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Saturday
Jan222011

Turkey Analysis: The "Extraordinary" Davutoglu and Ankara's New Rules For Foreign Affairs (Traub)

In a world that the U.S. no longer dominates as it once did, President Barack Obama has sought to forge strong relations with rising powers like India and Brazil. Turkey, however, is the one rising power that is located in the danger zone of the Middle East; it’s no coincidence that Obama chose to include Turkey in his first overseas trip and spoke glowingly of the “model partnership” between the two countries. This fits perfectly with Turkey’s ambition to be a global as well as a regional player.

And yet, despite all the mutual interests, and all of Davutoglu’s energy and innovation, something has gone very wrong over the last year. The Turks, led by Davutoglu, have embarked on diplomatic ventures with Israel and Iran, America’s foremost ally and its greatest adversary in the region, that have left officials and political leaders in Washington fuming. Obama administration officials are no longer sure whose side Turkey is on.

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Jan222011

Tunisia (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A March in Algeria?

1830 GMT: From Alec Ross of the US State Department: "Secretary Clinton spoke with Tunisia PM Ghannouchi today. She encouraged transition to open democracy and on-going reforms."

1710 GMT: In Mauritania, the family of Yacoub Ould Dahoud, who set himself on fire on Monday inside his car in front of the Senate building in Nouakchott, has confirmed that he has died.

1650 GMT: EA readers looking for an introduction to the current issues in Algeria may wish to read analyses by Hugh Roberts and by Amal Boubekeur.

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Jan222011

Iran Snap Analysis: Nuke Talks? What Nuke Talks? 

While discussions started in the morning and continued late last night, "Western" broadcasters and the press --- with a couple of notable exceptions --- were silent after CNN correspondent Ivan Watson got the day started with the incisive report, "On eve of Iran nuke talks,diplomats from P5+1 & Iranian negotiator all sat at same table for dinner hosted by Turks in Ottoman palace."

There is more substance this morning in a report from Steven Erlanger in The New York Times, based on unnamed "Western diplomats", that the late-night sessions was "tense and even acrimonious".

Click to read more ...

Saturday
Jan222011

Tunisia (and Beyond) Video Discussion: Social Media and Reform in the Arab World

A discussion on Al Jazeera English considering the impact of Tunisia's popular uprising on neighbouring countries, including the role of social media: participants are Sami Ben Gharbia (@ifikra on Twitter), the co-founder of the Tunisian website Nawaat.org, Nasser Weddady (@weddady), the outreach director at the American Islamic Congress, and Wael Abbas (@waelabbas), an Egyptian blogger and activist.

Friday
Jan212011

US Politics Music Video Special: A Battle Hymn for Sarah Palin

Because the Good Lord says it is not too soon to campaign for President in 2012:

SING-ALONG LYRICS

She’s a cold blast from Alaska
Ingrained with common sense.
She’s not a Harvard lawyer, but she knew what the Founders meant.

Click to read more ...

Friday
Jan212011

Tony Blair's Back Video: "Iran is a Looming Threat...If Necessary, Use Force"

Out of courtesy, I will not besiege readers with my thoughts on today's testimonial by former Prime Minister Tony Blair --- replete with evasions, distortions, and some outright deceptions --- justifying the 2003 Iraq War to a British enquiry.

It is worth noting, however, that he would do it all again...this time with Iran.

Friday
Jan212011

Lebanon Latest: Talks Fail as Prime Minister Hariri Remains Defiant (Shadid)

Lebanon’s worst crisis in years escalated dangerously on Thursday as a last-ditch effort to negotiate a solution ended in failure and the American-backed caretaker prime minister struck a defiant note toward Hezbollah and its allies, which brought down his 14-month-old national unity government this month.

The events cast the crisis into an unpredictable moment, as each side became ever more entrenched in positions with little common ground over indictments expected to name members of Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militant movement, in the assassination of the prime minister’s father, Rafik Hariri.

Click to read more ...

Friday
Jan212011

Belarus Latest: 31 People Still in Prison Over Election Protests

More than a month after the disputed Presidential election, more than 30 people remain in prison in Minsk over the 19 December protests.

Four Presidential candidates --- Alexei Mikhalevich, Vladimir Neklyaev, Andrei Sannikov, and Nikolai Statkevich --- are still held.

The other 27 accused include candidates' representatives, social activists, journalists, and a former police officer who spoke out on behalf of the protesters.

There has been limited communication with detainees.

Click to read more ...

Friday
Jan212011

Iran Snapshot: How Do You React to a Country Like Tunisia? (Tehran Bureau)

Earlier this week Tehran Bureau posted a series of first-hand reactions from Iranians to the fall of the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia. A selection....

Text message circulating around Iran: "Tunis tunest [did it], Iran natunest [couldn't do it]."

Journalist, 28: "It's okay to celebrate for now. We did the same thing.... I'll tell you in about 20 years what you got yourselves into."

Anonymous on Persian-language website: "We revolted with a leader and an ideology and this is how it turned out for us. I feel sorry for the Tunisians, who brought about a revolution without leadership or an ideology."

Basij member, 37: "Agha [the Supreme Leader] was right about Islamic awakening and the Muslim world learning from the successful example of our revolution. Inshallah, the values of the Revolution will reach every corner of the Muslim world."

Tehrani joke: "Ben Ali, please tell Seyed Ali [Khamenei] to follow you wherever you go!"

Read full article....

Friday
Jan212011

Tunisia (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Debating the Future, Mourning the Past

2224 GMT: The Tunisian Prime Minister's office has regained control of its homepage, after it was taken over by the Anonymous collective earlier this evening (see 2135 GMT).

2215 GMT: Speaking on television tonight, Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi says he will not be a candidate in elections, due in six months, and will retire from politics.

2135 GMT: The Anonymous collective has posted a message on the homepage of the Tunisian Prime Minister:

Click to read more ...