News and Analysis (4/30/2010)

“I would rather [have] Palestinians as citizens of this country over dividing the land up,” – Reuven Rivlin, the speaker of Israel’s Knesset:

• Knesset Speaker Hints at One-State (Al Jazeera)

Obama indicates he would not veto UN resolutions condemning Israeli settlement building in an attempt to reignite indirect peace negotiations:

• US Gives Abbas Private Assurances Over Israeli Settlements (Guardian)

A recent spike in civilian deaths causes McChrystal to revamp US policy, but Afghanis see little difference in their treatment during night raids:

• Afghanistan War: US Night Raid Sparks Protest Over Civilian Deaths (Christian Science Monitor)

Despite the US increased efforts to gain control in Afghanistan:

• U.S. Report on Afghan War Finds Few Gains in 6 Months (NY Times)

Will the Belgian ban have a domino effect with other European nations following suit?

• Belgian Lawmakers Vote to Ban Full-Face Veils in Public (Washington Post)

As Pakistan mulls over the idea of attacking militants in their main base in North Waziristan …

• In Shift, Pakistan Considers Attack on Militant Lair (NY Times)

… The lack of effective intelligence continues to be a glaring issue for the US and Pakistan:

• Pakistani Intelligence Officials Say Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud is Alive (Washington Post)

Imran

Minaret of Freedom Institute Program Assistant