News and Analysis (5/23/07)

Fighting stops – at least for now – but fighting is used by various political parties to call for “unity”, outside actors to funnel arms to the government and refugees to flee the fighting:

• Fragile Truce Takes Hold in Nahr al-Bared (Lebanon Daily Star)
  
• Arabs Send Arms for Army – and US May Follow Suit (Lebanon Daily Star)
  
• Refugees Flee During Lull in Lebanon Fighting (New York Times)
  

Iran entrenches its hardline stances, arresting 4^th Iranian-American in recent weeks right before talks are to begin between Washington and Tehran on Iraq security:

• Tehran Detains 4th Iranian American Before Talks (Washington Post)
  

Israel threatens to attack political, not military wing leaders of Hamas:

• Israel Threatens To Target Hamas Political Leaders (Associated Press/Washington Post)
  

Op-ed in the CS Monitor explores the roots of terrorism in Western countries and puts current concerns about radical Islamist terrorism in historical and comparative perspective:

• How Terrorism Finds Root in the West (Christian Science Monitor)

Alejandro

Alejandro Beutel is program assistant for the Minaret of Freedom Institute with expertise in religious freedom, democratization and security issues.