News and Analysis (10/22/07)

Ankara braces itself for the possibility of a large cross-border raid after as 12 Turkish soldiers are killed and an unknown number are taken hostage along the Turkish/Iraqi Kurdish border in retaliation for an earlier raid killed at least 32 Kurdish militants:

• Turkey To Strike Back After 12 Slain (Los Angeles Times)

DespitIn the face of repeated denials from Iran about developing a nuclear weapon, Vice President Cheney issues vague threat to Tehran saying, “the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences”:

• Cheney, Like President, Has a Warning for Iran (New York Times)

Kyrgyz leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev dissolves parliament and seeks to start fresh with a new legislature and constitution that includes a proportional all party list and raises the number of MPs, however opposition members criticize him for contradictions and loopholes in the new constitution and see the parliament’s dissolution “as a step towards authoritarianism”:

• Kyrgyz Leader Dissolves Parliament After Referendum (Reuters/New York Times)

Political deadlock between pro-government March 14 forces and the Hizballah and Aounist-led opposition delays Lebanon’s presidential election:

• Lebanon Delays Presidential Vote (BBC News)

Muslim-American activist and former member of Virginia Commission on Immigration argues that his resignation from the Commission was “so as to not allow partisan politics and a drummed-up controversy to derail the commission or to undermine the good work of the governor to bring some sanity to a General Assembly bent on creating a police state in Virginia for immigrants”:

• Why I Resigned (Washington Post)

In the wake of the recent attacks against Bhutto’s convoy, analysts find that the Pakistani army has neither the political will, nor the capability to fight Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the outlying tribal regions, while Musharraf and the military use the incident to justify a ban a street rallies that have been the bread and butter of the former PM’s means of rallying support:

• Pakistan’s Army: Unprepared to Tackle Terrorism? (Christian Science Monitor)
• Bombing Shakes Pakistan’s Political Culture (Washington Post)

Alejandro

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