News and Analysis (12/2/09)

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 …

• Between the Lines, an Expansion in Pakistan (NY Times)

… Meanwhile:

• Many Fear Taliban Will Wait Out U.S. Troop Presence (LA Times)

After all, Fox News can claim it is “fair and balanced”:

• Press TV Can Say it Tells the Full Story, Rules Ad Watchdog (Guardian)

“There is no imminent danger of settlers declaring an all-out mutiny … [b]ut they are hoping that Netanyahu’s hard-right colleagues in the Likud Party will put enough pressure on him to force the government to rescind the ban”:

• In Israeli Settlements, Residents and Builders Push Back on 10-Month Freeze (CS Monitor)

Arguing that the threat of Israeli aggression “calls for Lebanon to have a defense strategy built on the presence of a popular resistance … and a national army that protects the country and its stability”:

• Hezbollah Vows to Boost Arsenal (Al Jazeera)

Imran

Minaret of Freedom Institute Program Assistant