Author: Imran

Serving as America’s gateway into the Middle East, Turkey is too valuable an ally to lose: Iran, Afghanistan to Test Turkish-U.S. Ties (Reuters / Washington Post) As NATO forces answer the US call for troops in Afghanistan… Nato Members Pledge Extra 7,000 Troops for Afghanistan (Guardian) Nobel prize nominee Greg Mortenson argues that only a…

“In the 42 years that Israel has had full control of the city, it has on average revoked the Jerusalem residency permits of about 200 people a year … The previous high had been 1,363, in 2006”: Israel Revoked Jerusalem Residency of 4,500 Palestinians in 2008 (Washington Post) Ahmadinejad continues to show absolute resolve in…

Obama seeks “to prepare the country for the heavier fighting and higher casualties that are likely to result from his [Afghan] strategy in the months ahead…. Obama: U.S. Security is Still at Stake (Washington Post) … but he was neither specific nor open the essential role of Pakistan, which is suspicious of American intentions ……

Tripling the troop commitment since his inauguration, the President has made Afghanistan War Obama’s war: Obama Issues Order for More Troops in Afghanistan (NY Times) Facing political pressure from every branch of government,  Zardari can’t appease everyone: Pakistan’s Zardari Holds Off His Political Foes — For Now (Washington Post) Tory MP complains, “A normal nation…

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…

Has Obama failed to deliver on his promised to break from the interrogation and detainee abuse of the Bush Administration? 2 Afghans Allege Abuse At U.S. Site (Washington Post) Logic like Swiss cheese– “Forced marriages and other things like cemeteries separating the pure and impure – we don’t have that in Switzerland, and we do…

Eid Mubarak (Blessed Feast of Sacrifice)! Muslims Celebrate Eid al-Adha (Al Jazeera) The resolution had the backing of China and Russia but it is unclear if they will support the expansion of sanctions: Iran Censured Over Nuclear Program by U.N. Watchdog (NY Times) Clear signs of Islamophobia in Europe: Swiss Vote on Proposal to Ban…

US endorsement of the plan that essentially allows Israel to continue all planned construction for the next ten months falls short of Obama’s original demand for a full freeze and unfairly shifts political pressure  shift to the Palestinians: U.S. Praises Netanyahu Plan (Washington Post) Palestinians Reject Israeli Offer (Al Jazeera) On the brink of political…

Blackwater operatives “plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, ‘snatch and grabs’ of high-value targets[,] … assist in gathering intelligence and help direct a secret US military drone bombing campaign …  parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes”: Blackwater’s Secret War in Pakistan (The Nation) It seems Obama’s new strategy will not…

Signs of Karzai’s commitment to curbing corruption or just the tip of the iceberg in Afghani politics? Afghanistan Investigating 5 Current and Former Cabinet Members (Washington Post) Mixed signals in the media on whether the prisoner exchange is progressing or stalled: Netanyahu Says Hamas Prisoner Deal Might Not Happen (Reuters / Washington Post) ‘Progress’ in…