February 8th

Opportunity In Sight For A Peaceful Offensive On Defiant Sides ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Raghidadergham.com by Raghida Dergham - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:52pm On the Lebanese and Palestinian fronts surface indicators of a new and beneficial impetus, one that requires responsible assessment of the available opportunities and courage to adopt peaceful offensive strategies. The UN Undersecretary Nicholas Michel spoke about the impossibility of using Lebanon's international tribunal - aimed at punishing the parties involved in political assassinations in Lebanon - in any political tradeoff. These are extremely important words as they coincide with the UN commitment to end the era of impunity. » Read more

Arab-american Thoughts On Super Tuesday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Ghassan Rubeiz - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:52pm American politics have become intimately tied to Arab politics since 9/11 and the start of the war in Iraq. According to a 2007 Zoghby poll, 61 percent of Arab-American voters mentioned Iraq as the top issue in the current presidential election contest. The same number of Arab-Americans also ranked "Palestine" as being very important for them as an election issue. » Read more

Revitalizing Diplomacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:50pm Daniel Kurtzer » Read more

Hamas' Strategic Defeat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Dror Ze’evi - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:49pm Ever since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the Hamas movement has boasted a series of impressive tactical victories. These wins started with the elections victory over Fatah and continued with the rapid takeover of the Gaza Strip, the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, the “candle operation” aimed at forcing Israel to boost the supply of electricity to the Strip, and finally, the breaching of the Rafah border wall and the lifting of the siege.   » Read more

Usip Report: Ten Pieces Of Advice For #44 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:48pm The latest news from the region is that once again the Israelis are reducing the supply of electricity to Gaza, in response to increased Hamas attacks in Israel. The cutbacks come despite the fact that the policy of punishing the general population has been repeatedly tried and failed, and despite a strong warning from the Bush administration.  » Read more

Israel Trims Gaza Electricity, Prompting Warning From U.s. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune by Isabel Kershner - February 8, 2008 - 7:47pm Israel has begun reducing the amount of electricity it sells to Gaza as part of sanctions against continued rocket fire, Israeli officials said Friday. The move prompted a warning from the United States not to "worsen the humanitarian situation" of civilians in Gaza, and was followed by the firing of yet more rockets at Israel by militants there. » Read more

Palestinian Pm Sees No '08 Israel Accord ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Ed Stoddard - February 8, 2008 - 7:46pm Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Thursday a lasting peace accord with Israel was unlikely in 2008 despite renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict. In an interview with Reuters in the Texas capital, Austin, where he is on a private visit, he highlighted the lack of progress on the issue of Israeli settlements and military incursions into the West Bank as among the chief obstacles in the "road map" to peace and Palestinian statehood. » Read more

Egyptian President Views Gaza Border Crisis, Iran Ties, Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News (Interview) February 8, 2008 - 7:43pm Text of report by Italian leading privately-owned centre-left newspaper La Repubblica, on 31 January [Interview with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak by Nicola Lombardozzi and Alix Van Buren in Cairo on 30 January: "'Israel Will Not Offload Gaza On to Us'"] » Read more

Israel To Intensify Strikes If Rocket Fire Continues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Ellen Knickmeyer - February 8, 2008 - 7:41pm Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened Thursday to intensify military operations in the Gaza Strip if fighters continue using the Palestinian territory for rocket attacks on southern Israel. Earlier in the day, Israeli troops supported by tanks, artillery and fighter jets raided Gaza, killing six Palestinian gunmen, according to Palestinian and news service accounts. » Read more

February 7th

Barak Is The Wrong Man ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Israel Harel - (Opinion) February 7, 2008 - 7:34pm The main reason given by Defense Minister Ehud Barak for remaining in the government is to contend with the state's grave security threats, from both near and far. To be prepared, he said, our operational capabilities must be restored and a moral change must be implemented. Barak is thus telling the public he is the right man in the right place, and if he were to step down now there would be no one to carry out these tasks as well as he can. » Read more