which has left Gaza’s hospitals on a Third World level, followed by years of siege, which has … Continue reading “What Happened to Hassan”

Updated at 8:15 p.m. EST, Jan. 28, 2009U.S. President Obama is meeting with defense officials at the White House today to discuss drawdown plans just as early polling begins in Iraq. Meanwhile, at least seven Iraqis were killed and another 10 were wounded in light violence. Polls opened today for security officials, prisoners and others … Continue reading “Wednesday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded”

When U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates accused Iran of "subversive activity" in Latin America Tuesday, it raised the question whether he is trying to discourage President Barack Obama from abandoning the hard-line policy of coercive diplomacy toward Iran he has favored for nearly three decades. In making a new accusation against Iran, just as Obama … Continue reading “Is Gates Undermining Another Opening to Iran?”

A series of unexpectedly swift moves to begin addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict taken by Barack Obama in the week since he was sworn in as the U.S. president is being hailed by many regional specialists who were deeply frustrated by George W. Bush’s relative indifference and virtually unconditional support for Israel. “The speed with which … Continue reading “Obama Raises Hopes of
Mideast Experts”

President Obama’s interview with al-Arabiya television is remarkable in several ways, but what strikes me the most is that it coincided with the first air strikes on Pakistan under his administration: 22 people were killed, including between four and seven Taliban/al-Qaeda bad guys. In the Arabiya interview, Obama was at his charming best, and the … Continue reading “The Mailed Fist
and the Velvet Glove”

DUBAI – The civilian nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States may fulfill the former’s long-term desire to develop alternative energy sources and the latter’s intention to promote a model for peaceful nuclear energy that sends a hint to Iran. The Jan. 16 deal, one of the last diplomatic decisions … Continue reading “US-UAE Nuclear Deal a Hint to Iran”