News and Analysis (12/6-7/08)

The empowerment of tribal and religious leaders leaves women struggling for equality, justice:

• Iraqi Women, Fighting for a Voice (Washington Post)

Will the pursuit of justice in the prosecution of the Hariri assassination be sacrificed to political pressure to move Syria away from Iran and towards Israel?

• How a Murder Investigation Could Snarl Mideast Peace (CS Monitor)

“The conditions are ideal …’for settlers to seek to force their agenda without fear of challenge or repercussions’”:

• New Tensions in Jerusalem’s Arab Neighborhoods (NY Times)

US must open dialogue and improve relations:

• Head of Nuclear Watchdog Calls Efforts Against Iran ‘A Failure’ (LA Times)

Opportunistic tribal forces offer peace with Pakistan to fight India:

• Mistrust of India Forges Sense of Unity in Pakistan (Washington Post)

Sectarian divisions continue to plague Iraqi unity:

• Baqubah a Minefield of Iraqi Sectarian Tensions (LA Times)

Blackwater’s trigger happy security guards claim the government is trying to second guess ‘honorable men’:

• Contractors’ Attorneys Lash Out at Justice Dept. (Washington Post)

Imran

Minaret of Freedom Institute Program Assistant