Israel and Palestine agree to a prisoner swap of Shalit for 450 Palestinians to be named by Hamas and another 530 [anti-Hamas?–Ed.] to be selected by Israel as “a gesture to the Palestinian people”:
Israel: 980 Palestinians Slated for Release (Ma’an)
“Iran’s nuclear policy has always been about walking the tightrope at the edge of a cliff … But our leaders will never take actions that would jeopardize Iran’s national security”: Mashallah Shamsolva’ezin, Iranian journalist:
- Iran Vows to Expand its Nuclear Program (Washington Post)
Among the most difficult to answer, how much will the Afghanistan War continue to cost …
- Three Questions Obama Must Answer in Afghanistan Speech (Christian Science Monitor)
… Unlike presidents of the past, Obama will not be receiving an blank check and a free pass on Afghanistan:
Obama outlines five groups that ambiguity in Pakistan’s relationship with any of them could no longer be ignored, al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Tehrik-e-Taliban:
- U.S. Offers New Role for Pakistan (Washington Post)
The U.S. thinks curbing poppy production would reduce the Taliban’s influence in Afghanistan, but the farmers are concerned “about lack of water, and elders talked bitterly about the U.S. detaining their sons and tribesmen”:
“All Arab countries are craving change — and many of us believed Obama was a tool for change… Now we are losing that hope.”
- The Deflated Arab Hopes for Obama (Washington Post)
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