THE ROVING EYE
All square
It's more than possible that within the next few months a pro-gun, pro-Big Oil, mooseburger-eating PR stunt named Sarah Palin, whose foreign policy credentials are burnished by a visit to Canada, will have her finger on America's nuclear button if anything untoward should happen to a septuagenarian president. But fear not: Palin will have a plan, just as she has/will have (it's not at all clear) a plan for Iraq: "[T]hat is what we have to make sure, [that] there is a plan and that plan is God's plan." - Pepe Escobar (Sep 5, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
The ashes of American morality
The Dark Side by Jane Mayer
The core of the book is a dissection of the United States' reaction to the September 11 attacks and how it led to the "war on terror" - a war the author describes in all its sordid details. The deduction drawn is that the US has seen many of its core values eroded to the point of endangering the very principals on which American society is allegedly based. - Alexander Casella (Sep 5, '08)



Palestinians play a wild card
The lead Palestinian negotiator has warned of scrapping the peace process with Israel and demanding that Israel annex the Palestinian territories with all their residents. Jerusalem has rejected this sea-change in attitude as it carries with it apocalyptic possibilities for the Jewish state. But the concept of a bi-national state can be re-imagined as a positive development: it has its roots in progressive Jewish thought. - Mark LeVine (Sep 4, '08)

Slave trade heads to Israel
Israel has narrowly avoided United States economic sanctions over its unsavory role in the international white slave trade. Still, Israel remains a haven for the trafficking of women for the sex industry, and the government faces sharp criticism for its visa policy which ties foreign migrants to an Israeli employer. (Sep 4, '08)

Iran courts Russia and the Latin left
The growing rift between the United States and Russia presents Tehran with options. Iran can seek to neutralize United Nations nuclear sanctions and explore strategic cooperation with Russia and Latin America's leftist governments. It can also act as Moscow's junior partner, rallying "rogue" nations in a front against the US. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Sep 3, '08)

Lebanon's economy looks to a revival
Renewed tourist interest in Lebanon points to a sense of stability in the wake of the Doha accords signed in May. Even so, the government of President Michel Suleiman has much to do before the country again becomes the Switzerland of the Middle East.(Sep 2, '08)

Iran tightens screws on Iraq's Kurds
Iran is carefully monitoring the health of ailing Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, who has helped maintain a delicate balance between the pro-Tehran ruling Shi'ite bloc and the Kurdish community. Already, Baghdad has introduced an Iranian-inspired crackdown to ensure the Kurds remain "tamed". - Sami Moubayed (Sep 2, '08)

Ahmadinejad gets a crucial boost
An apparent public endorsement of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei throws a new light on the 2009 presidential elections. Khamenei's backing could silence some government critics and Ahmadinejad is already calling the leader's approval "a medal of honor". (Aug 29, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Rebranding 9/11
The Second Plane by Martin Amis
This incendiary collection of short stories and articles smolders like the rubble of the twin towers. Taking on fundamentalism, Islamism in particular, as well as the West, in absorbing, dialectic prose, Amis scores a direct hit against victim and victor alike. - Julian Delasantellis (Aug 29, '08)

Tehran exploits US-Russian tensions
Iran's geopolitical leverage has increased sharply as a result of the West's faceoff with Russia over Georgia. Tehran is potentially a valuable ally for either side in Cold War II, and for now it is cleverly keeping its options open - while the price for its cooperation rises. - Jim Lobe (Aug 28, '08)

Maliki picks a date with destiny
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has put himself on the line by insisting that all American troops leave the country by the end of 2010, as a precondition to signing a security accord with the US. Maliki's stance, clearly influenced by Iran, is unacceptable to Washington. Something has to give. - Sami Moubayed (Aug 28, '08)

Sectarian clashes flare in Iraq
A United States-backed security operation meant to target al-Qaeda has instead focused only on Iraqi cities with large Sunni populations. Sunni residents claim the operations are clearly sectarian and also blame Shi'ite militias backed by the government in Baghdad. - Ahmed Ali and Dahr Jamail (Aug 27, '08)

Turkey has a rough road ahead
Turkey is trying to develop an autonomous foreign policy, including deeper energy ties with Iran, in unprecedented conditions, among them war on its doorstep. Yet its regional Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform will not solve the country's basic economic problems and the outlook cannot be optimistic amid the worldwide downturn. - Robert M Cutler (Aug 27, '08)

The Biden factor in US-Iran relations
The Democratic ticket in the US presidential race holds with it the possibility of a serious change in American foreign policy, especially with regard to Iran. Senator Joseph Biden is a strong advocate of engagement with Tehran and a vocal opponent of any military action against it as a result of its nuclear program. Iran has already indicated it would respond positively to a softer US approach. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 27, '08)

Biden's stumble over Iraq
In response to the consequences of the US invasion of Iraq and the resulting weakening of popular support for the war, Senator Joseph Biden has recently joined the chorus of Democrats calling for the withdrawal of most combat forces. Yet Biden's key role in making possible the US Congress' authorization of the 2003 US invasion will not convince the anti-war constituency. - Stephen Zunes (Aug 27, '08)

KEBABBLE
Turkey's odd man of the sea
Turkey's one-man environmental crusade, Imdat Avci, has spent years sailing the turquoise inlets and bays off Marmaris on the Mediterranean coast to protect its fragile marine ecology and accost its violators. The salty, stubborn Don Quixote has used tactics such as hunger strikes and threats to cut off his fingers, for which he is becoming famous. - Fazile Zahir (Aug 26, '08)



Georgia war rooted in US 'self-deceit'
Whether Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had encouragement from his "buddies in the White House" or not, the deeper roots of the Russia-Georgia war lie in US bureaucratic self-deceit about the objective of expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization up to the borders of a highly suspicious and proud Russia in the context of an old and volatile ethnic conflict. - Gareth Porter (Aug 25, '08)

Iran's economic self-mutilation
Belated acknowledgement in Iranian popular media of the country's economic failures incorrectly attributes such failings to economic sanctions. Slow growth, high unemployment, pervasive corruption, economic injustice - these are self-inflicted. - Hossein Askari (Aug 25, '08)

Syria reaps a Russian reward
After the Russian tanks rolled into Georgia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was the first world leader to visit the Kremlin. Moscow sees a good ally in Assad, a man who realizes that the Russians are back and intends on using this strong reality to advance Syria's interests. Foremost is the peace process with Israel, which, given the events in the Caucasus, the United States might now feel compelled to support. - Sami Moubayed (Aug 22, '08)

Apocalypse later
It's the year 2016 and a professional futurologist looks back at some unfortunate predictions made in 2008. He explains how the Chicken Littles were just as far from the mark about dramatic change as the Panglossian utopians, and that a different kind of apocalypse, the slow-motion kind, is what really happened to the world. - John Feffer (Aug 21, '08)

Confident Iran sings its own tune
Irish crooner Chris de Burgh, of Lady in Red fame, was reportedly denied a permit to perform in Iran, telling much about how strong Tehran feels in its dealings with the West - specifically towards radicalization, whether on grand issues like its nuclear program, or smaller ones, such as a pop concert. It is also feeling good about its policies in Iraq. - Sami Moubayed (Aug 19, '08)

US setback over rendition 'poster child'
A federal appeals court in New York last week decided to rehear a lawsuit filed by Maher Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian who was detained in 2002 and flown to Jordan and Syria, where he was held for 10 months and allegedly tortured. As it has done in the past, Washington may invoke the "state secrets privilege" to avoid political embarrassment. - William Fisher (Aug 19, '08)

US worries as Maliki gets 'difficult'
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is no longer as dependent on Washington as he was a year or two ago. That major shift in power - now reluctantly acknowledged by the George W Bush administration - has given Maliki a new political identity as a nationalist foe of the occupation. The new tough-guy stance makes him "difficult to negotiate with". - Gareth Porter (Aug 18, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Is perpetual war our future?
To the problem of an overstretched, over-toured military there is but one answer in Washington. Both US presidential candidates want to significantly expand the army and the marines. In this article adapted from his new book, The Limits of Power, The End of American Exceptionalism, historian and retired colonel Andrew Bacevich argues the US does not need a bigger army, it needs a more modest foreign policy. (Aug 15, '08)

Iran gambles over Georgia's crisis
Iran, itself under threat of military action by the United States and or Israel, has remained conspicuously silent over Russia's offensive in Georgia. Tehran shares Moscow's fears over the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the US's plans for anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe. But the Irananians may have blundered by not criticizing Moscow, and the "Iran Six" diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program is now in jeopardy. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 15, '08)

How Tenet 'betrayed' the CIA on Iraq
Saddam Hussein's intelligence czar was a secret agent for Britain's MI6 and he told Western powers that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. This information was discarded by then-Central Intelligence Agency director George Tenet because it conflicted with Washington's case for war, a new book claims. - Gareth Porter (Aug 14, '08)

US blamed for Iran's clout in Iraq
Despite instances of positive assistance from Iran, many Iraqis blame Tehran for meddling in Iraq's politics and corrupting local governments. Others, specifically in Sunni-dominated Diyala province, feel the Iranian influence would have been impossible without United States meddling. - Ahmed Ali and Dahr Jamail (Aug 14, '08)

Israel has peace in its hands
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat used to wave his right hand in the air in front of US officials, saying it was the only one that could sign peace with Israel. Now there is another man with signing powers - Marwan Barghouti, the charismatic former Fatah leader. All that needs to happen is for Israel to free him from jail. - Sami Moubayed (Aug 13, '08)

Georgia's Israeli arms point Russia to Iran
Israel's relations with Georgia have been close, supplying Tbilisi with some US$200 million worth of military equipment since 2000. Israel is now worried of Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to its perceived enemies, including an anti-aircraft missile system for Iran. (Aug 13, '08)

Israel and Iran: A bridge too far?
The misplaced fear of an Iran-origin nuclear holocaust awaiting Israel, unless pre-emptive action is unleashed to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, has now reached such a disproportionate height as to trigger another major crisis in the Middle East. Yet it would not take much to ease anxieties on both sides. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 13, '08)

KEBABBLE
Food and puppets pull heart strings
Two Ottoman-era shadow puppets named Karagoz and Hacivat - comparable to Punch and Judy or Laurel and Hardy - are the subject of a cultural squabble between Greece and Turkey. And that's just the tip of the baklava, as both countries and Cyprus are embroiled in heated debate over the origin of regional cuisine. - Fazile Zahir (Aug 12, '08)

SPENGLER
Sufism, sodomy and Satan
Sufism seeks one-ness with the universe through spiritual exercises that lead individual consciousness to dissolve into the cosmos. But nothing is more narcissistic than the contemplation of the cosmos, for if we become one with the cosmos, what we love in the cosmos is simply an idealized image of ourselves. An idealized self-image is also what attracts the aging lecher to the adolescent boy. (Aug 11, '08)

US too much in the dark for Iran strike
An attack on Iran's nuclear facilities cannot be justified, given the limited US knowledge of these, while a strike would probably merely delay Tehran's ability to make a nuclear weapon, according to a US think-tank. It argues that comparisons with previous similar pre-emptive strikes are misleading. - Jim Lobe (Aug 11, '08)

Fleeced in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf countries' distribution of their vast wealth is desperately skewed, making a few people super-rich while most of the citizenry must struggle to survive amid this pillage and its related corruption and inflation. - Hossein Askari (Aug 11, '08)

Inside Iran's garden of diplomacy
The United States has dismissed Iran's response to an incentive package offered by world powers to Tehran over its nuclear program as "not a serious answer". The point is, the reply was intended not as an answer but rather as a notification of Iran's willingness to continue negotiations in earnest. Russia appears to understand this. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 8, '08)

Turkey ruling spurs (brief) stock revival
The recovery in Turkey's stock markets that preceded and followed the Constitutional Court's refusal to ban Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party may be short-lived, along with hope of renewed economic reforms. - R M Cutler (Aug 7, '08)

Cracks under Lebanon's patchwork
The ruling March 14 coalition in Lebanon - an alliance of rival warlords and political factions - has failed to deliver on its promise of uniting people in the cause of nation-building. Crucially, it misjudged Hezbollah and failed to develop long-term policies. (Aug 6, '08)

Baghdad warms to Sunni awakening
Lured by a promise of 3,000 jobs in the national police, the mostly Sunni Sahwa militia is playing a pivotal role in a joint operation with Iraqi government forces in Diyala province. The deployment underscores the military and political gains of the Sahwa, and even former foe Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has come around. - Ahmed Ali and Dahr Jamail (Aug 6, '08)

Syria exploits US loopholes
Rather than isolate Syria, the United States' tough line on Damascus has made it an indispensable problem-solver in key regional issues. Washington's flawed perception of Syria as a "weak country" has led to it helping stabilize Iraq and Lebanon while also acting as a mediator with Iran. And for Syria, a peace deal with Israel is now a real possibility. - Sami Moubayed
(Aug 6, '08)

US distractions let in 'foes'
The George W Bush administration's continuing pre-occupation with Iraq, as well as its growing concern about Afghanistan and Pakistan, has effectively put an end to its larger transformational ambitions in the Arab world. The vacuum is being filled in part by US adversaries, a new report by an influential Washington think-tank concludes. - Jim Lobe (Aug 5, '08)

SPENGLER
Israeli pre-emption better than Islamist cure
The critical mass of three Islamist states - Iran, Turkey and Pakistan - threatens to create an upheaval that can be contained only by wars of attrition. The outlook is grim, not least because the US State Department is repeating in Turkey the errors that helped bring Islamist governments to power in Iran and Pakistan. Israel is the only player with the perspicacity and power to stop the slide towards regional war. (Aug 4, '08)

Delhi risks a stumble at the finish line
Now that its nuclear accord with the United States has been endorsed by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, India has only the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group to win over. Any obstacles here will be made worse if Delhi insists on gaining "clean and unconditional" approval. - Sudha Ramachandran (Aug 4, '08)

Iran heartened by India's nuclear vote
The United States-India nuclear agreement, which has been endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, represents a timely diplomatic boon for Iran, which can now point at the US's flexible application of its nuclear policies with regard to Delhi as a reference point in Tehran's nuclear negotiations. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 4, '08)

Lebanese Christians mull conversion
Despite a national unity government deal inked in Doha during May, renewed violence shows that Lebanon remains divided between the pro-West March 14 coalition and the Iran-backed Hezbollah-led alliance, with the Christian constituency pivotal to upcoming elections. - Simon Roughneen (Aug 1, '08)

A triumph for Turkey - and its allies
On the eve of the crucial court decision that voted not to close down Turkey's ruling party, officials from Israel and Syria were in Ankara for a fourth round of peace talks under Turkish mediation. Perhaps they (and the Americans) knew a thing or two: Turkey's political stability is no longer just a national issue, it is vital for the international community. From the Israel-Syria engagement to Iran, Iraq and the United States, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a needed man. - M K Bhadrakumar (Aug 1, '08)

US tied to unconventional warfare
The United States should maintain close cooperation with its allies, both new and old, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says in his defense strategy released this week. This contrasts with the much more unilateralist orientation of previous Pentagon papers, but the paper does agree the US should remain focused on unconventional threats such as "al-Qaeda and its associates". - Jim Lobe (Aug 1, '08)

Israel picks up the pieces
Although Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has finally bowed to the inevitable and given notice of stepping down, he insists he will continue negotiations with the Palestinians and with indirect talks with Syria. His circling political foes have other ideas. (Aug 1, '08)

Turkey dodges a bullet
Turkey has narrowly avoided a political crisis with the Constitutional Court decision that the ruling party will not be closed down over alleged infringements of the secularist constitution. Other problems still loom, though, notably fears over terror attacks and suspected coup plotters. - David Barchard (Jul 31, '08)

A reminder for Iran on the revolution Concerns that the former Soviet Union would access Iran's oil supply pushed Western powers, foremost the Untied States, to accelerate Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution by supporting religious revolutionary forces, a new book confirms. This role of the West has been largely ignored, particularly by the Iranian government. (Jul 31, '08)

The 'down side' to an attack on Iran
A military strike against Iran would have negative consequences and do little to stop Iran's nuclear program, a major defense think-tank's study for the United States Air Force concludes. But even as the outcome of an attack is questioned, top US officials are assuring Israel that the military option is still "on the table". - Jim Lobe (Jul 31, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
War meets values
In the presidential elections in the United States, debates about cultural values are going to be played out fiercely on the symbolic terrain of war and national security issues. The all-too-real battlefields abroad will remain obscured by the cultural battlefields at home and by the those timeless "ordinary American values" embedded in the public's imagination. - Ira Chernus (Jul 31, '08)

Iraq's 'surge' has its limits
General David Petraeus, commander of United States forces in Iraq, has once again trumpeted the success of the troop "surge" in Iraq, saying violence is declining to almost "normal" levels. Factors other than the "surge", such as Iran's change of tactics, have helped stabilize Iraq. And blind belief in it sets a bad example for when the US decides to turn its full attention to the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. - Brian M Downing (Jul 30, '08)

Iran seeks entry to the lion's den
The United Nations Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, which President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has dismissed as "worthless papers". Now Tehran has launched a campaign for inclusion as a non-permanent member of the council, with Ahmadinejad reaching out first to the Non-Aligned Movement. Iran might not get the seat it wants, but in the process it could unblock the nuclear stalemate. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 30, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Mercenaries at work
The ongoing process in the United States of the transfer of military and intelligence functions (and much of a US$66 billion budget) to private, often anonymous operatives, has made it easier for enemies to penetrate American intelligence. This has greased the slippery slope to the loss of professionalism within the community of intelligence analysts, in turn heightening the risks of war by accident, or by presidential whim. - Chalmers Johnson (Jul 29, '08)

KEBABBLE
Feathered fight clubs spur outrage
A brutal blood sport to some, a time-honored tradition for others, cockfighting is illegal in Turkey but survives in clandestine dens across the country. Defenders of the practice are fighting tooth and nail to have the sport legalized and given back to the public. - Fazile Zahir (Jul 29, '08)

'Pushover' Maliki stands his ground
Many in the George W Bush administration dismiss Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's demand for a United States timeline for withdrawal of its troops as political posturing, assuming that he will abandon it under pressure, just as he did in 2006. But Maliki now has much greater purchase to defy Bush than he did two years ago. - Gareth Porter (Jul 29, '08)

Snub for Iran eases nuclear crisis
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, dominated by China and Russia, has ended Iran's hopes of joining the regional grouping. This comes at a critical turning point when issues of peace and war hang by a thread. Yet the setback may be a blessing in disguise for Tehran, which, through its new interlocutor for communicating with Washington - Turkey - can now take fresh steps to resolve the crisis over its nuclear program. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jul 28, '08)

Tehran seeks a new alignment
When the Non-Aligned Movement meets in Tehran this week it will be under pressure to endorse Iran's quest to join the United Nations Security Council. In return, Iran will be expected to show tangible signs of flexibility in resolving the standoff over its nuclear program. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 28, '08)

You need Uncle Sam, Iraq told
Fighting back against Baghdad's demands for a timetable for the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq, the George W Bush administration and the US military leadership are making it plain that the objectives of Iraq must include continued dependence on US troops for an indefinite period. The riposte could be too late: the era of Iraqi dependence on the US is already ending. - Gareth Porter (Jul 25, '08)

CHAN AKYA
A Turkish theater for
World War III
Turkey has been sold to the Saudis at a bargain price for Riyadh's assistance to the George W Bush administration in pushing down the price of oil ahead of the United States presidential elections this year. The path chosen is the same as that used to turn Pakistan into a breeding ground for terrorists, with an accelerated timetable in keeping with a preset script. Around the corner, a civilizational war beckons. (Jul 24, '08)

Al-Qaeda hostage plot suspected
A Turkish radical group and al-Qaeda are believed to be behind the July 9 attack on the United States consulate in Istanbul. The official line is that the joint operation was either a hit-and-run or a suicide mission. But details now emerging indicate a plan to occupy the consulate and take hostages, pointing to a possible new trend. (Jul 24, '08)

COMMENT
For Iran, respect above all else
Iranian leaders have placed clear emphasis on the importance of the respect displayed by representatives of the countries dealing with Tehran's nuclear portfolio, including the United States. This goes to the heart of the difficulties in dealing with Iran, and offers a path that could lead to unexpected breakthroughs, including Tehran's ties with Israel. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 24, '08)

Unsolicited advice for Bush on Iran
Two leading lights of Washington's so-called "realist" foreign-policy establishment have called on the George W Bush administration to drop demands that Tehran freeze uranium enrichment as a precondition for further talks. The joint statement seems timed to show strong bipartisan support for enhanced US engagement. - Jim Lobe(Jul 23, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Al-Qaeda's got a brand new bag
United States Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has got it right - Afghanistan, and not Iraq, is "the central front in the war on terror". Al-Qaeda couldn't agree more. That is exactly where they want the war to be fought, and then extended into Pakistan. - Pepe Escobar (Jul 23, '08)

McCain knee-capped by Maliki
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama's timetable for American combat forces to leave Iraq has been described as a "body blow" to the campaign of rival US presidential candidate Senator John McCain. Obama can now claim to have staked out a position acceptable to the Iraqi government, and he is fast shedding his "naive" tag. - Jim Lobe (Jul 22, '08)

Fallujah braces for another assault
Violence has been rising by the day in the crippled Iraqi city of Fallujah, which has been placed under tight curfew as United States and Iraqi forces prepare for a huge new offensive. - Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail (Jul 22, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
Duplicity without borders
As the West's political leaders parade their peace credentials with professions of support for Israel and their opposition to nuclear proliferation, they sell billions of dollars in weaponry to client states in the Middle East, trample the Geneva Convention, and support covert operations. It does not have to be this way. Decency can replace duplicity. - Hossein Askari (Jul 22, '08)

A small step in Iran's nuclear talks
Iran and the European Union's representative will follow up the weekend's talks on Tehran's nuclear program with further contact. This prepares the ground for real, and serious, progress in the nuclear standoff, despite what the skeptics say. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 22, '08)

SPENGLER
Turkey in the throes of Islamic revolution?
A perfect storm of enmity has come down on beleaguered Turkish secularists, leading to speculation that an Islamic putsch is possible, after the fashion of the 1979 revolution in Iran. The United States views this Islamic drift favorably, seeing Turkey as a leader of a regional bloc with the short-term aim of calming Iraq and a longer-term objective of fostering a Sunni alliance against Iran. This is a big mistake. (Jul 21, '08)

Iran talks doomed to 'small talk'
The expectations were high of progress being made at the weekend's talks between Iran and the six nations handling its nuclear file, especially as the US State Department had sent its third-ranking official. All that happened was "small talk" - which was exactly what some in the George W Bush administration had wanted. - Gareth Porter (Jul 21, '08)

CAMPAIGN OUTSIDER
Obama's excellent adventure
The Democratic nominee-in-waiting for the US presidency, Senator Barack Obama, received a lift from Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as his war zone tour began. But Obama will find plenty of landmines along his route - Muhammad Cohen (Jul 21, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Dangers of 'the best military'
"Citizen soldiers" of past American wars have been replaced by the "warfighters" of "Generation Kill" in what is routinely called the "the world's best military". But is this such a good thing? Just ask a German military veteran in a warrior-state that went berserk in a febrile quest for full spectrum dominance. - William J Astore, retired US lieutenant colonel. (Jul 21, '08)

A leap of faith for Saudi king
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has launched a conference in Madrid meant to open an unprecedented round of inter-faith dialogue between Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Jewish thinkers. The king's initiative hopes to assuage festering religious prejudices, but it is doubtful a few hundred religious elites can generate understanding for communities caught in war zones and fraught societies. - Sreeram Chaulia (Jul 21, '08)

A reality check on Iran
Iran is not ripe for regime change as any attack on the country would rally people around the government, not alienate them, an influential new report in the United States finds. These conclusions run counter to the neo-conservative argument, but fit with the George W Bush administration's newfound engagement, albeit limited, of Tehran. - David Isenberg (Jul 18, '08)

Flexibility points to Iran breakthrough
The chances are good that the Geneva meeting this weekend will bring about an interim result in the crisis over Iran's nuclear program as both Tehran and Washington have compelling reasons for compromising. Iran, in particular, faces an energy crisis. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 18, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Fundamentalism with nuances
Hamas in Politics by Joeroen Gunning
Hamas is caught in an unresolved tug-of-war between pragmatic Gaza politicians intent on winning elections and paramilitary leaders and refugees who are steadfast on the vow of relentless jihad, British political scientist Gunning argues. The winner could determine whether Israel and the United States will ever allow a full-fledged Palestinian state. - Sreeram Chaulia (Jul 18, '08)

Hezbollah's deal leaves Israel short
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is trumpeting that he has "kept his promise" in having five prisoners and the remains of 199 others returned to Lebanon by Israel. This indeed enhances Hezbollah's prestige, while Israel, although getting back the bodies of two soldiers abducted in 2006, has drawn widespread criticism for appearing to come off worse in the exchange. And why did the Israelis wait so long before agreeing to the deal? - Sami Moubayed (Jul 17, '08)

Tehran open to US Interests
The government of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has responded positively to a proposal by Washington that it open a US Interests Section in Tehran. Hooshang Amirahmadi, president of the American Iranian Council and currently in Iran, also welcomes the initiative, pointing out that Ahmadinejad is always ready to talk. (Jul 17, '08)

US lends Iran a listening ear
The decision by the George W Bush administration to send a high-level official to join talks on Iran's nuclear program as a "listener" marks a significant shift, but in line with Washington's engagement of North Korea. The move on Iran brings the possibility of a "freeze-for-freeze" - a simultaneous suspension of international sanctions and uranium enrichment - a step closer. Hardliners in the United States, though, will not give up without a fight. - Jim Lobe (Jul 17, '08)

Fallujah's flames rekindled
Local militias supported by United States forces claim to have "cleansed" the troubled Iraqi city of Fallujah, though residents claim the security situation is as bad as ever, blaming political parties and Sunni groups fighting for money and power. - Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail (Jul 17, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Obama's brave (new?) world
At first glance, Democratic Senator Barack Obama's "new overarching strategy" for Iraq and Afghanistan is streets ahead of the approach proposed by his US presidential rival, Republican Senator John McCain. But from the planned withdrawal of troops from Iraq to dealing with the Taliban, Obama's vision, when it comes to implementation, will likely founder on the harsh realities that have so frustrated the George W Bush administration. - Pepe Escobar (Jul 16, '08)

KEBABBLE
Highways too hot to handle
It's getting sticky in Turkey, where high temperatures are melting poorly constructed roads and airstrips across the country. Only 20% of highways are asphalt, and the remaining gravel-and-tar topped roads are blamed for as much as 90% of all accidents. - Fazile Zahir (Jul 16, '08)

Iran-US: A study in misperceptions
The failure of United States-Iran rapprochement is invariably blamed on Washington's insistence on a suspension of Iran's uranium-enrichment program and on Tehran's intransigence on the same. The deeper reason is that neither side even tries to understand the other, and that suitable people who could help bridge the gap are not utilized. - Hossein Askari (Jul 15, '08)

Syria basks in diplomatic breakthrough
After waiting for its chance for years, in a matter of minutes at the weekend Syria resumed diplomatic ties with Lebanon and France and made it abundantly clear that Damascus is central to solving most problems in the Middle East. France also emerges from these breakthrough developments with credit, having stuck to a line independent of the United States. - Sami Moubayed (Jul 14, '08)

Faustian bargains in football
"Colorful" foreign owners are stirring controversy in the English Premier League and a possible bid by the Saudi Binladin Group, the estranged kin of Osama Bin Laden, for Newcastle United takes the furor even further. The plain truth is the league needs all the money it can get and clubs are forced to hock themselves to anyone with the means to get them out of trouble. - Jesse Fink (Jul 11, '08)

Bush outfoxed in the Iraqi sands
A combination of Iraqi Shi'ite political opposition and Iranian diplomacy, embodied in Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's demand for a timetable for complete United States military withdrawal from Iraq, signals the almost certain defeat of the George W Bush administration's aim of establishing a long-term military presence in Iraq. - Gareth Porter (Jul 11, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Iran's missiles are just for show
As a political statement to world leaders gathered in Japan, Iran's test-firing on Wednesday of nine long-and-medium range missiles was impeccable. But even if Iran had the physical means to deliver the nuclear warheads it does not possess, these tests do not mean it has mastered the capability to do so. Iran's real deterrence against an attack comes from the reorganization of its military, giving it effectively 30 armies spread across the country. - Pepe Escobar (Jul 10, '08)

Iranian film hits raw Egyptian nerve
Cairo is seething over a film from Iran depicting former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat as a "traitor" for signing the 1978 peace accords with Israel. The spat comes at the height of Iranian efforts to win allies in the Arab and Muslim world, both to penetrate the array of pro-American states in the region, and use them to lobby against a possible Israeli attack. - Sami Moubayed (Jul 10, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Why the US won't attack Iran
Despite all the warnings, alarms, rumors and panicky pieces coursing through the international media, an attack on Iran is less likely than ever to happen. For small, vulnerable Israel, an air assault on Iranian nuclear facilities, alone or with the backing of the US, is literally inconceivable, given the disastrous fallout that would follow. - Tom Engelhardt (Jul 10, '08)

Consulate attack exposes Turkey's frailty
A court case seeking to shut down the ruling party, the arrests of high-ranking members of the military and now a deadly terrorist attack on the United States consulate in Istanbul expose Turkey's political instability. The attackers are as yet unnamed, but as as one Turkish analyst says, "Whatever the message they are trying to give, this is a terrorist attack as a result of the unstable atmosphere in the country." - Patrick Wrigley (Jul 10, '08)

Nuclear 'scare' against Iran exposed
The International Atomic Energy Agency's recent revival of the issue of Iran's possession of a paper said to provide information on making the core of a nuclear weapon significantly increased international pressure on Tehran. Yet the United Nations' nuclear watchdog had earlier indicated that this matter had been satisfactorily resolved, pointing to new political pressures on the agency. - Gareth Porter (Jul 9, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
A last throw of the dice ...?
A United States war against Iran is conceivable as a final apocalyptic manifestation of Pax Americana, but this would only hasten the decline of the US in terms of power, influence and moral authority. - Bob Rigg (Jul 9, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
All the oil news that's fit to print
When the news "broke" in the United States last month that the occupation of Iraq had a little something to do with oil, it launched thousands of newshounds out to advance the story. In the spirit of collegiality, Nick Turse offers leads to the pursuing media that are worth considering before another five years of war are washed away in Iraq's "sea of oil". (Jul 8, '08)

Tehran looks beyond Bush
Iran's seemingly positive response to the latest international initiative on its nuclear program is attributed in some Western capitals to Tehran buckling under the threat of an attack. This is unlikely. Iranian leaders are already looking beyond the George W Bush presidency to an administration they feel they can deal with, be it Democratic or Republican. - Trita Parsi (Jul 8, '08)

Iran takes off on a goodwill mission
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad takes center stage in Malaysia this week at a summit of the Group of Eight Islamic developing countries. It is an opportunity for Tehran to promote its global agricultural and energy aid programs, which it hopes will convince the Group of Eight nations, meeting in Tokyo simultaneously, to "look at Iran through a different lens". The fate of United States-Iran diplomacy is on the line. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 7, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Big Oil's 'secret' out of Iraq's closet
The Iraqi war's worst-kept secret saw daylight this week with a report on the role US government-led advisers played in drawing up contracts for Western oil companies to develop Iraqi oil fields. The big prize is still being pursued, as is the White House's other dream - a US$7.6 billion, 1,600-kilometer pipeline through Afghanistan. - Pepe Escobar (Jul 3, '08)

Iran warms to freeze-for-freeze plan
The offer has been touted for some years, now there are indications Tehran is prepared to commit to a six-week freeze on any expansion of its uranium-enrichment activities. In return, the six countries dealing with its nuclear dossier will halt any movement towards tougher sanctions against Iran. - Gareth Porter (Jul 3, '08)

BOOK REVIEW
Over-the-counter cloak and dagger
Spies For Hire by Tim Shorrock
Intelligence contracting has become a US$45 billion industry for the United States government, and about 75% of the employees at the National Security Agency are actually "private-sector spooks". After reading this groundbreaking investigation of the intelligence-industrial complex, one realizes that if James Bond were operating today he would have a contract, not a license, to kill. - David Isenberg (Jul 3, '08)

Iran willing to talk
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is in New York to bolster Iran's embattled diplomacy. Mottaki has sounded off on issues ranging from the "Iran Six" and Israel to Tehran's involvement in Iraq. Ultimately, he hinted at his own flexibility by stating "the first word a diplomat learns is compromise". - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 2, '08)

Turkey rocked by arrests
A wave of arrests of prominent persons, including two retired generals, allegedly linked to a nationalist conspiracy to unseat the government has jolted Turkey, just as a constitutional court is to decide on the political fate of the ruling party. - David Barchard (Jul 2, '08)

'Weak' Iran ripe to be attacked
A new line of thinking being put forward by influential analysts in the US suggests that Iran should be attacked not because it is a threat, but for precisely the opposite reason. Far from being an "existential threat" to Israel, it is at present weak and has limited capability to retaliate to a US or Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities. - Gareth Porter (Jul 1, '08)

Tehran puts on a show of strength
An Iranian general warns that work has started on digging 320,000 graves for American soldiers should they fight in Iran. This can be dismissed as just another salvo in the psychological warfare between Tehran and Washington. But should the United States find a pretext - such as Iran being goaded into blockading the Strait of Hormuz - and the real bullets start flying, Iran can be expected to be prepared. - Sami Moubayed (Jul 1, '08)

Does Iran have Bush over a barrel?
Last month's US$11 one-day spike in oil prices is the most spectacular suggestion yet of a relationship between threats against Iran and the price of oil. With three out of four voters in the United States saying gas prices will be "very important" in deciding who they vote for in November's presidential elections, this could be a deciding factor in the George W Bush administration taking an attack on Iran "off the table". - Jim Lobe (Jul 1, '08)

KEBABBLE
Turkish cleric offers food
for thought
Thanks to a late surge of votes from his countrymen, Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen beat out Mario Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian novelist, and chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, to win a British magazine poll to name the world's number one intellectual. Gulen's popularity in Turkey is already immense and now his message of tolerance and understanding may start to reach the world. - Fazile Zahir (Jul 1, '08)

US and China go bump in the Middle East
From Washington's perspective, Beijing's technical cooperation on Iran's civilian nuclear program and China's continued attempts to deflect pressure on Iran over its nuclear dossier are most troubling. For the Chinese, they are simply following their own agenda. (Jun 27, '08)

Israeli threats stiffen Iran's resolve
Israel, by escalating threats against Iran precisely at a time when major nations are pushing the arch of diplomacy toward Tehran, has made it nearly impossible for Iran to show a great deal of flexibility in negotiations over its nuclear program. As for an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, it would likely spur, not deter, any Iranian notions of proliferation. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 26, '08)

Training to attack Iran
The leaked news that the Israeli air force recently conducted what appeared to be a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities caused something of a sensation in capitals around the world. Not in Israel, though, where the thinking is, if all options against Iran are on the table, then it's best to prepare to execute them. (Jun 26, '08)

A blueprint for US withdrawal
It's become routine: when the topic of US withdrawal from Iraq is broached, the George W Bush administration screams "bloodbath" and raises the specter of the country's descent into chaos and regional war. A new report says a responsible way to pull out troops while pursuing diplomatic and political solutions to Iraq's civil conflict is out there. (Jun 26, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
The Pentagon's merchants of war
Forget about the United States Department of Defense's Stealth bombers and its "black budget" which swallows billions of dollars without accountability, there's another stealth side to the Pentagon - the corporate side where little-known companies gobble up US tax dollars at phenomenal rates. Most of the time, large or small, they fly under the radar and are seldom even identified as defense contractors. Nick Turse pins down five of the billion-dollar babies that profit from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.(Jun 25, '08)

US pushes Iraqi Shi'ites closer to Iran
Beyond the issue of permanent United States bases in Iraq, the Shi'ite government of Nuri al-Maliki objects to a new security agreement with Washington on the grounds that it does not guarantee Iraq against foreign aggression. The Shi'ites fear possible US collaboration with Sunni Arab regimes to try to overthrow their administration, a fear that pushes them closer to Iran. - Gareth Porter (Jun 25, '08)

Neo-con redux?
There's a mini revival of the neo-conservatives in the United States as they attempt to put the record straight about their policies that led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the alliance with Pakistan. By contrast, the presidential hopefuls, Barack Obama and John McCain, are silent on key issues in these countries at a time the US's interests are under threat. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 25, '08)

The myth of 'weapons-grade' enrichment
Amid disclosures of an Israeli dummy run for an air offensive against Iran's nuclear installations, much of the Western media recycle the lines that Tehran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons and that it has amassed "weapons-grade" enriched uranium. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has never said this, and this after thousands of hours inspecting Iran's facilities since 2003. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 23, '08)

SPENGLER
Worst of times for Iran
Despite a surge in oil revenues, Iran's kleptocracy has pushed conditions in the country to the point of Dickensian poverty. The prices of ordinary goods are soaring out of people's reach, property values in Tehran are equal to those of Paris, and prostitutes and profiteers are everywhere. And the disappearance of half the country's oil revenues from the books makes President Mahmud Adhmadinejad's tenure the worst of times for Iran. (Jun 23, '08)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
No blood for ... er ... um ...
Finally, after all the blood, American and Iraqi, that has been spilled, here comes the oil. ExxonMobil, Shell, Total and BP are expected to win no-bid contracts to service Iraq's oil fields. It's the sort of thing that could make suspicious Arabs even more so and give a new life to some really dumb slogans in the United States. But sometimes, if you're an oil giant, you just have to bite the bullet. - Tom Engelhardt (Jun 23, '08)

A window into Gaza
The border crossing into Gaza might officially be open, but Israeli officials are very picky over who they allow through their fancy steel and glass Erez checkpoint. Simon Allison didn't pass muster, but from the confines of a holding pen he was able to gauge the likelihood of Israel's ceasefire with Hamas lasting, thanks to tell-tale bullet holes in windows. (Jun 23, '08)

India tiptoes to the new Middle East
Israel is in peace negotiations with the Syrians and the Palestinians and is also hinting at peace with Hezbollah in Lebanon. In this "changed constellation", a new Middle East is struggling to be born, which is, paradoxically, a legacy of the George W Bush era, except it is far different from what the US president had in mind. India, with China on its mind, is in the midst of a flurry of Middle East activity to better place itself in what it considers its extended neighborhood. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jun 20, '08)

Olmert gambles with the 'devil'
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's negotiated ceasefire with the "terrorist" Hamas in Gaza has more to do with his own survival than with any expectations of genuine peace: Hamas has effectively been set up for a fall. Olmert could be the first casualty though. - Simon Allison (Jun 20, '08)

INTERVIEW
Iran and religious diplomacy
Bishop John Bryson Chane
The world isn't experiencing a clash of civilizations, it is witnessing the beginning of a "dance" in which civilizations are finding each other for the first time, says Chane, the Episcopal bishop of Washington and a leading voice of religious diplomacy, notably with Iran. His efforts have been called naive, but he tells Kaveh L Afrasiabi he feels "extravagantly unique new ways of diplomacy are being discovered with religion playing a key part". (Jun 20, '08)

'Breakthrough' in Iraq pact
Although no details have emerged, United States and Iraqi negotiators say they have made a breakthrough in talks for a pact to provide a legal basis for the future presence of US troops in Iraq. Opponents of such an accord, notably Shi'ite cleric Muqtada Sadr, could yet have the last word. (Jun 20, '08)

'President' Larijani: A star is born
Thanks to the patronage of Iranian heavyweights like Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran's parliament, is the man most likely to challenge President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in elections next year. Unless, that is, Ahmadinejad can reverse his sliding fortunes by turning the economy around. - Sami Moubayed (Jun 20, '08)

THE ROVING EYE
Why Iraq won't be South Korea
President George W Bush's last call in Iraq is an agreement that would create a US-style consumer society in the Mesopotamian sands, a demilitarized client state under benign US protection. Better yet, it could be like a 21st century version of the South Korean "tiger" miracle. The problem is, Iraqis aren't buying into it. And without an agreement, and a new US-friendly Iraqi oil law, Bush's US$3 trillion Iraq adventure will have been for nothing. - Pepe Escobar (Jun 19, '08)

Middle East serves US some humble pie
A series of regionally negotiated settlements - most recently the Hamas and Israel ceasefire - has cast doubt on the United States' cherished role as the grandmaster of the Middle East chessboard. It may be too early to call the Middle East the graveyard of Pax Americana, but it will be up to the possible Barack Obama administration to ensure the American voice is heard again in the region, not due to fear of attack but respect for its wisdom. - Sreeram Chaulia (Jun 19, '08)

Gulf eyes oil-for-food pacts
Persian Gulf countries, rich in oil but short of arable territory, are looking to invest in agricultural land abroad, such as in Asia, to secure food resources. That could benefit all parties, though domestic shortages, inflation and politics in the food-exporting countries could change the equation, as could oil-price swings.(Jun 19, '08)

Attacking Iran: The last resort
The wrong questions are being asked in the debate over whether to undertake "preventive" military action against Iran's nuclear program, according to a new report by a Washington think-tank. And should the correct questions be asked, the United States would then need to get the international community firmly on board, the report says. - David Isenberg (Jun 18, '08)

INTERVIEW
A missed opportunity
US Representative Henry A Waxman
  With US President George W Bush in lame-duck land, many Democrats in Washington believe a new approach is needed toward Iran. Among their ranks is Waxman, who feels some sort of "grand bargain" is possible between the countries and that using the term "axis of evil" is just plain stupid. Nor has he ruled out a photo-op with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. (Jun 18, '08)

Mixed US messages to Iran
Even as the six nations (including the United States) dealing with Iran on its nuclear program are locked in negotiations that might yet produce results, the George W Bush administration acts counter to this initiative. Call it bad-faith diplomacy or apprehensions about the outsourcing of Iran policy, it does not bode well for the unity of "Iran Six" diplomacy. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 18, '08)

    Iran will 'never' suspend enrichment (AFP)

Nuclear find raises the ante against Iran
There is no evidence that Iran has got hold of electronic blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon recently found on computers belonging to the proliferation network once run by the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan. All the same, the discovery of the blueprints comes at a bad time for Iran as it gives the United States cause to intensify its brinkmanship against the country. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 17, '08) 

 Khan denies selling nuke blueprint (AFP)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
The great land grab
At the core of the George W Bush administration's negotiations with Baghdad over the US's long-term presence in Iraq is the issue of bases. Over the past few years they have surged to over 100 in number at the cost of many billions of dollars. Whatever the outcome of the talks, the bases will still be there when the next administration hits Washington, whether the Iraqis like it or not. - Tom Engelhardt (Jun 17, '08)

SPEAKING FREELY
Iraq - an exit strategy
The buildup to the war in Iraq was masterfully orchestrated by the George W Bush administration, think-tanks and lobbies. An equally masterful show of institutional and ideological forces will be necessary to bring about a withdrawal from the error and misallocation of resources the war has become. This is the challenge that would face Barack Obama as president of the United States. - Brian M Downing (Jun 17, '08)

    Obama plans trip to Iraq (AFP)

KEBABBLE
Don't be so sniffy about Dr Snake
In the Turkish village of Kirkpinar, villagers have for generations treated all manner of ailments with snake therapy. It is a simple and cheap procedure that involves lying down in the grass and letting the slithering physician do its thing. And it is not as crazy as it sounds - the ancient Greeks and Chinese, as well as today's doctors, have been quick to prescribe this ultra-alternative medicine. - Fazile Zahir (Jun 17, '08)

Iraq takes a turn towards Tehran
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has suddenly started to play hard ball with Washington over the United States' long-term presence in Iraq. Torn between appeasing the US, which brought him to power, and pleasing his patrons and fellow Shi'ites in Tehran, Maliki is bowing to the latter, with ominous consequences. - Sami Moubayed
(Jun 16, '08)

Deal, deal, deal with Iran
Washington cannot afford to ignore Iran, nor can the United States overrun it, so the answer is to "deal with it", argues veteran US diplomat James Dobbins. He has also "rejected the theory that the threat of force is a necessary prerequisite to successful diplomacy" - the first high-profile challenge to this central tenet of US national security in place since the end of the Cold War. - Gareth Porter (Jun 16, '08)

Iran's 'dance' of nuclear packages
Iran is considering yet another package of incentives over its nuclear program. Like the others before it from the six major countries dealing with Tehran, this one is likely to stick over uranium-enrichment activities, unless the two sides can seriously work on "commonalities", such as a consortium to produce nuclear fuel for Iran. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 16, '08)