THE MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY & NORTH AFRICA :

See also Iraq, and Iran.

Washington Post, 01 Jul 09, by Glenn Kessler
Barak, U.S. Envoy Discuss Settlements
'Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak huddled for four hours yesterday with former senator George J. Mitchell, the Obama administration's special envoy for Middle East peace, seeking to resolve an impasse between their two governments over the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.'

Washington Post, 26 Jun 09, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Arab Activists Watch Iran And Wonder: 'Why Not Us?'
'Across the Arab world, Iran's massive opposition protests have triggered a wave of soul-searching and conflicting emotions. Many question why their own reform movements are unable to rally people to rise up against unpopular authoritarian regimes. In Egypt, the cradle of what was once the Arab world's most ambitious push for democracy, Iran's protests have served as a reminder of how much the notion has unraveled under President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country for 30 years.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Jun 09, by Erin Cunningham
UN probe into Gaza conflict
'Israelis and Palestinians question the credibility and effectiveness of "unprecedented" public hearings about last January's attacks.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 09, by Mel Frykberg
How Israel's naval blockade denies Gazans food, aid
'The naval blockade – part of a wider Israeli effort to seal off the tiny coastal strip controlled by the Islamist militant group Hamas – not only prevents such shipments, it is also devastating a key Gazan industry and source of food: fishing.'

New York Times, 24 Jun 09, by Michael Slackman
Arab States Aligned With U.S. Savor Turmoil in Iran
'The rancorous dispute over Iran’s presidential election could turn into a win-win for Arab leaders aligned with Washington who in the past have complained bitterly that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was destabilizing the region and meddling in Arab affairs, political analysts and former officials around the region said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Jun 09, by Liam Stack and Dan Murphy
Will Iran's turmoil change the Middle East?
'The Islamic republic is unlikely to change its foreign policy or nuclear program, no matter who comes out on top. But the crisis could change Arab relations with the US and Iraq.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Jun 09, by Liam Stack and Dan Murphy
Arab countries: Is Iran's unrest an opportunity or a threat?
'If the mass protests in Iran succeed in bringing about change, it could produce a better neighbor – but also set a dangerous precedent for oppressive regimes.'

Washington Post, 23 Jun 09, by Howard Schneider
Palestinian Premier Sets Statehood Target
'Salam Fayyad calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state within two years, a timeline he says is possible if Israel upholds its existing commitments.'

Asia Times, 23 Jun 09, by Seema Sirohi
Israel stunned by Obama's tough love
'United States President Barack Obama's bold new rulebook for the Middle East attempts a much-needed balance in a US foreign policy that has long tilted in favor of one against the region's many.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jun 09, by Joshua Mitnick
Why Iran's Ahmadinejad is preferred in Israel
'The incumbent president will be easier to isolate than reformist leader Mr. Mousavi, say some leading Israeli policymakers.'

New York Times, 16 Jun 09, by Taghreed El-Khodary and Isabel Kershner
Carter, in Gaza, Urges Hamas to Meet Demands
'Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that he urged Hamas's leaders during a high-profile meeting here to take steps necessary to become accepted by the leading Western nations.'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jun 09, by Erin Cunningham
Why Israel and Hamas are meeting with Jimmy Carter
'Mr. Carter has been shunned in the past by both the Bush administration and Israeli leaders, who criticized his efforts to engage the militant Palestinian group that he says is crucial to any lasting Arab-Israeli peace. But analysts say Carter's ties with the more like-minded Obama administration, which has taken a firmer stand with Israel on some issues, may bolster his effectiveness as a regional peace broker.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jun 09, by Josh Mitnick
Netanyahu's two-state solution: You recognize us, we'll recognize you.
'Some see the Israeli prime minister's demand that Arabs recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a simple quid pro quo, but critics say it's a new obstacle.'

BBC News, 16 Jun 09, by Ginny Hill
A new pattern of Yemeni violence?
'Nine foreigners were abducted in Yemen at the weekend, in a remote mountainous area near to the Saudi border. ... Local rebels in the Saada region have not taken foreign hostages before, and they deny any involvement in the kidnapping. However, the Saada conflict has become so complex since its inception that it is hard to distinguish with clarity and confidence all the overlapping, shifting links between the different actors in play.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jun 09, by Laura Kasinof
Yemen hostage killings: the work of Al Qaeda?
'Yemeni officials pointed to Shiite rebels that have clashed with the government, but the operation is a marked departure from their style of hostage-taking.'

New York Times, 08 Jun 09, by Michael Slackman
Hopeful Signs for U.S. in Lebanon Vote
'There were many domestic reasons voters handed an American-backed coalition a victory in Lebanese parliamentary elections on Sunday — but political analysts also attribute it in part to President Obama's campaign of outreach to the Arab and Muslim world.'

Washington Post, 09 Jun 09, by Howard Schneider
Lebanese Victor's Toughest Dilemma
'If, as expected, [Hariri] becomes the nation's next prime minister, he will be left to reconcile the anti-Hezbollah rhetoric of his campaign with the Islamist group's continued power to make demands and set its own course in confronting Israel.'

BBC News, 10 Jun 09
US envoy Mitchell meets Palestinian leaders
'US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has held talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, as part of renewed US peace efforts.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Isabel Kershner
U.S. Envoy Reassures and Presses a Wary Israel
'President Obama's Middle East envoy sought Tuesday to allay fears here of a fundamental breakdown in Israeli-American relations while alluding to abiding differences over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and the formula for Israeli-Palestinian peace.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Jun 09, by Ilene R. Prusher
Can Mitchell, now in Israel, calm settlement dispute?
'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration is pushing back against increased US pressure to halt the growth of Jewish communities in the West Bank.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jun 09, by Erin Cunningham
US envoy's visit could ease Gaza blockade
'For Hamas, the intervention of US special envoy George Mitchell may have come just in time. Nearly six months after Israel launched a blistering offensive to undermine the militant group, destroying thousands of homes and lives, Gazans are growing increasingly restless under Hamas rule.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Isabel Kershner
Israel's Premier Promises Major Peace Plan
'Under mounting American pressure to define his intentions regarding peace efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Sunday that he would make a major policy speech next week mapping out the government's "principles for achieving peace and security."'

Washington Post, 05 Jun 09, by Howard Schneider
Muslims Seem Won Over by President; U.S. Adversaries Unmoved
'The appreciation for the new approach from a U.S. president seemed widespread among Middle Eastern Muslims after a speech in which Obama spoke forthrightly about American missteps in the region but also argued that the United States does not fit "the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire."'

BBC News, 04 Jun 09
Barack Obama reaches out to Muslim world
'Mr Obama said: "I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect." He said "violent extremists" had bred fear and that this "cycle of suspicion and discord must end".'

NPR, 04 Jun 09
Obama Appeals For 'New Beginning' In Cairo Speech
[transcript] President Obama addresses Muslims around the world in a speech at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday. Here, his remarks as prepared for delivery. Source: Office of the White House press secretary.

New York Times, 04 Jun 09, by Jeff Zeleny and Helene Cooper
Obama Speech Seeks to Alter Muslims' View of U.S.
'President Obama arrived in Egypt on Thursday aiming to repair America's relationship with the Muslim world through a speech at Cairo University, a carefully planned address that aides said would challenge Muslim perceptions about the United States.'

New York Times, 04 Jun 09, by Jeff Zeleny and Helene Cooper
Rival Messages as Obama Lands in the Mideast
'Aiming to repair the American relationship with the Muslim world, President Obama was greeted on Wednesday with reminders of the vast gulfs his Cairo speech must bridge, as voices as disparate as Al Qaeda's and the Israeli government's competed to shape how Mr. Obama's message would be heard.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jun 09, by Howard LaFranchi
What Obama will try to accomplish in Cairo
'His speech should aim to launch a new dialogue between two estranged communities of the world, some regional experts say.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jun 09, by Ilene R. Prusher
Obama visits Saudi Arabia, Cairo – why not Israel?
'Many Israelis see the president's decision to bypass Jerusalem as part of a broader shift in US priorities in the region.'

Asia Times, 04 Jun 09, by Kaveh L Afrasiabi
US steadfast against Hezbollah
'The United States continues to play a zero-sum game with regard to Hezbollah, even with the US-listed "terror" group poised to strengthen its position in Lebanon at the weekend's parliamentary elections. This is despite the fact that pro-Iran Hezbollah could help pave the way for a breakthrough in Washington's ties with Tehran.'

Washington Post, 03 Jun 09, by Glenn Kessler
Syria to Allow Visit of U.S. Military Leaders
'Syria has agreed to let a delegation of U.S. military commanders visit Damascus in the coming weeks, when they will discuss joint efforts to stem the insurgency in Iraq. The Obama administration's Middle East peace envoy, George J. Mitchell, is also planning a trip to Damascus this month.'

Washington Post, 03 Jun 09, by Anthony Shadid
Obama Faces a Chasm in Mideast
'Legacy of Distrust Complicates Speech : When President Obama delivers his address to the Middle East on Thursday from Cairo, he will face the legacy of names like Haditha, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, places that have become more symbol than geography over nearly a decade of perhaps the most traumatic chapter in America's relationship with the Muslim world.'

New York Times, 03 Jun 09, by Michael Slackman
As Obama Begins Trip, Arabs Want Israeli Gesture
'President Obama started his much anticipated Middle East tour on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to press the Arab nations to offer a gesture to the Israelis to entice them to accelerate the peace process.'

New York Times, 02 Jun 09, by Alan Cowell and Helene Cooper
Obama Plays Down Divide With Israel
'President Obama on Tuesday played down a dispute with Israel over his demand for a suspension of further Jewish settlement in the West Bank but reiterated his call for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians that Israel's hawkish leaders have not accepted.'

BBC News, 02 Jun 09
Obama hopeful on Mid-East peace
'US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he believes his country can help to get serious Middle East peace negotiations back on track.'

Washington Post, 02 Jun 09, by Glenn Kessler
Israeli Minister's Visit Aims To Calm Settlements Dispute
'Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak began a round of meetings with top U.S. officials yesterday in a bid to head off an increasingly sharp dispute between the United States and Israel over the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory.'

See Middle East, Turkey and North Africa archive for past stories.