Topic: Asharq Al-Awsat

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Terrorism & Security
UN envoy to Syria pins hopes for ending violence on observer mission

Kofi Annan said the observer mission was 'the only remaining chance to stabilize the country,' even though fighting has continued with observers on the ground.
Iran's bid for power in postwar Iraq

As Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki meets President Obama in Washington, Tehran is trying to broaden its influence in Iraq by installing a heavy-hitting cleric there.
Arab Spring crackdown damages Kurdistan's image as regional model

The US has long championed semi-autonomous Kurdistan as a democratic model for the rest of Iraq and the Middle East. But Kurdish leaders have violently shut down dissenters.
Terrorism & Security
Bin Laden audio belatedly praises Arab Spring

The audio recording of Osama bin Laden, released posthumously, is Al Qaeda's first public statement on the regional uprisings.
For many Arabs, Osama bin Laden had already lost his appeal

'We have clearly passed the Osama bin Laden era, and we are firmly into the Bouazizi era,' said one columnist, referring to the Tunisian man whose self-immolation sparked revolts across the Mideast.
Hariri tribunal launches legal case, prompting protests in Lebanon

The Hariri tribunal indictments submitted yesterday mark the first time that a legal case has been launched against suspects on a political assassination in Lebanon.
Deadline extended in bid to keep Israel-Palestinian talks alive

Palestinian leaders say continued settlement expansion in the West Bank could halt peace talks by the end of the week. Is an acceptable compromise in the works?
Osama bin Laden's family in Iran: new strain on Saudi-Iran ties

Six children and one wife of Osama Bin Laden have reportedly been living in Iran since fleeing Afghanistan shortly before 9/11. His 17-year-old daughter recently escaped to the embassy of Saudi Arabia, Iran's traditional rival.
Can Afghanistan be saved?

An interview with NATO Secretary-General Anders Rasmussen.
Talk to Hamas now or fight new radicals indefinitely

Obama can't afford to let history repeat itself in the Middle East.
Egypt strikes out at Iran's expanding reach

Egyptian police have arrested 25 suspects and are hunting for another 24 in the Sinai peninsula, where officials say the Iranian-sponsored group Hezbollah was operating a covert cell.
Saudis break taboo of opposing royals after soccer row

The incident highlights a shift from unquestioned deference toward the royal family.
Cease-fire efforts under way as Gaza conflict simmers

Israel seeks US help on Gaza weapons smuggling, while Arab nations remain divided over a truce.
Israeli strikes in Gaza risk political win for Hamas

The Islamist militants in Gaza may emerge as a symbol of defiance, much as Hezbollah did in its 2006 war with Israel.
U.S. and Iraq near a 'bridge' deal on status of U.S. troops

By the end of July, they hope to finalize a deal that would map out the role and "time horizon" for US troops in the country.
Iraq increasingly finds itself caught between U.S. and Iran

The US military in Iraq says Iran continues to aid militants, but Iraqis now say that they want their own evidence.
In Saudi Arabia, moderate article on Islam draws death fatwa

The response to threats against Abdullah Bejad al-Oteibi exposes a shifting balance between moderate and extremist versions of Islam in Saudi society.