The preliminary results indicate victories for the Dawa Party as well as for al-Hadba candidates, who were supported by Sunnis boycotting the vote in 2005:
- Iraqi Vote Expected to Bolster Maliki (Christian Science Monitor)
… But voter turn-out failed to reach the predicted 73%, falling to 51%:
- Iraq Vote Turnout Fails to Meet Expectations (LA Times)
As the Israelis hold true to their promise of a “disproportionate response” to Fatah rocket-fire …
- Israeli Jets Bomb Gaza Targets (Al Jazeera)
…Hamas and the PA continue to challenge the legitimacy of each other…
- Â Abbas Attacks Hamas Over PLO Call (Al Jazeera)
…However, King Abdullah wisely calls for reconciliation between the Palestinian factions, “the competition between them is a big mistake…It will do them more harm than that done by Zionism”:
- Mitchell Gets Earful from Mideast (Christian Science Monitor)
The corruption surrounding $50 billion in reconstruction funds for Iraq is poised for repeat in Afghanistan:
- Iraq Auditor Warns of Waste, Fraud In Afghanistan (Washington Post)
With serious implications on the renewal of relations between Iran and the US, the presidential race heats up:
