IRAQ

US, Iraq Scale Down Negotiations - Karen DeYoung, Washington Post

US and Iraqi negotiators have abandoned efforts to conclude a comprehensive agreement governing the long-term status of UStroops in Iraq before the end of the Bush presidency, according to senior US officials, effectively leaving talks over an extended US military presence there to the next administration. In place of the formal status-of-forces agreement negotiators had hoped to complete by July 31, the two governments are now working on a "bridge" document, more limited in both time and scope, that would allow basic US military operations to continue beyond the expiration of a UN mandate at the end of the year.

US Considers Increasing Pace of Pullout - Steven Lee Meyers, New York Times

The Bush administration is considering the withdrawal of additional combat forces from Iraq beginning in September, according to administration and military officials, raising the prospect of a far more ambitious plan than expected only months ago. Such a withdrawal would be a striking reversal from the nadir of the war in 2006 and 2007. One factor in the consideration is the pressing need for additional American troops in Afghanistan, where the Taliban and other fighters have intensified their insurgency and inflicted a growing number of casualties on Afghans and American-led forces there.

Province: ISF Unready to Handle Security - Opel and Hameed, New York Times

In a sign of the bitter political struggle playing out in western Iraq, the Anbar Provincial Council appealed Saturday for the American military to delay its handover of provincial security responsibilities to Iraqi forces until at least the end of the year, according to the council chairman. Any long-term delay in the transfer would be a blow to American efforts to portray the province, once a Sunni extremist stronghold, as having nearly completed a security turnaround. And the request is likely to intensify fears among Anbaris that quarrels between the two powers in the province - the entrenched Iraqi Islamic Party and the up-and-coming political movement of pro-American Awakening Councils - could escalate into armed conflict. The chairman of the Provincial Council, Abdul Salam al-Ani, a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party, said the delay was needed because Iraqi forces had not yet been able to fully control the province’s borders, which touch Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia. He said the delay should last until after provincial elections, which aren’t expected until the end of the year at the earliest.

Iraqi Tribal Chief Wants More Aid From Baghdad - Robert Burns, Associated Press

In the rural outskirts of Baghdad, where the war seems distant in Iraq's new period of relative calm, a prominent Sunni tribal chief makes no bones about what is lacking in the drive to turn security improvements into lasting economic and political reform. "Up to now we have seen nothing from the government," Sheik Ayad al-Jabouri, wearing traditional headdress and robe, said with more than a hint of disdain for the Shiite-dominated leadership in the capital. The central government has made limited strides in recent months. But its ability to show ordinary Iraqis - regardless of sect or ethnicity - that it can make political accommodations and act in their common behalf is in doubt.

Gen. Petraeus Meeting Could Herald U-turn - Tony Allen-Mills, The Times

Later this month, under conditions of extreme security, Barack Obama will jet into Baghdad for policy discussions with America’s most popular general that could change the course of US involvement in Iraq. The long-awaited meeting with General David Petraeus, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, is likely to prove the most dangerous encounter – politically and personally – of a week-long world tour that will carry the Democratic presidential candidate from high-profile meetings in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin to the military bases of Afghanistan and Iraq. The candidate and the general have for months seemed at loggerheads over troop levels in Iraq, with Obama committed to a rapid withdrawal over the next 18 months and Petraeus arguing that a premature pull-out might endanger the success of the US military “surge” that has produced a sharp drop in violence this year.

Officials Handing Out Cash on Street - Associated Press

It is a politician's dream: handing out cold, hard cash to people on the street as they plead for help. Iraq's prime minister has been doing just that in recent weeks, doling out Iraqi dinars as an aide trails behind, keeping a tally. The handouts by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and a few other top officials are authorized - as long as each goes no higher than about $8,000 and the same people don't get them twice. Aides say the handouts are meant merely to ease the pain, and are motivated by a belief that better conditions will lead to more security.

A Despicable Enemy - New York Post editorial

There are moments that throw the nature of America's enemies into the sharpest possible relief. One such moment came this week, as the Army revealed that it had identified the remains of two US soldiers taken captive in Iraq. Pfc. Byron Fouty, 19, and Queens-born Sgt. Alex Jimenez, 25, were captured last May after heavy fighting in Iraq's then-explosive Sunni Triangle. The body of a third captured GI, Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., was found not long afterward - but Jimenez and Fouty's families held out hope for their return. Until now. It's the smallest of comforts that the country may now never know what, precisely, the pair endured in captivity. Captured Americans in Iraq have been subject to all means of torture - including public beheading - in the furtherance of militants' sick propaganda aims. Such brutality turned Iraqis against al Qaeda en masse - as soon as American resolve gave them the chance. It also gives lie to the tired cliché that America somehow loses its "moral standing" by, say, keeping terrorists locked up at Guantanamo Bay.

Finding a Silver Lining - Levy and Hanna, Boston Globe opinion

If ever is ever a TV series about the American adventure in Iraq it might be called "Unintended Consequences Gone Wild." The war strategically weakened the United States, strengthened Iran, undermined democracy promotion, and gave Al Qaeda and the Taliban time to regroup - and that would just be season one. But the latest episode, the unintended Iraqi consensus opposing America's secretive quest to complete a Status of Forces Agreement and a Strategic Framework Agreement by the end of July, may turn out to be good news for both the United States and Iraq. Even as short-term improvements have been registered in the security situation, the internal politics of Iraqi stabilization have continued to languish. Without functioning politics and governance, Iraq's long-term prospects remain bleak, and any tactical military success will be ephemeral. So, the furious reaction to the proposed agreements and the opening it has created for an emerging Iraqi nationalist sentiment in opposition to US long-term plans for Iraq are developments that could serve US strategic goals by realigning the Iraqi political order and establishing a more sustainable framework upon which to advance national accommodation and reconciliation. It could also save the United States from its own worst impulses, by making it impossible for it to pursue an illogical policy of open-ended military engagement.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Troops Face Rise in Taliban Bombs - Sean Raymente, Daily Telegraph

A surge in bomb attacks on British troops in southern Afghanistan has raised fears that Taliban fighters are receiving explosives training in neighbouring Pakistan, a declared ally of the West in the war on terror. Between April and last month, British troops encountered 150 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), compared with 90 in the previous six months. The rate of attacks has risen fivefold, from 15 a month to 75. Defence sources said the Taliban were being trained to make explosives and build IEDs at religious schools in Pakistan, then returning to Helmand to teach others.

Afghan Border Police on Patrol with US Marines - Reuters

The Afghan border police, accompanied by US Marines, went out on patrol for the first time this week since Garmsir district centre was recaptured from Taliban control in April. No one knows or can remember the last time the border police were seen there. A fighting force of some 2,200 US Marines was deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year to make up for shortfalls in troops Washington failed to persuade other NATO allies to fill. The Marines moved into Garmsir district in late April, taking up positions east of the river that cuts through the desert region, and in early May began a fierce fight to push Taliban militants west and south.

Clashes Erupt in Pakistan's NW - Imtiaz Ali, Washington Post

At least 20 people were killed Saturday in fighting between security forces and pro-Taliban insurgents in volatile northwestern Pakistan, according to officials and witnesses. The violence came during an unannounced, one-day visit to Pakistan by Adm. Michael Mullen, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. Mullen met with President Pervez Musharraf; Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani; and other officials before returning to Washington.

Police: Pakistan Clash Kills at Least 9 - Associated Press

A militant ambush and subsequent shootout Saturday killed at least six security forces and three insurgents in Pakistan's northwest, police said. Saturday's clash also came as Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Pakistan on a surprise, one-day trip. US Embassy officials confirmed the visit but said they had no details on Mullen's itinerary. The United States considers Pakistan's cooperation critical to success in its war on terrorism, but US officials have voiced concern about the new Pakistani government's efforts to strike peace deals with some militant groups. Mullen recently said militants are flowing into neighboring Afghanistan more freely this year compared with last year because Pakistan's government and military are not putting enough pressure on insurgents.

Police say 18 killed in Afghan Suicide Blast - Associated Press

A suicide bomber blew himself up next to a police patrol in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 18 people, including 13 civilians, a provincial police chief said. The attack at a busy intersection in the southern province of Uruzgan also killed five police officers and wounded more than 30 other people, said Juma Gul Himat, the provincial police chief.

The Menace in Pakistan - Chicago Tribune editorial

Pakistan's new ambassador to the United States is asking for understanding as the new civilian government tries to cope with the persistent insurgency in tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan. That is asking a lot of the US and its Afghan allies, whose past patience has not been rewarded. If Islamabad wants time, it needs to show the world it is prepared to act firmly against a chronic menace that endangers not only the Pakistani government, but Afghans, and quite possibly, Americans. The insurgents include elements of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. They have terrorized Pakistan, and they have launched attacks more frequently this year across the border into Afghanistan. American forces recently killed 11 members of Pakistan's paramilitary forces by mistake, in a bombing attack on enemy units along the border. Meanwhile, Taliban forces struck at a prison in Kandahar, freeing some 1,200 prisoners. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he would send troops into Pakistan to "destroy terrorist nests" - though he probably doesn't have the forces to carry out the threat.

IRAN

Bush Backs Israeli Plan for Strike - Uzi Mahnaimi, The Times

President George W Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with Tehran break down, according to a senior Pentagon official. Despite the opposition of his own generals and widespread scepticism that America is ready to risk the military, political and economic consequences of an airborne strike on Iran, the president has given an “amber light” to an Israeli plan to attack Iran’s main nuclear sites with long-range bombing sorties, the official told The Sunday Times.

Iran 'Tested 10-year-old Missile' - Sherwell and Wheeler, Daily Telegraph

Iran attempted to deceive the world with last week's high-profile weapons test by claiming that a 10-year-old missile was a new, longer-range version capable of striking Israel, US intelligence officials and independent analysts believe. Analysis of Iranian television coverage has also indicated that one of the weapons actually remained on the ground but the video was doctored in an effort to cover up the failure. The tests were the latest escalation in muscle-flexing between Iran and Israel as the threat of war grows over the Islamic regime's nuclear ambitions. Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, is to urge the Bush administration to adopt a tougher line against Iran and will try to persuade the American public of the need for military action during a three-day visit to Washington this week, a former top adviser said.

Test Exhibits No Long-range Rocket - Associated Press

Iran's missile test last week did not demonstrate any new capabilities, said a US official familiar with the intelligence, and the test may not have included one of the longer-range missiles Iran claims was among those launched. Iranian officials said the tests Wednesday and Thursday demonstrated a new variant of the Shahab missile that had a range of 1,250 miles. Such a missile would put Iran in striking distance of much of the Middle East, including Israel - as close as 650 miles from Iran - as well as Turkey, Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.

Epic Escape From Iran's Grip - Shane and Gordon, New York Times

After three days on the run, Ahmad Batebi picked his way down a rocky slope to the stream that marked Iran’s border with Iraq. His Kurdish guides, who had led Mr. Batebi, an Iranian dissident, through minefields and dodged nighttime gunfire from border guards, passed him to a new team of shadowy human smugglers. At the age of 31, after nearly eight years in Iranian prisons, subjected to torture and twice taken to the gallows and fitted with a noose, Mr. Batebi had fled. But in Iraq, his former captors had one more chilling message for him. Not long after his arrival in Erbil in March, the new cellphone provided by United Nations officials rang. Mr. Batebi was shocked to hear the familiar voice of the chief interrogator at one of Iran’s notorious prisons. “We know where you are,” the interrogator said. “You must turn yourself in.” Instead, Mr. Batebi, one of Iran’s best-known dissidents, received permission to enter the United States. He arrived on June 24.

The Mullahs Say Maybe - Washington Post editorial

What should be made of the latest mix of messages from Iran? Just over a week ago, the Iranian foreign minister responded ambiguously to a new international proposal for negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program, saying the regime was open to talks but making no mention of a condition that it freeze the program's expansion. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps made a show of firing off missiles from its arsenal, including one that it claims could reach Israel. Then on Friday, the state news agency reported that the government's top nuclear negotiator would meet in Geneva next weekend with the European Union's foreign policy chief to discuss the freeze proposal and Iran's response. Was Iran carefully setting the stage for beginning negotiations? Or was the Guard -- the sponsor of Iran's military and terrorist activity in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, and the overseer of the nuclear work -- trying to undermine a possible attempt by moderates to compromise with the West?

Jitters Over Iran - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post opinion

At the strong urging of the Bush administration, Israel has pulled back from threatening to bomb Iran's nuclear enrichment program and has joined the US-led effort to give coercive diplomacy with Tehran a (time-limited) chance. Actually, Israel is giving diplomacy three chances: It is also pursuing indirect peace talks with Syria in a smart effort to wean that Arab country from its partial alliance with Iran. And Israel recently accepted a cease-fire in Gaza, in large part to rebuild bridges with Egypt. So you might want to consider battening down the hatches and getting the bomb shelters ready, just in case. The hydraulics of war and peace in the Middle East dictate that when tension goes down in one part of that closed system of pressures, it must come back up elsewhere. If Israel smiles at Syria, Iran must growl, or worse.

THE LONG WAR

Pakistan: US Not Hunting bin Laden on its Turf - Associated Press

Pakistan's top diplomat says there are no US or other foreign military personnel on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in his nation, and none will be allowed in to search for the al-Qaida leader. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told The Associated Press Saturday that his nation's new government has ruled out permitting any such military operations, covert or otherwise, to catch militants.

Overstating Our Fears - Glenn Carle, Washington Post opinion

Sen. John McCain has repeatedly characterized the threat of "radical Islamic extremism" as "the absolute gravest threat . . . that we're in against." Before we simply accept this, we need to examine the nature of the terrorist threat facing our country. If we do so, we will see how we have allowed the specter of that threat to distort our lives and take our treasure. The "Global War on Terror" has conjured the image of terrorists behind every bush, the bushes themselves burning and an angry god inciting its faithful to religious war. We have been called to arms, built fences, and compromised our laws and the practices that define us as a nation. The administration has focused on pursuing terrorists and countering an imminent and terrifying threat. Thousands of Americans have died as a result, as have tens of thousands of foreigners.

It Takes a School, Not Missiles - Nicholas Kristof, New York Times opinion

Since 9/11, Westerners have tried two approaches to fight terrorism in Pakistan, President Bush’s and Greg Mortenson’s. Mr. Bush has focused on military force and provided more than $10 billion - an extraordinary sum in the foreign-aid world - to the highly unpopular government of President Pervez Musharraf. This approach has failed: the backlash has radicalized Pakistan’s tribal areas so that they now nurture terrorists in ways that they never did before 9/11. Mr. Mortenson, a frumpy, genial man from Montana, takes a diametrically opposite approach, and he has spent less than one-ten-thousandth as much as the Bush administration. He builds schools in isolated parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, working closely with Muslim clerics and even praying with them at times.

The War Powers Act? - David Keene, Washington Times opinion

Noting both that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 is unworkable and that disputes over the role the president and Congress should play in exercising their explicit, implied and sometimes conflicting powers as "Commander in Chief" on the one hand and the sole entity capable of "declaring" war on the other have been hotly debated since before the ink had dried on the Constitution, the commission has tried to construct a framework that might facilitate consultation without diminishing either presidential power or congressional options in the event of an impasse.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

An Army That Learns - David Ignatius, Washington Post opinion

The US Army has done something remarkable in its new history of the disastrous first 18 months of the American occupation of Iraq: It has conducted a rigorous self-critique of how bad decisions were made, so that the Army won't make them again. Civilian leaders are still mostly engaged in a blame game about Iraq, pointing fingers to explain what went wrong and to justify their own actions. That's certainly the tone of recent memoirs by Douglas Feith, the former undersecretary of defense, and L. Paul Bremer, the onetime head of the Coalition Provisional Authority. These were the people making policy, yet they treat the key mistakes as other people's fault. Feith criticizes Bremer and the CIA, while Bremer chides former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the military for ignoring his advice that the United States didn't have enough troops. The Army can't afford this sort of retroactive self-justification. Its commanders and soldiers are the ones who got stuck with the situation in Iraq and had to make it work as best they could. And this internal history, published last month under the title "On Point II," testifies to the Army's strength as a learning organization. (This study covers May 2003 to January 2005. An earlier volume, "On Point," chronicled the initial assault on Baghdad.)

US Soldiers Lose Haven in Canada - Ian Austen, New York Times

James Corey Glass, apprentice mortician and United States Army deserter, was keeping an unusually close eye on the text messages coming into his cellphone. He was hoping to hear that a court had blocked the Canadian government’s attempt to send him back to the United States. On Wednesday afternoon, the message came: Mr. Glass, 25, could remain in Canada while he appealed his removal order by the country’s Immigration Department. It was a welcome reprieve, he said, but well short of a guarantee that he and other deserters could make Canada their new home. The Canadian government’s effort to remove Mr. Glass contrasts with the warm reception given to deserters and draft avoiders from the United States during the war in Vietnam. And although the war in Iraq has very little support among Canadians, the situation of Mr. Glass and others who abandoned their military positions provokes a wide range of responses. For American soldiers seeking an escape, Canada is no longer a guaranteed haven.

UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Bombed and Betrayed - Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph opinion

It is in the nature of all failing organisations to go into denial, or to lie, about the mismanagement and poor decision-making that has brought them to their knees. This sort of thing is depressing enough when it happens in a commercial operation. When it happens to our Armed Forces - as is now the case - it is disastrous. It is, of course, demoralising for our Forces to be caught up in two apparently unwinnable wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, those who join the Services do so with a view to the possibility of having to go into battle, and to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for the civilised values of our nation. What they do not expect is to go into battle with inferior equipment that makes them sitting ducks for a vicious enemy. Nor do they expect the politicians who take the decisions that affect their deployment to lie to them about why they are in the front line, or to lie about the quality of the kit that they are expected to use when engaging the enemy.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Democrats, the Military, and McCain - Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe editorial

Four years ago, Democrats couldn't laud military service - especially that of their presidential standard-bearer - highly enough. Given that effusive show of respect for military experience in 2004, you would think no Democrat this year could even contemplate disparaging John McCain's far more extensive military career. The presumptive Republican nominee, after all, spent 22 years as a naval aviator; flew 23 combat missions over North Vietnam; earned numerous combat decorations, including the Silver Star and Legion of Merit; and demonstrated courage and self-sacrifice during five years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. Yet in recent months, one Democrat after another has gone out of his way to diminish or criticize McCain's war record.

AFRICA

Democracy Losing Ground in Africa - Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times

Election-related meltdowns in Zimbabwe and Kenya are stark reminders of democracy's fragile foothold in Africa, experts say, despite years of financial and diplomatic investment by the United States and other Western nations. A combination of challenges unique to the continent, including worsening poverty and inconsistent international engagement, is blamed for fueling a string of setbacks. After some progress in the early 1990s, once-promising governments have regressed, particularly around election time. "Overall, the continent has had a deflation of strong democratic leadership in recent years," said J. Stephen Morrison, Africa director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "In some places we are seeing that autocratic pseudo-democracies have formed."

Sudan: Warrant for President Disastrous - Omar Sinan, Associated Press

An indictment of Sudan's president for war crimes in Darfur would be "disastrous" for the region and could affect humanitarian organizations working there, a Sudanese government spokesman said Saturday. Mahjoub Fadul Badry told the Arabiyah news channel that if the International Criminal Court sought to indict Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, it would be a violation of the country's sovereignty and would have consequences.

AU Warning over Sudan 'Charges' - BBC News

The African Union (AU) has expressed concern over reports that war-crimes charges might be brought against members of the Sudanese government. The AU said such a move could jeopardise peace efforts in the region. Thousands of UN and AU peacekeepers are deployed in Darfur and a spokeswoman for the force has said the security alert for its staff has been raised. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court are expected to present new evidence on Darfur on Monday.

Sudan Seeks Arab League Talks - Reuters

Sudan formally asked the Arab League on Saturday to hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers after reports the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor may seek the arrest of Sudan's president. A senior European diplomat said on Friday the ICC's prosecutor would likely seek President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's arrest in a new Darfur war crimes case he will open on Monday. Sudan has said any such move could undermine the Darfur peace process. Two senior government officials told Reuters Sudan would likely seek Chinese, Russian and African support at the United Nations to help block any warrant for Bashir.

'We Slaughtered Villages for Sudan' - Nick Meo, Daily Telegraph

A high-ranking commander who armed and led Janjaweed militiamen in attacks on hundreds of villages in Darfur has come forward to claim that he did so at the behest of the Sudanese government. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court are tomorrow expected to take a significant step towards putting Sudan's leaders on trial by presenting evidence against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. As they pursue a case against Sudan's rulers in Khartoum, some of the most damning evidence yet that the killing was directed by the government has been provided by Arbab Idries, who was a key commander between 2003-7.

China 'Fuelling War in Darfur' - Hilary Andersson, BBC News

The BBC has found the first evidence that China is currently helping Sudan's government militarily in Darfur. The Panorama TV programme tracked down Chinese army lorries in the Sudanese province that came from a batch exported from China to Sudan in 2005. The BBC was also told that China was training fighter pilots who fly Chinese A5 Fantan fighter jets in Darfur. China's government has declined to comment on the BBC's findings, which contravene a UN arms embargo on Darfur.

Why Darfur Still Bleeds - Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times

The mandate for the Darfur force comes up for renewal by the Security Council on July 31, its first birthday, so members are girding for a debate about why so much remains unfinished. On one level, they will be examining local difficulties, bureaucratic delays and logistical problems. But at least some diplomats, UN officials and advocacy groups are also beginning to sense that finding a route out of the impasse will also depend on taking a larger view: looking at Sudan’s problems as a diplomatic failure and treating its interwoven conflicts and supply logjams as one large crisis, rather than a set of problems to be diagnosed and fixed in isolation.

Brown Plans New Curbs on Mugabe - Jonathan Oliver, The Times

Gordon Brown is set to press ahead with tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe despite the embarrassing veto of his plan for a United Nations arms embargo and travel ban. Officials were last night drawing up a “plan B” after Russia and China ambushed Britain at the UN security council in New York. Number 10 hopes the European Union and the United States can draw up a joint agreement that would include a ban on trips abroad for any Zimbabwean linked to Robert Mugabe’s regime and new efforts to freeze the assets of the Zanu-PF leadership.

Mugabe Jubilant at Failed Sanctions - The Australian

Robert Mugabe's government was triumphant today at the failure of a UN bid to impose fresh sanctions on Zimbabwe as Britain pledged to return to the security council if political violence continued. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown would discuss further measures with EU partners next week, a spokesman for the premier said in a statement. "We will continue to stand firmly for human rights and democracy and will return to the security council in the absence of early progress on mediation, humanitarian access and an end to violence,'' the statement said. Mr Mugabe's government, meanwhile, thanked those countries that opposed the US draft resolution aimed at imposing an assets freeze and travel ban on Mr Mugabe and 13 of his closest allies.

South Africa Crucial to Zimbabwe - Associated Press

The failure of the United States campaign to gain approval for international sanctions on Zimbabwe’s leaders returns the focus to South African efforts to end the political crisis in Zimbabwe. It also raises questions again about whether President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is the right mediator to resolve it. South Africa made the link itself in deliberations at the United Nations that ended Friday with Russia and China vetoing the proposed sanctions.

Liberia's President Denounces Zimbabwe Vote - Associated Press

All Africans must speak out about injustices in places like Zimbabwe, Liberia's leader said Saturday during a speech honoring former South African President Nelson Mandela. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf devoted her speech, a week before Mandela's 90th birthday, to painting an optimistic picture of Africa's future. But the Liberian president said she could not ignore current troubles, and that it was her duty to "express my solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, as they search for solutions to the crisis in their country."

UN Impotence Against Tyranny - Daily Telegraph editorial

Just how bad does the tyranny in Zimbabwe have to get before the world takes action? Robert Mugabe has already installed himself as President-for-life, having stolen two elections and had more than 5,000 of those who supported the opposition party either killed or imprisoned. He also ensured that a further 200,000 were evicted from their homes. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition, sensibly decided there was no point in continuing to co-operate with Mugabe's grotesque parody of democracy. Mugabe then claimed victory in a sham of his own creation. The condition of Zimbabwe's people grows daily more desperate - solely because of Mugabe's abysmal mismanagement of the country. The leaders of the democracies in Europe and America tried to persuade the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe, as well as a travel ban on Mugabe and 13 of his top henchmen. Their attempt failed. Russian and China, both permanent members of the security council and able to veto any proposal, torpedoed the idea of punishing Mugabe's regime.

Sanctions are a War Waged by Cowards - Simon Jenkins, The Times opinion

China and Russia seldom do the right thing at the United Nations, but on Friday they vetoed an economic war on Zimbabwe. They are also balking a similar war on Iran. Whatever their motives, they are right. Sanctions are an ineffective, or worse a counterproductive, weapon of interstate aggression. The foreign secretary, David Miliband, yesterday called the veto a “severe blow... to timely and decisive security council action”. Sanctions are never timely or decisive. They are a political demonstration. While the decision will be greeted with glee by Robert Mugabe, Britain’s UN ambassador, John Sawers, should never have proposed them as offering the Zimbabwean people “an end in sight to their miseries”. They offer no such thing. Unlike war, which is violence aimed at conquering and replacing a regime, merely engineering a shift in terms of trade is play-acting.

Britain’s Cruel Snub - John Sentamu, The Times opinion

We pass them on the streets and sit by them on the bus, but most of us are unaware that across Britain today are thousands of people who have fled Zimbabwe because of the brutal atrocities of Robert Mugabe’s regime. Those Zimbabweans who have come to Britain are among millions who have fled their country in fear of their life and who dare not return. They are doctors and teachers, farmers and businessmen. They are people who want to work, who want to restore some dignity to their families, who want to return home when Mugabe - as he surely will be - is finally kicked out of office.

Narcotic Use, Drought Rob Babies of Food - Simon Roughneen, Washington Times

When drought and food shortages hit, it is the very young who suffer first, and most. Weighing only 10 pounds, Ayaan is among nearly 100,000 Ethiopian children whose lives are at risk. Just four days before her first birthday, she is lighter than an average 3-month-old baby. A clinic at Kersi, about 15 miles outside Ethiopia's second city Dire Dawa, has seen an increasing number of such cases in recent weeks, as have locations across the south and west of the country. Much of the land is used to grow the cash-crop narcotic known as khat.

3 Somali Aid Workers Shot in 24 Hours - Associated Press

Gunmen shot and killed two Somali aid workers and wounded a third within 24 hours, witnesses said Saturday, in the latest sign of spiraling violence against workers struggling to deal with the war-ravaged country's humanitarian crisis. The shootings all occurred within a few hours of each other on Friday. Two men were shot in separate incidents about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from the capital of Mogadishu. One, who worked for an aid organization affiliated with the UN's World Food Program, is in serious condition.

AMERICAS

Colombia Trade Deal Is Threatened - Steven Weisman, New York Times

In recent months, nearly 100 newspapers in the United States have endorsed the Colombia trade agreement. So have many top Democrats, including Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago. And Mr. Uribe, who was already popular in Congress, was widely lionized after the dramatic rescue of hostages in Colombia on July 2. Yet the trade agreement remains a long shot, because of opposition by American labor unions, Democratic leaders in Congress and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. “I am not optimistic that the Congress will have an opportunity to review the bill this year, unless something unforeseen or dramatic occurs by the administration,” said Representative Charles B. Rangel, the New York Democrat who is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “I don’t think they handled this correctly.” As the price for approval of the Colombia deal, Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker and a California Democrat, demands specifically that the administration expand programs for American workers. She blocked the agreement from coming to a vote in April, infuriating Mr. Bush.

US Aid Was a Key to the Hostage Rescue - Simon Romero, New York TImes

The United States played a more elaborate role in the events leading up to this month’s rescue operation of 15 hostages in the Colombian jungle than had been previously acknowledged, including the deployment of more than 900 American military personnel members to Colombia earlier this year in efforts to locate the hostages, according to an official briefed on these efforts. At one point in the first three months of 2008, the number of American military personnel members in Colombia passed the limit of 800 established by law, but a legal loophole in the United States allowed the authorities to go above that level since the service members, including more than 40 members of the Special Operations forces, were involved in search and rescue operations of American citizens.

Ecuador Rejects Mending Fences - Kraul and Mogollon, Los Angeles Times

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa angrily declined Saturday to follow the example of his ally on the South American left, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, in mending tattered relations with Colombia. Relations between the neighbors have been strained since Colombia mounted a raid in Ecuadorean territory in March that killed Colombian leftist rebel leader Raul Reyes. Ecuador and Venezuela rushed troops to their borders with Colombia, sparking the region's worst crisis in years. Afterward, Colombia claimed that electronic files recovered from Reyes' laptop computers indicated that Chavez was aiding the rebels and allowing the insurgents to use western Venezuela as a haven. Chavez denied the allegations.

Venezuela Opposition Protests Blacklist - Associated Press

Thousands of Venezuelans protested in the capital on Saturday to demand the Supreme Court overturn a "blacklist" blocking key opponents of President Hugo Chavez from running in upcoming elections. Chanting "freedom!" and waving Venezuelan flags, the demonstrators marched to the court, where they urged justices to strike down the list.

Chavez: Venezuelan Prisons Need Overhaul - Associated Press

President Hugo Chavez called for an overhaul of Venezuela's prisons on Saturday, saying inmates often wait too long for their cases to be heard. Chavez said his government will form a task force to transform the prison system. He complained to the Supreme Court president, Luisa Estella Morales, that inmates shouldn't have to wait two years or more for decisions.

ASIA PACIFIC

Agreement on Nuclear Arms Inspections - Yardley and Hooker, New York Times

Negotiators in the North Korean nuclear talks agreed Saturday to a blueprint for verifying North Korea’s nuclear disarmament as part of a deal under which it would dismantle its main Yongbyon nuclear weapons complex by the end of October in exchange for energy and economic aid. The accord, announced by China in a joint communiqué among the six nations involved in the talks, gives new momentum to the negotiations, yet leaves many difficult issues unresolved in what has been a long and halting process to rid North Korea of its nuclear arsenal. No timetable has been set for full disarmament.

Accord in North Korea Talks - Edward Cody, Washington Post

Diplomats from six nations agreed in principle Saturday to set up an intrusive inspection program to verify that North Korea has dismantled its plutonium-based program to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. After three days of talks in Beijing, however, the negotiators were unable to complete a detailed inspection schedule and decided to refer specific issues back to their capitals in hopes of working out an itemized inspection regime in September, according to the chief US negotiator, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill.

Slaying Fuels Korea Tensions - Associated Press

A defiant North Korea blamed South Korea for the shooting death of a South Korean tourist in a restricted area and refused yesterday to co-operate in an investigation, jeopardizing a bid to improve relations between the countries. While expressing regret that a North Korean soldier shot the woman Friday, the North demanded Seoul apologize for its ``intolerable insult" of suspending trips to a North Korean mountain resort, and said it would not allow visitors until the South did so. Tensions have flared since South Korea's conservative President Lee Myung-bak took office in February. His government has criticized alleged human rights abuses in the North and has been skeptical of offering unconditional aid to the impoverished country, a sharp departure from the previous decade of liberal Seoul leaders.

North Korea Rejects Talks Offer - Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times

North Korea blamed South Korea for the death of a South Korean tourist last week, and rejected an offer by President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea offer to resume dialogue as “a laughable cheap trick.” “It contains nothing new,” the North’s main state-run newspaper, Rodong, said of Mr. Lee’s offer in a commentary carried on a North Korean Web site. “He is repeating what his underlings had been trumpeting.”

China's Secret Plot to Tame Tibet - Michael Sheridan. The Times

Internal Communist party documents have revealed that China is planning a programme of harsh political repression in Tibet despite a public show of moderation to win over world opinion before the Olympic Games next month. A campaign of “re-education” has been outlined in confidential speeches to meetings of Communist party members by Zhang Qingli, the hardline party secretary of Tibet. Verbatim texts of the speeches have been kept out of the Chinese media but were printed in the April and May editions of the Xigang Tongxun (Tibet Communications) - a classified publication restricted to party officials. Translations were handed to The Sunday Times in Hong Kong.

China Executes Uighurs for Terrorist Links - Associated Press

China has executed two ethnic Uighur men and imprisoned another 15 for alleged terrorist links, a US-funded radio station reported Saturday. Radio Free Asia reported that the Kashgar Intermediate Court in the restive western region of Xinjiang sentenced two men to death on Wednesday and then executed them after the public trial in Yengi Sheher county, citing Uighur sources and a local official. The men were identified as Mukhtar Setiwaldi and Abduweli Imin.

Executions for Drug Crimes Resumed - Peter Gelling, New York Times

Indonesia has resumed executions for serious drug crimes after a four-year hiatus, and Indonesia’s attorney general has warned drug offenders on death row that their executions may now be accelerated. The resumption follows a decision last year by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court that upheld the death penalty for serious drug offenses. Two Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking were the first to be executed for drug crimes after the long break. The two, Samuel Iwachekwu Okoye and Hansen Anthony Nwaliosa, were put to death on June 26.

EUROPE

Sarkozy to Open Mediterranean Union - Baptiste Etchegaray, Washington Times

After months of diplomatic quarrels, French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday will host his cherished Union for the Mediterranean, a group aimed at promoting concrete projects among states bordering the Mediterranean Sea. In the glass-domed Grand Palais in Paris, most of the leaders of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East are expected to endorse Mr. Sarkozy's plan for the new north-south community. "It is in southern Europe where our future has been at stake," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner wrote recently in a column in the Le Monde newspaper to justify the initiative.

Russia Chills Out in New Cool War - The Times editorial

Either Mr Medvedev was out of his depth when he signed up at the G8 and was put right by the real power behind the throne, Vladimir Putin, or the snub was more deliberate. Relations between the United States and Russia are at rock bottom. Last week the Czech Republic agreed to site an American radar station on its soil as part of a missile defence shield which would see interceptor missiles deployed in Poland on Russia’s border. In return, as we report today, Russia is considering targeting its missiles towards western Europe for the first time since the cold war.

MIDDLE EAST

Hezbollah Gains Clout in Lebanon - But at a Cost - Associated Press

Hezbollah, or the "Party of God," is both a military and political movement with members in Lebanon's parliament. A close ally of Iran and Syria, it emerged with a winner's swagger after holding off Israel's 2006 onslaught. Now, nearly two years into a power struggle with Lebanon's US-backed government, the party is poised to gain what it long demanded - greater say in the politics of this fractured nation. With this added muscle, Hezbollah could block any attempt to disarm its fighters, ensuring its hold along the border with Israel. Hezbollah also could better counter US influence in Lebanon and increase the sway of Shiites, who are believed to constitute the country's largest sect but have long felt squeezed out by Sunni Muslims and Christians. However, Hezbollah's gains come at a cost. Its violent methods have deepened the bitterness among its political opponents in Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's camp. Hezbollah's military also has less room to maneuver, given that Israel gained a better picture of the militia in the 2006 war and will likely answer any provocation with massive retaliation. And many Lebanese - perhaps even some Hezbollah supporters in south Lebanon - could blame the movement if there is yet another destructive war.

Hezbollah Wages On-air War Against US - Raed Rafei, Los Angeles Times

The militant group's Al Manar TV channel, accessible throughout the Middle East and online, uses its programs to criticize American policies daily. "Al Manar is very powerful in manipulating public opinion by using all the modern tools and techniques of propaganda," said Lawrence Pintak, director of the Center for Electronic Journalism at American University in Cairo. "As a mouthpiece for a political movement, it is one of the most effective TVs in the Middle East." Al Manar, which calls itself the "Station of the Resistance," began broadcasting in 1989. The Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah regards it as part of the "psychological warfare" against Israel. But in addition to news and political programs, the channel broadcasts health and family programs, entertainment shows, educational programs for children and video clips glorifying the group's "martyrs."

Syria and Lebanon Will Open Embassies - Associated Press

France's president affirmed Saturday that Syria and Lebanon will open embassies in each other's countries. However, Syria's leader was more cautious. Syria and Lebanon have not had full-fledged embassies in each other's countries since Lebanon became independent in 1943 and Syria in 1945. Syrian President Bashar Assad said last month that establishing diplomatic ties with Lebanon would be possible if a national unity Cabinet were formed in Beirut. Such a government, including members of Syria's ally Hezbollah, was formed Friday after weeks of haggling.

US Welcomes Syria-Lebanon Diplomacy - AFP

The US has welcomed the decision by Lebanon and Syria to open diplomatic relations but says Damascus needs to take "concrete actions to end its destabilising tactics in the region". "We continue to support the establishment of good relations between Lebanon and Syria on the basis of mutual respect (and) we join with France in reiterating the commitment to a sovereign and independent Lebanon,'' Rob McInturff, a State Department spokesman, said. But he added that Washington will "continue to limit our diplomatic engagement unless Syria takes concrete actions to end its destabilising tactics in the region."

Syria Waiting for Next US President - Associated Press

Syria's president urged France and the United States on Saturday to contribute to efforts toward Syrian-Israeli peace talks, but suggested little progress was likely before the United States elects a new leader. "In all frankness, this (US) administration is not interested in the peace process. We will not debate this question before the arrival of a new American administration" following November's presidential elections, Bashar Assad told a news conference at the French presidential palace. Assad's comments threw cold water on speculation about a possible one-on-one meeting between himself and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at a summit Sunday bringing together leaders from 43 states in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to launch a major Mediterranean project.

New Saudi Arabia University - Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times

"Saudis are beginning to realize they are not the center of the universe," said Tariq Maeena, a writer and aviation expert. "The king hopes that a young Saudi will be in a class with an American professor. The king is jabbing the conservatives from all sides. He's not doing it with a massive decree, but incrementally, and all the radicals can do is roll their eyes and say, 'Uh-oh, we're losing more power.' " Amira Kashgary, a literature professor at a women's college, said, "We are part of the global world now. Whether we like it or not, and regardless of our political and religious systems, there are changes seeping through our lives. "The radicals ran a wicked Internet campaign against the university. They said it is another sign liberals are invading us."

SOUTH ASIA

UN Agrees to Bhutto Investigation - BBC News

Pakistan and the United Nations have agreed in principle to set up a UN panel to investigate the killing of Pakistani ex-PM Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan's foreign minister said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had agreed to his government's request for such an investigation. A UN statement said a broad understanding had been reached, but further consultation would be required. Ms Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack on a rally last December.

India Nuclear Ties Need Full Debate - Toronto Star editorial

US President George Bush may be in a hurry to sign a controversial pact to sell India nuclear technology and fuel before he leaves office early next year. And the US has lobbied for the support of Canada, Australia and other allies. But there is no guarantee the deal will get approved by India's parliament in a scheduled July 22 vote, much less by the US Congress during Bush's tenure. If Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain inherit the file, he will face pressure from arms control advocates to insist that India accept strict conditions on the deal. Given this uncertainty, Prime Minister Stephen Harper would be wise to move cautiously before giving Canada's assent to the deal.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

22 July - Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare (Public Event). Washington, DC. The Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) is sponsoring a discussion on counterinsurgency on 22 July 2008, at the National Press Club (the Holeman Lounge), Washington, DC. Dr. John Nagl (Center for a New American Security), Dr. Daniel Marston (Australian National University), and Dr. Carter Malkasian (CNA) recently collaborated on Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare (Osprey, 2008), an edited book that examines 13 of the most important counterinsurgency campaigns of the past 100 years, including the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Dr. David Kilcullen (U.S. State Department), the renowned counterinsurgency expert, will moderate the discussion and provide critical commentary. Lunch will be provided. Books will be available to purchase at a discounted rate. For more information, visit the first link above. RSVP at kattm@cna.org or 703.824.2436.

11-15 August - Counterinsurgency Leaders Workshop (Official Event - Workshop). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The US Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency (COIN) Center is hosting a five-day program for prospective counterinsurgency leaders, 11-15 August 2008, at the Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The program is focused on equipping leaders with an understanding of the insurgency and counterinsurgency environments, as well as close consideration of the kinds of persons and organizations that usually emerge from insurgencies in contrast to those of conventional conflicts. This event will be held at the Battle Command Training Center (BCTC) Training Facility on Fort Leavenworth. Seating is limited. However, registration is open to any person who serves in any official capacity with regard to dealing with insurgencies, with priority is given to those applying from invited organizations. Other applicants will be reviewed for eligibility on a space-available, case-by-case basis. The duty is uniform/business casual. Application must completed on-line at the link above. The deadline for application is 1 August 2008. For more information, contact the COIN Center at 913-684-5196.

11-12 September - DNI Open Source Conferece 2008 (Public Event - Conference). Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Office of the DNI is pleased to announce the "DNI Open Source Conference 2008" to be held on Thursday, 11 September and Friday, 12 September, 2008 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC. The conference is free; however, all who wish to attend must register online in advance (deadline 31 July). The two-day conference will explore a wide range of open source issues and open source best practices for the Intelligence Community and its partners. We invite participants from the broader open source community of interest including academia, think tanks, private industry, federal, state, local and tribal entities, international partners, and the media to attend. The conference will include speakers from across the broader open source community participating in panel discussions and focus group sessions. Information about the agenda and break-out sessions is now available. The DNI Open Source Conference 2007 was held 16-17 July 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. More than 900 registered participants and speakers attended. Presentations made at the conference break-out sessions are available on the DNI Open Source Conference 2007 website.

16-18 September 2008 - The U.S. Army and the Interagency Process: A Historical Perspective (Public Event - Conference / Call for Papers). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute. The symposium will include a variety of guest speakers, panel sessions, and general discussions. This symposium will explore the partnership between the U.S. Army and government agencies in attaining national goals and objectives in peace and war within a historical context. Separate international topics may be presented. The symposium will also examine current issues, dilemmas, problems, trends, and practices associated with U.S. Army operations requiring close interagency cooperation.