Refusing to hear the ACLU’s case, the Supreme Court lets a catch-22 stand: You can’t protect yourself against illegal spying unless you can prove you were illegally spied upon (huh?):
- Top Court Won’t Review Bush Domestic Spying Case (Reuters/New York Times)
Report from the East-West Institute finds that the free market place of ideas and partnerships with civil society, not censorship, is the best way to counter web-based extremism:
- Censoring Islamists On Web Called ‘Mistake’ (United Press International/Washington Times)
Citing the precedent set by Kosovo, a senior Palestinian official says Palestinians ought to unilaterally declare a state if peace talks with Israel don’t work out, meanwhile Israeli peace activist Ran HaCohen analyzes the propaganda used by Tel Aviv to justify continuing the occupation of the Palestinian Territories:
- Palestinians ‘May Declare State’ (BBC News)
- Israel Says ‘No’ (Antiwar.com)
After trouncing Musharraf and radical religious parties at the polls, opposition leaders say they will end the crackdown on the media, restore independence to the judiciary and pursue more dialogue rather than military confrontation to fight terrorism:
- Pakistan Remakes Its Political Landscape (Washington Post)
- Pakistan Victors Want Dialogue With Militants (New York Times)
Fragile gains made by the so-called surge could be threatened if Muqtada As-Sadr refuses to extend his voluntary force draw down:
- Al-Sadr Threatens to Lift Cease-Fire (Associated Press/Washington Post)
