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Press review: Must reads of the week
Dealing with Yanukovych’s Ukraine — Andrew Wilson, ECFR A Long Overdue Moment of Truth in Israel — Bernard Avishai, IHT Wishful thinking fuels Kremlin’s temptation — Dominique Moisi, Jap Times Obama and Clinton: From Bitter Campai...
Morning Brief (18-3)
Round two goes to Washington. This time, Barack Obama has won against Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, says Peter Beinart: He’s won because he’s hurt Benjamin Netanyahu more than Netanyahu has hurt him. For decades, the relationship between an A...
Morning Brief (18-3)
What Obama wants from Israel. The row between Washington and Israel is not about the plans for 1,600 apartments. Washington’s goal is to change the composition of the government, says Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic: I’ve been on the pho...
Morning Brief (17-3)
Row between Israel and the US is damaging American power, says Leslie Gelb, with consequences for its ability to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the conflict with Iran: Make no mistake, the insult badly damaged America’s power in the eye...
Morning Brief (16-3)
Ashtons speech in Cairo. Catherine Ashton has given a speech at the League of Arab States. Title:”A Commitment to Peace – the European Union and the Middle East” (available as pdf here). Key extracts: The primary purpose of my visit is...
Morning Brief (15-2)
“Growing consensus” in the EU on Iran sanctions. The European Voice reports: There is a “growing consensus” that the EU will have to take unilateral action if it proves impossible in the United Nations to agree to impose sanctions on Iran...
Press review: Must-reads of the week
The Dutch retreat from Afghanistan — By Ian Buruma, Globe&Mail NATO’s new strategic concept and Russia — By Tomas Valasek, CER blog For Iraqi Voters, a Dizzying Democracy — By Bartle B. Bull, NY Times It’s Up to Iraqis Now. Good Luc...
Morning Brief (12-3)
Police training in Afghanistan. “After nearly nine years of war, senior U.S. and Afghan officials said they are essentially starting from scratch”, the Washington Post reports: U.S. and Afghan officials are beginning a major overhaul of t...
Morning Brief (11-2)
European Parliament has endorsed Goldstone report. The EU Observer reports that the EP has endorsed the Goldstone report, the UN’s official investigation into the bombardment of the Gaza Strip in January 2009, a report that accuses Israel of wa...
Morning Brief (10-3)
Israel pushing for Iran sanctions. The Washington Post has the story: Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon will meet with senior U.S. officials this week to emphasize Israel’s growing displeasure with the slow pace of diplomacy on Iran...
Morning Brief (9-3)
Europe’s phone numbers. In the IHT, Roger Cohen tells a joke: President Obama learns with interest that Europe now has a phone number. He’s told that, responding at last to Henry Kissinger’s famous jibe, the European Union has appointed a P...
Morning Brief (8-3)
EU foreign ministers show support for Ashton in Cordoba. AFP reports: European foreign ministers Saturday gave a show of support for beleaguered EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, hoping to move forward with the building of a new diplomatic s...
Press review: Must-reads of the week
Iraq’s election: Don’t wash your hands of it — Economist Another Step Forward for Iraq — By Fouad Ajami, WSJ Thinking the Unthinkable: War With Iran — By Walter R. Mead, AI blog The Next Battles for Marja — By Joshua Foust, NY Tim...
Morning Brief (5-3)
Iraq: Mission not accomplished. The Economist warns over potential failure in Iraq: Seven years after the Americans invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, two momentous events are approaching: a general election on March 7th and the promised depart...
Morning Brief (4-3)
Power struggle over new EU diplomatic corps. Catherine Ashton has laid out her vision for the architecture of the European External Action Service, which will provide the institutional structure for the EU’s future foreign and security policy (...
Morning Brief (3-3)
EU might support Russian South Stream pipeline project. The EU Observer reports: German energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger on Tuesday (2 March) for the first time signaled openness on behalf of the EU executive towards South Stream, a Russian gas...
Morning Brief (2-3)
Medvedev in Paris. Steven Erlanger reports: Mr. Medvedev called the deal (on the French warship Mistral) “a symbol of trust between our two countries” and pressed for “Russia and France to be partners on European security.” (…) Mr. Sark...
Morning Brief (1-3)
Afghanistan: The surge is working, Craig Charney argues in Newsweek. “In fact, Afghanistan’s demography, sociology, military situation, and politics all favor Obama’s counterinsurgency strategy. That’s why it’s working.&...
Must-reads of the week
Africa’s Forever Wars — By Jeffrey Gettleman, Foreign Policy Obama and Iran : The End of Illusions? — By Amir Taheri, AAwsat The force needed to contain Iran — By J.M. Lindsay, R. Takeyh, Wash Post Renewal in the West Bank — By Joe Klei...
Morning Brief (25-2)
Syria rejects US overtures, Ahmadinejad attacks Israel. The Washington Post reports: The presidents of Iran and Syria on Thursday ridiculed U.S. policy in the region and pledged to create a Middle East “without Zionists,” combining a slap...
