Khomeini's Daughter Asks Khamenei: Let Rafsanjani Run Ayatollah Khomeini's daughter Zahra Mostafavi has written to the supreme leader to ask him to intervene after the Guardian Council disqualified Hashemi Rafsanjani for the presidential race. Iran
Six Nautical Miles Not Enough For Gaza Fishermen Israel's announcement to re-extend Gaza's fishing zone from three to six nautical miles comes at the end of the lucrative sardine season and does not promise relief for fishermen. Palestine
Sadr Wants Talabani to Step Down Iraqi Shiite Leader Muqtada Al-Sadr is seeking to appoint a new president as questions linger about President Jalal Talabani's return to Iraq. Iraq
Hezbollah Campaigns For Preemptive War in Syria To preempt dissent among its base, Hezbollah is conducting a propaganda campaign to convince supporters that the sacrifices they are making in the battle for Qusair are worth it. Lebanon
Did Muslim Brotherhood Frame Salma Sabahi? Opposition figures have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of framing the daughter of a powerful opponent for fraud in an act of retaliation. Egypt
Iran Elections: Where an Old KIA Beats a Mercedes-Benz Iran’s Guardian Council nixes both former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and Rahim Meshai, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's acolyte and adviser. Iran
Vulgarity on Rise in Turkish Political Discourse Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first to place CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the same boat of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Turkey
Knesset (Res.) Colonel: 'We Can Withstand' the Syrian Threat Israel is threatened more by diplomatic deadlock than by Syrian jihadists, says Knesset member Col. (res.) Omer Bar-Lev of the Labor Party. Israel
Erdogan’s ‘Plan C’ Under Way If "plan C" means a constitutional process driven by Turkey's ruling AKP, yet marred by high tension, two interesting scenarios emerge. Turkey
Hamas Tightens Ban On Travel From Gaza Hamas' ban on travel from Gaza to the West Bank for two human rights workers shows Israel isn't the only one restricting Palestinians' movement. Palestine
Israel Was Right to Publish Al-Durrah Report A response to Shlomi Eldar’s article about the irrelevance of the Israeli Commission of Inquiry investigating the circumstances of Muhammad al-Durrah’s death. Palestine
As Assad’s Forces Take Control Of Qusair, What Comes Next? Now that the Syrian regime’s forces control half of the city of Qusair near Lebanon’s northern border, the balance seems to once again be shifting in the Syrian conflict. Israel
Erdogan Paints Himself Into Corner over Gaza After his meeting with US President Barack Obama, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cannot seem to win on Gaza. Palestine
Iraqi Kurds Call For TurkeyTo Release Ocalan Iraqi Kurds have launched a petition campaign calling on Turkey for the release of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Iraq
Islamist Threat Constrains Jordan's Syria Policy Jordan has been successful in persuading the Obama administration to pay attention to the Islamist threat in Syria. Jordan
Sectarian Violence Erupts Again Across Iraq Renewed sectarian violence this week is setting back Iraqi efforts toward national reconciliation. Iraq
