News and Analysis (3/19/10)

Hard language demands negotiations within 24 months that will result “in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors”…

• Quartet Blasts Israel Over East Jerusalem Settlements (Guardian)

… Meanwhile, Israeli lobbying forces rally to ensure their high level of influence in the US government:

• US-Israel Tensions Continue to Percolate (Antiwar)

Khamenei’s strategy focuses on keeping elite Iranians loyal while using the suppression machinery of his regime more than ever before…

• Iran Protests: Is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Winning? (Christian Science Monitor)

“This is not about the opposition Green Movement in Iran now,” says Ali Akbar Moussavi Khoini, a former member of Parliament. “This is about democracy and the fact that when people have access to information, they can make wise choices.

• Iran’s Opposition Seeks More Help in Cyberwar With Government (NY Times)

Although US officials remain skeptical, Kai Eide argues talks with Taliban leadership are the best strategy to end the 8 year conflict:

• Pakistan Arrests Put Stop to Taliban Talks – UN Envoy (Guardian)

What parallels can be drawn to the US led invasion into the “Graveyard of Empires?”

• Afghanistan War: Lessons from the Soviet War (Christian Science Monitor)

Imran

Minaret of Freedom Institute Program Assistant