Why Saudi Arabia should rethink its Yemen strategy

Why Saudi Arabia should rethink its Yemen strategy

Veto of Iraq’s Election Law Could Force Vote Delay

Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who blocked the measure over a provision on Iraqi refugees, said there was still time to amend the law.

Unusual Partners Study Divisive Jerusalem Site

Israeli and Palestinian experts, seeking to promote understanding, collaborated on a new book about the holy site known as the Temple Mount and as Haram al-Sharif .

Impasse Over, Lebanon Forms Cabinet

The agreement ended a long period of gridlock that illustrated once again the myriad dysfunctions of the country’s bitterly divided political class.

Iran Accuses U.S. Hikers of Espionage

The accusations against three Americans who strayed across the border this summer drew a rebuke from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Call White House, Ask for Barack

Until the Palestinians and Israelis are serious about the peace process, the United States should get out of the picture.

Influence of Egypt and Saudi Arabia Fades

America’s closest Arab allies are increasingly viewed in the region as diminished actors, political experts say.

Iran Executes Kurdish Activist

Iran hung a Kurdish activist, Ehsan Fattahian, on Wednesday, who had been accused of “armed struggle against the regime.”

3 Top Obama Advisers Favor Adding Troops in Afghanistan

The president’s national security team is coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional troops to Afghanistan, officials say.

Impasse Over, Lebanon Forms Cabinet

The agreement ended a long period of gridlock that illustrated once again the myriad dysfunctions of the country’s bitterly divided political class.

Iran Accuses U.S. Hikers of Espionage

The accusations against three Americans who strayed across the border this summer drew a rebuke from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Palestinian Authority’s Future Is in Question

Those close to Mahmoud Abbas said that he intended to resign and that other Palestinian officials would follow.

Israelis Arrest West Bank Settler in Attacks

Jack Teitel, an immigrant from the United States, was charged with the murders of two Palestinians and two bombings that wounded a professor and a 15-year-old boy.

Karzai Gets New Term as Afghan Runoff Is Scrapped

President Hamid Karzai was declared the winner of Afghanistan’s fraught elections after officials canceled a run-off following the withdrawal from the race of the last challenger, Abdullah Abdullah.

U.S. Speeds Aid to Pakistan to Fight Taliban

The U.S. has quietly rushed hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of military equipment to Pakistani forces.

Saudis Try to Head Off Swine Flu Fears Before Hajj

Fearing that the annual Muslim pilgrimage will spread swine flu, Saudi authorities are taking precautions and recommending that worshipers most at risk stay home.

Israeli Police Clash With Palestinians at Sacred Compound in Jerusalem

Twenty-six people were hurt at the Temple Mount compound in the latest sign of tension in Jerusalem.

Iraq Blast Toll Continues to Rise, Includes Children

Workers pored over the wreckage from the Baghdad bomb blasts a day earlier, recovering still more bodies, including 30 children at a day-care center playground.

Tunisia Balancing Islam Against Islamists

Tunisia Balancing Islam Against Islamists

Laggards trying to catch up

One reason that too many Arabs are poor is rotten education

Stalemate in Parliament Could Delay Iraq Elections

A stalemate in Parliament increased the pressure to delay national elections, which might slow down the American withdrawal.

Karzai Agrees to Nov. 7 Runoff in Afghanistan

Afghan Leader Said to Accept Runoff After Election Audit

Under heavy international pressure, President Hamid Karzai appears set to concede that he fell short of a first-round victory in the nation’s disputed election.

Pakistan Moves Farther Into Taliban Land

The Pakistani military moved deeper into South Waziristan, hitting Taliban targets with F-16 fighter jets as troops supported by helicopter gunships climbed higher into the terrain.

Just a Note...

Sorry, everyone, that I haven't been updating regularly this week. I was out of the country and have only now gotten a chance to catch up with everything. Please let me know if you think I've missed any especially important news articles, and I'll post them up!

Hope you had an enjoyable long weekend.

Best,

Aleksandra

Iran Guard Commanders Are Killed in Bombings

Five commanders of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were killed and dozens of others left dead and injured in two bombings in Iran’s southeastern frontier with Pakistan, according to state news agencies.

Iran Frees Reporter Held Since June

Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian Newsweek journalist, had been arrested in postelection unrest and put on trial in August with about 100 other detainees.

Truck Bomb Destroys Key Bridge in Western Iraq

A suicide bomber driving a dynamite-laden truck destroyed a key bridge Saturday on a highway used by the departing U.S. military.

U.N. Council Endorses Gaza Report

U.N. Council Endorses Gaza Report

Iraq: Growing Closer to Turkey

Iraq: Growing Closer to Turkey

Turkey and Syria Signal Improved Relations

Tehran Plans to Execute 3 Protesters of Election

Iranian Site Reports a Death Sentence for Protester

An Iranian arrested in the country’s post-election unrest has been sentenced to death, according to reports on a Web site aligned with the reformist movement.

Egypt, Demanding Artifacts’ Return, Cuts Ties With the Louvre

The nation’s antiquities department says reliefs in the possession of the French museum were stolen in the 1980s from an ancient Egyptian tomb.

Syria: Saudi King Arrives for Talks

King Abdullah flew to Syria on Wednesday for a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad aimed at healing a rift that has aggravated Arab discord.

Karzai’s Running Mate Poised for Return

Marshal Muhammad Qasim Fahim has denied charges of drug dealing and corruption that have caused Western officials to have reservations about him.

Report Says Iran Has Data to Make a Nuclear Bomb

A U.N. analysis says Iran has “sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable” bomb, going well beyond the public position taken by Washington.

Eight U.S. Soldiers Dead in Bold Attack in Afghanistan

Groups of tribal militia attacked two American outposts in eastern Afghanistan, the military said, in the deadliest battle for U.S. troops in months.

Possibility of a Nuclear-Armed Iran Alarms Arabs

Though it is uncertain how the confrontation over Iranian nuclear facilities will play out, some in the Persian Gulf region are even envisioning a military strike by the West, or Israel.

Palestinians Drop Effort to Push War Crime Report

The Palestinian delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Council dropped its efforts to forward a report accusing Israel of possible war crimes.

Iranian Students Stage 2nd Big Protest Since Returning to University Campuses

The students’ antigovernment protest was a further indication that government efforts to intimidate student leaders have not been entirely successful.

Israel to Free Prisoners to Obtain Video of Soldier

Israel said Wednesday it would release 20 Palestinian women from its jails in exchange for a videotape of a captured Israeli soldier that would prove that he is alive.

Iraq Political Groups Find New Pull in National Unity

In an extraordinary shift, party leaders from across Iraq’s political spectrum are reaching across ethnic and sectarian lines for the parliamentary elections.

Iran Insists on Its ‘Rights’ to Nuclear Program

Iran said Tuesday it would soon offer a timetable for inspectors to visit a hitherto secret facility, but was not prepared to debate its “rights” to operate the plant.

Israel Pushes Harder Line On Iran Nuclear Ambitions

Israel Pushes Harder Line On Iran Nuclear Ambitions

Saudi Arabia: Pilgrims Who Travel to Mecca This Fall Will Get an Oral Polio Vaccine on Arrival

The country announces it is giving $30 million to efforts to eradicate the disease worldwide.

Iran State Media Report Short-Range Missile Test

Iran was said to be test-firing short-range missiles as its elite Revolutionary Guards began war games.

At Least 15 Iraqi Soldiers Die in Blast

The blast, one of the deadliest single losses for Iraq’s battered security forces, occurred as soldiers were tying to detonate seized explosives, officials said.

Legitimacy and the Afghan Army

Legitimacy and the Afghan Army

Trial of Former Israeli Leader Begins

Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, appeared in court on Friday on corruption charges.

U.S. to Accuse Iran of Having Secret Nuclear Fuel Facility

President Obama and the leaders of Britain and France will accuse Iran on Friday of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel, according to senior administration officials.

Qaeda Members Escape Prison in Iraq

Sixteen prisoners, including leaders of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, escaped from a prison in northern Iraq, prompting a massive manhunt.

Iran’s Turmoil Has Its Day in New York

Say what you will for the United Nations and its General Assembly. The sidewalk diplomacy almost never disappoints, and the stakes are always high.

White House Pivots in Mideast Peace Bid

President Obama is largely setting aside his demand for a full freeze on settlements in the West Bank as a first step toward restarting Middle East peace talks.

Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan

Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan

After Uproar, Unesco Rejects Egyptian

A Bulgarian diplomat narrowly defeated an Egyptian accused of anti-Semitism and censorship in a contest for Unesco’s leadership post.

Iran Inquiry Is Sought

Iran Inquiry Is Sought

Human rights groups urged the United Nations General Assembly on Monday to appoint a special envoy to investigate abuses in Iran, including allegations that detainees had been raped and tortured in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election in June.

Obama Will Meet With Mideast Leaders

Obama Will Meet With Mideast Leaders

President Obama will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort at renewed peace negotiations.

Amid Large Protests, Iran Leader Calls Holocaust a Lie

Amid Large Protests, Iran Leader Calls Holocaust a Lie

The protests by opposition supporters were the largest in two months and came on an annual day of support for the Palestinians.

Impasse in Middle East on Efforts to Renew Peace Talks

Impasse in Middle East on Efforts to Renew Peace Talks

The extent of an Israeli settlement freeze in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the limited scope of the negotiations led to the deadlock, officials on both sides said.

In a New Age, Bahrain Struggles to Honor the Dead While Serving the Living

In a New Age, Bahrain Struggles to Honor the Dead While Serving the Living

The destruction of ancient burial sites illustrates conflicting priorities and the divide between the elite and the disenfranchised.

Airstrike in Yemen Said to Kill 80

Airstrike in Yemen Said to Kill 80

The attack appeared to be the deadliest single episode in a worsening war between government forces and the Houthi rebels.

Iran's shaky government: Not over yet

Iran's shaky government: Not over yet

Three months after his disputed re-election, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is still failing to reassert his—and his government’s—grip

Iran Arrests Children of Dissident Clerics

Iran Arrests Children of Dissident Clerics

The latest arrests appeared to be part of efforts to intimidate senior religious leaders and silence the younger generation in the city of Qum.

Europe Says One-Third of Karzai Votes Are Suspect

Europe Says One-Third of Karzai Votes Are Suspect

European Union monitors said that many of the votes cast for President Hamid Karzai should be examined for fraud.

Israel Rejects Call for Gaza Inquiry

Israel Rejects Call for Gaza Inquiry

Israeli officials bluntly dismissed a U.N. mission’s recommendation that an investigation be launched into violations of human rights law during the war.

U.S. Embassy Under Fire During Biden’s Iraq Visit

U.S. Embassy Under Fire During Biden’s Iraq Visit

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday for two days of meetings with Iraqi leaders at a time American influence is waning.

U.N. Finds Signs of War Crimes on Both Sides in Gaza

U.N. Finds Signs of War Crimes on Both Sides in Gaza

There is evidence that both the Israeli army and Palestinian militants committed war crimes during the conflict, the U.N. reported.

Iran Opposition Leader’s Aide Is Freed

Iran Opposition Leader’s Aide Is Freed

The release of the aide, Alireza Hosseini-Beheshti, appears to be a sign of retreat by the hard-core conservative authorities running Iran.

Resolve of West Bank Settlers May Have Limits

Resolve of West Bank Settlers May Have Limits

Ideological settlers are unlikely to engage in organized armed conflict with the Israeli military, as some fear, because their beliefs make them hesitant to turn against their own.

U.S. to Accept Iran’s Proposal to Hold Face-to-Face Talks

U.S. to Accept Iran’s Proposal to Hold Face-to-Face Talks

Obama Administration to accept meeting proposal.

Private Motive for Egypt’s Public Embrace of a Jewish Past

Private Motive for Egypt’s Public Embrace of a Jewish Past

In a bid for a UN leadership position, Egypt's minister of culture is trying to embrace Egypt's Jewish history and identity.

Rockets Fired from Lebanon Hit Israel

Rockets Fired from Lebanon Hit Israel

Rockets fired, but no injuries.  It is not yet known who is responsible.

Agencies Say Iran Has the Nuclear Fuel to Build a Bomb

Agencies Say Iran Has the Nuclear Fuel to Build a Bomb

In presidential briefings, American intelligence agencies said Iran is holding off on taking the last critical steps in designing a sophisticated bomb.

Not at home

Not at home

Lebanon's mixed marriages:  Couples from different religions still cannot marry in their own country

Marred Afghan Vote Leaves US in a Delicate Spot

Marred Afghan Vote Leaves US in a Delicate Spot

Concerns over vote fraud are conflicting with an interest in maintaining relations with President Hamid Karzai.