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Summary: Encouraging contact with Syria and Iran will be a central plank of the new Democratic Congress, says incoming House majority leader Steny Hoyer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports. "The leadership's openness toward Syria and Iran conflicts dramatically with much of the mainstream pro-Israel community," says JTA.
The Bush administration is considering an increase in troop levels in Iraq of 17,000 to 20,000, which would be accomplished in part by delaying the departure of two Marine regiments, the New York Times reports.
Many American soldiers in Iraq say the temporary surge in troop levels some people are calling for is a bad idea, AP reports. Many said the Iraqi capital is embroiled in civil warfare that no number of American troops can stop. Many worry that dispatching more soldiers would result in more U.S. casualties, and some questioned whether an increasingly muddled American mission is worth putting more lives on the line.
President Bush is considering new economic initiatives to go along with a possible increase in troops to help stabilize Iraq, the Washington Post reports. Among the steps being considered are short-term jobs and loan programs. Some officials question whether such a package would work after previous botched efforts to stimulate economic activity.
Sen. Barack Obama yesterday joined a chorus of potential Democratic presidential candidates criticizing U.S. policy in Iraq, telling supporters he opposes sending more troops, the Washington Times reports.
Former senator John Edwards launched his second campaign for the White House with a call for the US to reduce its troop presence in Iraq, the Washington Post reports. Edwards again recanted his vote authorizing President Bush to take the country to war, which he called a mistake. Edwards said he favors withdrawing 40,000 to 50,000 troops as a signal that the US intends to turn over responsibility for the conflict to the government there.
Iraqi officials in the city of Najaf said Thursday that a raid which killed a top aide of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was a violation of the deal that transferred U.S. control of Najaf to the Iraqi army, Reuters reports. A spokesman for Najaf's governor called the killing an "assassination." Saheb al-Amiri's son says he was unarmed when he was killed by a U.S. soldier.
Saddam Hussein's impending execution could bring more instability to Iraq, Inter Press Service reports.
Iran US officials have tried to tie detained Iranians to IEDs in Iraq, but have never explained how that made sense, writes Juan Cole.
Iraq Iraq is in the midst of a housing crisis that is worsening by the day, the New York Times reports. It began right after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, when many landlords took advantage of the removal of his economic controls and raised rents substantially, forcing out thousands of families who took shelter in abandoned government buildings and military bases. Iraqi officials say that after security, housing is a priority, but plans to address the problem are minimal.
When she was in Baghdad in 2005, you could still travel to most anywhere in the capital, Hannah Allam reports for McClatchy News. Now there are few true neighborhoods left. They're mostly just cordoned-off enclaves in various stages of deadly sectarian cleansing.
Somalia Anti-Ethiopia unrest erupted in Mogadishu a day after Ethiopian-backed forces captured the city, the New York Tiimes reports. While some are relieved to see the Ethiopian troops, others are suspicious and angry. The viewpoint often sharply differs by clan, an ominous sign of re-emerging tensions.
Israel/Palestine After coordination with Israel and the US, Egypt has sent weapons into the Gaza Strip to forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, the New York Times reports. The Bush administration is seeking Congressional support for up to $100 million to strengthen Abbas and his security forces.
Israeli forces killed 660 Palestinians in 2006, well over three times as many as the year before, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said Friday, Reuters reports. B'Tselem said half of the dead Palestinians were not taking part in hostilities at the time they were killed.
Afghanistan Afghan President Hamid Karzai voiced strong opposition on Thursday to Pakistan's announcement that it would lay mines and erect fences along its border with Afghanistan, the New York Times reports. He said the moves would only hurt the people living in the region and would not stem cross-border terrorism.
Bolivia A delegation of six U.S. senators led by incoming Majority Leader Harry Reid met Thursday with Bolivian President Evo Morales, AP reports. Reid said Morales could turn out to be "the best leader [Bolivia] ever had." Reid said Bolivia was "moving forward" in its fight against drug trafficking.
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- Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org