News and Analysis (5/24/07)

As body count from Iraqi morgues shows sectarian violence continues to rise and domestic opposition to the occupation of Iraq increases, US military official announces that capture/kill strategy for Iraq stabilization not working, instead, “need to bring them to them to the negotiating table”: 

• Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq (Washington Post) 

• Poll Shows Opposition to Iraq War at All Time High (New York Times) 

• U.S. May Negotiate with Iraqi Insurgents (CNN) 

In spite of scathing report from international nuclear watchdog about Iranian defiance of international nuclear standards, IAEA top chief calls for continue diplomacy with Tehran: 

• IAEA: Iran 3-8 Years From Atomic Weapons (Associated Press/Washington Post) 

Israel makes raid into Gaza and kidnaps 33 political members of Hamas, deepens political paralysis of Palestinian legislature, government: 

• Israelis Arrest Hamas Leaders (Associated Press/Washington Post) 

Analysts find that short term US security interests trump long term support for civil society development: 

• For US, Security Trumps Democracy in Pakistan: Experts (AFP/Yahoo)

Alejandro

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