Evoking thoughts of the West Bank Wall, a policeman says of Samarrans, “They hate checkpoints. They hate order.”
- An Iraqi City Divided by Walls, by Sect, By Bitterness (Washington Post)
Zardari is cautious of the political implications:
- Pakistani Taliban Urge Lawmakers to Back Swat Deal (Washington Post)
Officially, Bouteflika won 90% of the total vote with his nearest opponent coming in at 4.22%
- In Algeria, Bouteflika’s Opponents Challenge His Landslide Win (Christian Science Monitor)
Reflecting the shortsightedness of military intervention, soldiers must focus on combating the insurgency village by village:
As the opportunity international recognition grows …
… an analyst argues that Egypt, under fire for its “continuing participation in the blockade” of Gaza wants to defend its actions as aimed not against the Palestinians or Hamas but against an Iranian attempts “to dominate the Arab world”:
- Egypt Hunts ‘Hezbollah Agents’ (Al Jazeera)
The arrest of an American journalist is a cloud over conciliatory gestures:
- Persian New Year to Bring U.S.-Iran Thaw? (Christian Science Monitor)
